Avedon AND Kennedy at the PEM

It's like a perfect storm of greatness. Kennedy family portraits by photographer Richard Avedon.I'm really torn here. I don't know whether I want to gush over the the President and Mrs. Kennedy, Caroline, and baby John, or Richard Avedon. I do know that Salem is a very lucky place to have the Peabody Essex Museum and their Curator of Photography Phillip Prodger, who brought Avedon and Kennedy to Salem for a few months.

So I'll gush over the PEM, an institution that makes connections between Salem and the art and culture of the world through its special and permanent exhibits. Last weekend the PEM was alive with Sensational India ("How was Sensational India," I asked. There was only one response, of course - "Sensational!") And now we journey to twentieth century American photography and the political realm of 1961. Adjacent to Avedon? The Maya and the Mythic Sea. Downstairs? American Decorative Arts. Out the window? The only example of 18th-century Chinese architecture in America. IN SALEM. Gush.

Back to Avedon. This exhibit was created by the National Museum of American History and organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution traveling Exhibition Services (SITES). The Smithsonian in Salem at the PEM. In the form of Avedon. And the Kennedys. Be still my heart.

Taken for Harpers Bazaar and Look, These are the only formal pictures taken of Kennedy between his election and inauguration. Avedon was an amazing photographer, and you get a true sense of his craft through the images. At the exhibit preview last night, Phillip Prodger pointed out that at the time, Avedon was cutting edge. Most portrait photographers would shoot their subject in a space that provided context - a library or an office, for example. Avedon photographed his subjects on a white or gray background.

In addition to the portraits, there are a number of contact sheets included in the exhibit, and these show series of twelve images made to get one shot. Through the contact sheets, you will not only discover the charisma and elegance of the Kennedys, Avedon also shares family connections and the mood of the photo shoot.

Prodger pointed out that Avedon was expert at burning and dodging - or adjusting the exposure of the image - making Jackie appear to have a bit of a halo in one of the images. She glows in one portrait. I was slightly disappointed to learn it was photographic manipulation that gave her that ethereal appearance. Disappointment aside, Avedon's manipulation and talent created a stunning portrait.

I'm done gushing now. Go see the exhibit. Let me know what you think.

The Kennedys | Portrait of a Family: Photographs by Richard Avedon is a fantastic exhibition. It opens on Saturday, April 17 and runs through July 18, 2010. Do see it.

Valérie Belin: Made Up at the Peabody Essex Museum from October 17, 2009 through January 18, 2010

French photographer Valérie Belin’s first one-person show in the United States opens today at the Peabody Essex Museum. Belin is an artist as famous for the unsettling qualities of her floor-to-ceiling photographs as she is for her provocative subjects. Well-recognized in the past for her portrait series of Michael Jackson impersonators, body builders, lapdogs and showgirls, Belin delves deep into a subject of fascination compelling viewers to probe the sublime quality of even the most familiar things.

Valérie Belin: Made Up presents 20 exquisitely-printed, larger-than-life images exploring a photographer’s ability to manipulate perception of artificiality and reality. From shimmering black and white portraits of mannequins and models, ballroom dancers and bags of chips, to richly-colored and unexpected still lifes, all have their place in Belin’s studio and in PEM’s galleries. Referencing French philosophical traditions, Belin continually challenges her viewers to consider what is real, what is artificial — and whether knowing the difference matters after all.

Among Belin’s most recent shows was a joint exhibition with Édouard Manet at the legendary Musée d’Orsay in Paris. Belin’s 2007 mid-career retrospective was received with enormous popular and critical praise across Europe — she is rapidly becoming a leader in the world of photography.

Destination Salem's First Annual Photography Contest!

I'm excited to announce the first annual Destination Salem photography contest! What image do you think should be on the cover of the 2010 Salem Visitor Guide? We print nearly 300,000 visitor guides, and send them out internationally - so think about it. What is the image that best represents Salem, Massachusetts to the world?

For complete rules, regulations, and details on the contest, click through to Salem.org or Click here for complete contest details and a submission form.

Here's the theme: Discover the Magic of Salem!

What does that phrase mean to you? Capture the magic of Salem, Massachusetts in your image – be it history, maritime, architecture, dining, shopping, a statue, a cemetery, the harbor, a museum. Show us the magic in your Salem, and it could win you a great prize!

Fabulous Prizes

• First Prize: $100 and the image will be featured on the cover of the 2010 Salem, MA Visitor & Travel Guide!
• Second Prize: $50 Salem Gift Certificate
• Third Prize: $25 Salem Gift Certificate

Submission Information

1. The deadline for submission is December 1, 2009.
2. Images should be submitted in a high-resolution (at least 300 dpi) digital format.
3. Photographs must be submitted in .jpeg, .jpg or .tif format via email to DestinationSalem@gmail.com or on disc to Destination Salem, PO Box 630, Salem, MA 01970.
4. High resolution scans of photographs are acceptable.
5. Each photograph must be accompanied by a submission form (Download form).
6. Winners will be announced on December 18th, 2009 on Salem.org.

(By the way - these photos were taken by a professional! (c) Leighton O'Connor)

Happy Holidays from Destination Salem

Diane at The Lobster Shanty sent me this picture, and I just love it! Salem is beautiful in the snow. If you have a great picture to share (it can be snow, sun, rain, whatever!) email it to me, and I just may post it on the blog.

If it's really great, I may ask you for permission to use it in the 2009 visitor guide, or on Salem.org. There's no cash involved, but the fame your would discover through being featured in a Salem tourism publication is quite priceless.

More snow is expected this week - so if you're coming into town, make sure to check Salem.com for snow emergency/parking ban information.