Hakka Village, Sha Tin, 2010, from Asleep At Sea, © Jane Tam, currently featured in Fraction Magazine, Issue 15

So it’s been quite a long time since my last update and it was mainly due to the lack of acknowledgment for writing on this blog. The loss in interest basically led to my blog getting hacked yesterday but all is fixed. Despite the tumbleweed atmosphere here, I have to update on some news.

Two years ago I graduated from Syracuse University and was honored to be asked to be part of Nymphoto, a women’s photo collective in New York City. (If you have not noticed from the Nymphoto blog, the members and I have decided to take a break and focus on our own individual endeavors.) The members of the collective were overwhelmingly supportive of my work and I jumped for the opportunity to have the sense of community I was leaving in Syracuse. The Nymphoto Blog was one of our first big tasks since it offered a blogpost every single day, whether it was an exhibition announcement or an interview. Having this involvement, I had the opportunity to interview and showcase female photographers I admired such as Kanako Sasaki, Lisa Robinson, Garie Waltzer, Pixy Liao, Celine Clanet, and lots more. Since we had such a great library, Nymphoto decided to tackle more challenges, with two back-to-back exhibitions as Sasha Wolf Gallery and a self-publish volume of the Conversations series. I can’t express how unbelievably amazing all these opportunities are to a then-23-yr old.

Thank you Nina, Maria, Rona, Candace, Melanie, all our families and extended Nymphoto friends. Being a member of Nymphoto have brought me a noticeably bigger audience, have given me exhibition opportunities, and a great group of friends. It’s been a great run and I think it’s about time we find time for ourselves.

Above are installation shots of my part of the group exhibition in “Whatever Was Splendid” at the Fotofest 2010 Biennial. The gallery space is extremely large and takes over two floors of 1113 Vine Street Studios so there’s quite a number of works by each artist.

I feel incredibly fortunate to be in a group exhibition amongst such a high caliber of artists. Many people at Fotofest asked how I got to be a part of the exhibition and if I had been to Fotofest two years prior — and the simple answer is that Aaron Schuman (of SeeSaw Magazine) emailed me after seeing my work on Nymphoto and I have never been to Houston, Texas. (Thoughts on age-ism in a later post.) I met a lot of artists who attend these reviews like class reunions. To each his own.

Come opening night, Fotofest organized bus shuttles to galleries where the last destination was the reception/party at Vine Street Studios, where “Whatever Was Splendid,” is installed. I did not see the exhibition prior to that night but was so pleasantly surprised at the wonderful space and the amount of work each artist exhibited. There was so much work, it took me awhile to find where my photographs were. I even asked a staff member due to the massive crowds coming in and the maze-like space. (PS. I’m upstairs!)

During the night I received lots of great feedback from the local Houstonians as well as gallery/museum/curator folks, which really made me feel like I should give myself a good pat on the back. Asians flocked to me and felt at home with my images of the kitchen as well. It was an amazing experience! Later on the evening, the mayor made an appearance so it was glitz and glamor with body guards and cameras all hustling to the VIP tent where curators and artists were briefly introduced. There I met a bunch of photographers who I mainly know of online such as Will Steacy, Brian Ulrich, Hank Willis Thomas, Todd Hido — but also met other great people like Richard Mosse, Greg Stimac, and more. (Tema, you were missed!)

The trip was a completely new experience and overall, it was successful.

I can’t thank Aaron and Fotofest for the opportunity and all the support!

In the next few posts, I’ll write about the artists I met, thoughts on age-ism, and possibly some huge changes in my life.

Press news:

Aaron, Richard, and I were also interviewed by the Houston Public Radio early one morning. I was a bundle of nerves so coherence wasn’t on the plate but it’s great that I made it on the radio, right? Thank you Meghan Hendley for the opportunity.

Houston Public Radio, listen here.

The exhibition was also featured in The Telegraph last week.

Fotofest exhibitions is also featured in CultureMap.

Review of the exhibition as a whole from the Houston Press.

All artists in the main Fotofest exhibitions are published in the biennial catalog, which is a hefty 507 pages! It is beautifully printed and includes an introduction by Charlotte Cotton and an accompanying exhibition essay by Aaron. You can order a copy here.

Also, James Pomerantz of APhotoStudent.com announced I was the winner of his film giveaway. Thanks again, James!

Artist: Emily Shur
Title: Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles, California
Date: 2004
Size: 20×24 in.
Medium: Digital C-Print
Edition: 5/15
Signed Verso

The Nymphoto Collective is proud to announce its online auction and print sale to benefit the relief effort in Haiti.

The Art for Haiti auction will be coordinated by eBay Giving Works and 100% of the proceeds will go to Partners in Health. The auction & print sale will take place February 27 through March 9, 2010.

Partners in Health is a recognized non-profit organization that, over the course of 20 years, has established 12 medical non-profit facilities in Haiti. Partners in Health is committed to continue to work with the people of Haiti for better health care.

It has been only a month since the earthquake in Haiti, but the press is already beginning to slow down its coverage, which is why the Nymphoto Collective has organized this online auction. The Haitian people have a very long road ahead to recovery. The artists participating in this fundraiser want to show their solidarity and let the Haitian people know that they will continue to support them in the months and years ahead. Some of the participating artists have family and friends in Haiti, and some have built relationships with the Haitian people and culture through photography.

Work by (in alphabetical order by last name) Keliy Anderson-Staley, Nina Büsing Corvallo, Jeff Cate, Rona Chang, Cameron Goodyear, Candace Gottschalk, Laura Heyman, Geoffrey Hutchinson, Hee Jin Kang, Michelle Kloehn, Yijun Liao, Minette Lee Managhas, Tiana Markova-Gold, Stephen Meierding, Maria Passarotti, Suzanne Révy, Jon Shireman, Emily Shur, Brea Souders, Tema Stauffer, Julianna Swaney, Jane Tam, Hidemi Takagi and Jennifer Williams.

This eclectic group of artists has shown in museums and galleries around the world. The fundraiser offers an opportunity for collectors to acquire artwork and contribute to an important cause.

Click here to start bidding on artwork.

Bensonhurst, Brooklyn Houses, 2008, from Foreigners in Paradise, © Jane Tam

Just wanted to update you all on some upcoming shows and what I’ve been up to.

This Friday, November 6th, I will be in a two-person exhibition with the talented Shen Wei at Nemo Design Gallery in Portland, Oregon. I will be showing ten photographs from my “Foreigners in Paradise” project.

From the website:
Nemo Design is proud to present the work of acclaimed photographers Shen Wei and Jane Tam in Reflecting China: Gendered Visions from the Diaspora. Reflecting China combines work from Shen Wei’s Chinese Sentiment Series with Jane Tam’s Foreigners in Paradise Series. The result is a collection of work that explores issues of Chinese identity, gender, diaspora, cultural memory, imagined communities, longing and belonging. Both artists have been internationally recognized for their work. Shen is the recipient of many awards and was named as one of fifteen in the “new generation of photo pioneers” by American Photo magazine in 2007 as well as, one of the PDN’s “30 New and Emerging Photographers to Watch” in 2008. Jane Tam was awarded with the Emerging Photographer Award at the Pingyao Photography Festival in China.

Reflecting China is part of the community programming for the Portland Art Museum’s China Design Now exhibit.

At the end of this year, I’m taking a trip to Hong Kong to continue my “Asleep At Sea” series. It will be about 2.5 weeks of shooting and I’m so excited for it!

After the new year, I am also showing work at the Fotofest Biennial 2010. The show, “Whatever Was Splendid,” is curated by Aaron Schuman, of Seesaw Magazine and incorporates an amazing roster of artists that I am most humbled to be included with.

From the website:
Aaron Schuman explores the legacy and continued influence of a “thoroughly modern photographic figure,” Walker Evans. “The striking similarities between Evans’s time and our own have become all too clear,” says Mr. Schuman. “Bearing this in mind, I began to investigate his profound influence on how the United States is still responded to, regarded, recognized and represented within photography today.” The artists in Mr. Schuman’s exhibition are: Will Steacy, Michael Schmelling, Greg Stimac, Tema Stauffer, Jason Lazarus, Jane Tam, Richard Mosse, Craig Mammano, Todd Hido, Hank Willis Thomas, and RJ Shaughnessy.

Reflecting China: Gendered Visions from the Diaspora
Two-Person Exhibition with Jane Tam and Shen Wei
Nemo Design Gallery
1875 SE Belmont St.Portland, OR 97214
Nov. 6 – 23, 2009
Opening Reception: Nov. 6, 2009 from 6-10pm

Whatever Was Splendid
Fotofest Biennial 2010, curated by Aaron Schuman
Vine Street Studios
1113 Vine Street
Houston, Texas
March 12 – Apr 25, 2010

Lau Fau San Temple, Hong Kong, from Asleep at Sea, © Jane Tam

I’m participating in a fundraiser to help support a project for the Vanderbilt Foundation. If you’re looking to collect art and participate in the fundraiser, be sure to purchase a ticket to the event. Lots of great work there! (See the huge list of photographers below)

Art from the Heart Benefit Fundraiser
Galleries at Calumet Photographic
22 West 22nd St
New York, NY
Thursday, September 10, 2009 – 7:00pm – 10:00pm

Participating artists include:

Joseph Cultice, David X. Prutting, Stephan Schacher, Andrew Frasz, J.p. Samedi, Lauren Fleishman, J. Matthew Riva, Chiun-Kai Shih, Mauricio Quintero, Daemian Smith, Livio Mancini, Jens Umbach, Troy Huechtker, Dawn Blackman, Stephen Mallon, Andrew Cutraro, Al-khabir Richman, Andrea Thompson, Benjamin Lowy, George Del Barrio, Leslie Dela-Vega, Mike McGregor, Emiliano Granado, Patrick Hoelck, Matthew Bogosian, Erin O’Brien, Keith Kliner, Robyn Twomey, Angela Capetta, June Kim, Antoine Verglas, Ian Spanier, Alex Verron, Jackie Neale Chadwick, Daniel Root, Elizabeth Fleming, Art Streiber, Kareem Black, Wesley Mann, Sarah Friedman, David Needleman, Morgan Shortell, Alaric Campbell, Jane Tam, Brian Finke, David Goldman, Augustus Butera, James Ransom, Jazzmine Beaulieu, Yijun Liao, Tony Gayle, Joe Fornabio, Nicole Civita, Adriana Lopetrone, Marc Mcandrews, Fabrice Tombert, Tait Simpson, Matt Salacuse, Donna Ferrato, Brian Bowen Smith, Larry Westler, Anak Navaraj, Ashton Worthington, Matt Slaby, Joe Budd, Danny Wilcox Frazier, Donna Alberico, Peter Stanglmayr

(from the Vanderbilt Foundation)
The Vanderbilt Foundation’s mission is to increase public awareness of critical arts, cultural, and human rights organizations. The Foundation does this by producing commercial-grade photography shoots with the industry‚Äôs most diverse and innovative working creatives. The VRF provides partner organizations renewed publicity through large-scale photography exhibitions, workshops, publications, and the World Wide Web.

This “Art from the Heart” Project is a fundraiser that will support the “Masters” project in Cambodia.

This fall, The Vanderbilt Republic Foundation (VRF), in an unprecedented partnership with Arn Chorn-Pond and Cambodian Living Arts, will devote four weeks to rigorously documenting the lives of these Cambodian performing masters in a manner their stories deserve and with an approach that honors and celebrates their significance in our world. Acclaimed large-format portrait photographer Geroge Del Barrio will lead a unique team of American artists deeply inspired by and connected to Arn and the CLA’s narrative. The team will craft life-sized portraits of the masters, their students, their instruments and the world they inhabit, all at the highest professional standard. They’ll print and present this work at life-size, to fully describe the extreme realities of these survivors‚Äîin traveling exhibitions throughout the world and internet. A higher-education lecture series, based on this body of work, is planned. And in addition, a feature-length, broadcast-quality film of the entire process will be created, focusing on the perspective of the masters as they collaborate with the American team. What will transpire is a beautiful story about the arts renaissance in Cambodia today and with your help we can make this project a reality.

Nymphoto Presents @ Sasha Wolf

A group show exhibiting compelling collection of work by contemporary women photographers from across the globe. While diverse in content, these works convey the complexity of the female gaze – the woman behind the camera. The photographs ignite a spirit by addressing a diversity of issues, which inevitably calls into question: what is feminine.

The exhibit features work by:

Jennifer Boomer, Nina B√ºsing Corvallo, Rona Chang, Livia Corona, Katrina d’Autremont, Jen Davis, Lizzie Gorfaine, Candace Gottschalk, Victoria Hely-Hutchinson, Megan Maloy, Tiana Markova-Gold, Debora Mittelstaedt, Maria Passarotti, Alex Prager, Beatrix Reinhardt, Anna Skladmann, Jane Tam, Malou van Breevoort, Corinne Vionnet, Sophia Wallace, & Susan Worsham

Exhibition opens May 23rd through June 6, 2009.

Please join us for the artist reception May 28, 2009 6-8 p.m. at Sasha Wolf Gallery in New York.

*Psst: We also have an opening reception and book launch on May 6, 2009 at Sasha Wolf Gallery for Nymphoto: Conversations Volume I.

The difference between Nymphoto and some other collectives is that we are a close knit community of just a few members. (Our meetings run hours long.. food keeps us sane.) We strive to keep each other motivated and it’s especially valuable to me since I was fresh out of college when I was asked to join. Although we are committed to promote women working in photography and creating a voice for them, we are mostly artists too. We have work that wants to be shown and recognized.We have full time jobs but are motivated to keep our goals and intentions going strong.

I’m pleased to announce Nymphoto’s newest projects.

We’re publishing our first book! The Conversations in book form! Also, we are happy to collaborate with gallery owner and director, Sasha Wolf, to put on a physical exhibition coinciding with the book. The title of the book and show is simple called,”Nymphoto: Conversations Volume I.” Join us on May 6, 2009 at the gallery for our book launch and opening reception.

Ladies! We’re also doing a Call for Entries for an group exhibition following the book launch exhibition. Deadline is April 7th. Please go to www.nymphoto.com for details and to submit. We’re looking for the best in contemporary photography by women so please pass the word on.

Three Stray Dogs, Lau Fau San, Hong Kong, from Asleep at Sea, © Jane Tam

Daniel Cooney asked me to participate in the Emerging Photographer’s Auction this time around, and I am certainly in good company. The image above is up for bidding over at iGavel. Nymphoto cohort, Maria Passarotti, is also participating!

I wouldn’t have been able to go to Lau Fau San by myself last winter. My aunt’s best friend lived in the outlying islands of Hong Kong and is lucky enough to have a car. They drove us to this area, known for oyster farming and fresh seafood. It is also an area where many films were shot because it is one of the few old-school seafood markets. Nowhere close to the city and secluded from everything. The ocean looks out over to a distant bridge that connects Hong Kong to mainland China. I was so close that even my phone service changed to mainland China. This area, although very rural, reminds me of what my parents and grandparents grew up knowing, or from what I hear. Hopefully I can return and visit the actual villages of my relatives someday.

I hope you look through all the auction lots. There is certainly a fair amount of good work. Whether you bid on my image or not, I’d suggest investing in art. Invest in what you like and can’t live without. Spread the news.