The Salt Lake Art Center Debacle
UPDATE: After I posted this Adam Price, Executive Director of the Salt Lake Art Center, invited me out for a drink. We had a very pleasant conversation and I realized he is actually a VERY cool guy. He has been absolutely instrumental in many of Salt Lake City’s biggest art projects and after hearing his side of the story I realized there really is more to the story than what I posted here. I debated deleting this whole post but I think that would be unfair to everyone that commented, and supported me and my creative team. I would like to say that after speaking to Adam Price I have a HUGE amount of respect for him, I apologized to him for my part in this incident and he has apologized to me (and my creative team) for the mistakes he made. All in all I think it turned out pretty well! Thanks so much everyone!
Heard a good story lately?
Well, you’re about to!
I was escorted off the premises by the executive director of the Salt Lake Art Center during a charity fashion event
Here’s why.
A little over a month ago I was contacted about doing an exhibition photoshoot as part of the Art Meets Fashion event held at the Salt Lake Art Center. Ticket sales ($50 each) were set to benefit charities, one of which included the Salt Lake Art Center. The shoot would be done with custom wardrobe designed by the amazing Michelle Boucher and the styling team I work with on a regular basis were already committed. I said yes without hesitation.
The concept I started kicking around involved live animals. A large black-throat monitor lizard, an 8-foot albino python and a big arse tortoise if I’m being specific. Obviously this could be problematic so before I even contacted the reptile wranglers I sought (and received) permission from the event organizers. Then I placed a call to the amazing team at http://www.scalesandtailsutah.com to sweet talk them into donating their time to the event as well. It took awhile but they agreed. Everyone was excited.
Then the night of the event came. We were to begin shooting at 5:30PM so I arrived to set-up shortly before 4PM and was in complete photographer mode, meaning the ONLY thing on my mind was figuring out the best way to shoot the idea.
That’s when I was informed, for the first time, that the animals would not be permitted inside the Art Center. Later I was told this message was sent weeks before (I didn’t receive it), but either way it didn’t matter to me at that point. The only thing on my mind was figuring out how to make the photo shoot happen and stay within the rules that I was powerless to change. After all, animals inside an art gallery is kind of an unusual request… I’m fine with it being an unexpected no.
I settled on a spot outside the building that would be just perfect! Well, I went with the event organizer to talk to Jenny Klekas, Executive Assistant for the Salt Lake Art Center to let them know the fantastic news that we could still do the shoot and not violate their rules.
Upon my very first conversation with her she was belligerent to me with the very first syllable out of her mouth. I honestly felt like was being scolded by an angry shop-keeper in a Dennis the Menace comic strip. I can’t emphasize how EXTRAORDINARILY menacing to both me and the event organizer this lady was.
“You cannot have animals anywhere on the premises, and that includes anywhere on the premises,” she ordered in a highly agitated and highly condescending manner.
Fine, I indicated we’d just shoot on the sidewalk off her premises then. I was told that this was also unacceptable because it was “near the event.”
Here’s my deal. I came to do a conceptual shoot which was pre-planned with many volunteers many days before Jenny Klekas decided to throw her weight around. It would have been obvious to any rational human being that I was trying to work within their rules. It seems to me she simply wanted to be right. The message was loud and clear to me. She was in charge so she had every right to treat me however she pleased. This upset my delicate sensibilities.
“Let me explain something,” I said, “I’m not contracted with the Salt Lake Art Center and if I want to shoot on public property then I can shoot wherever the hell I want!”
I’ll admit, I shouldn’t have used the word “hell.” That was rude of me. I unfortunately have a character flaw, you probably haven’t heard of it because it’s quite rare, but if people are treating me like dirt I generally make a rash decision and act poorly back. It’s very rare, I was probably the only person in the world that would have said something mean to Ms. Klekas in that instance.
At that point I witnessed something that was really quite sad. Ms. Klekas threw a literal, adult temper tantrum turning around and shouting at one of her employees, “That’s it, I’m shutting this whole event down!”
I think I broke her. I’m really good at being mean to mean people. It’s an odd talent to have…. but I seem to have been born with it. I apologize to all the mean people I made cry in my life and I include Jenny Klekas in that group. You being mean to me is not an excuse for me to be mean back and I’m sorry. Seriously.
That said the story must go on. I’m told, the “I’m shutting this whole event down!” mantra was wielded by art center staff many times that night… but the threat didn’t phase me one bit, mainly because it was obvious this was just a pure bluff from a woman terrified of not getting her way. Nobody with the actual authority to shut down events with $50 pre-sold tickets throws an adult temper tantrum in front of other people. Or maybe she did have that authority, which is just another level of sad.
I just walked off… or maybe the event organizer pulled me away… that’s probably more accurate but I didn’t follow up with anyone about that detail. Either way, Ms. Klekas made it obvious she had no intention of actually working with me and I respected her wishes and stopped working with her. We never shared another word the rest of the night.
As we were walking away something was said about calling the Sheriff Deputy (stationed on-site 24-hours a day) about this. I stated to the event-organizer (Ms. Klekas probably could hear me), “Oh good there’s a sheriff deputy here? Lets go talk to him – people with actual authority are easier to work with.”
That was also probably mean, but I’m not apologizing for that because it was also true.
Our next stop was the Sheriff’s office. Wouldn’t you know it, as we arrived it sounded like the sheriff was talking to someone on the phone about little old me! Someone was taaaaaattttling! 
He hung up and after a brief conversation the pleasantly rational Sheriff Deputy reaffirmed my opinion that indeed the city sidewalk was public property and nobody at the facility (including him) would stop me if I wanted to take photos there.
He even walked outside and kindly pointed out all the boundary lines for the Salt Lake Art Center so that we would not impede on Ms. Klenkas’ fiefdom. I can’t emphasize how refreshing it is to deal with people like him after the extraordinarily childish encounter I’d had earlier. He also informed me that the area I had offered to do the photoshoot in to Ms. Klekas originally was actually not owned by the Salt Lake Art Center, it was owned by the Salt Palace and he kindly walked us to their security office to ask about using the space.
Well, we started scouting for locations and power outlets on the sidewalk and as we were looking around Ms. Klekas was talking furiously with a man dressed in black, with short curly hair within 25 feet of us. Mind you, I had not had an additional encounter with any employee of the Art Center since my first and only encounter with Ms. Klekas. Nobody EVER asked me about my version of how the event had transpired to this point, though I did see the man with short curly hair listen intently for a good five minutes to Ms. Klekas’ version. Her version looked very intense, with a lot more dramatic hand motions and threatening faces than I remember… though I will say this, she was about the same level of angry both times so that part was true. It was shortly after this conversation that the same man escorted me out, without explanation.
I started to walk inside to remove the thousands of dollars of equipment that was sitting in a room we were going to shoot at until 20 minutes ago and was stopped by the man that Ms. Klekas had been furiously talking to moments before.
“Sir, you are not allowed inside the premises,” he says.
I didn’t even ask for a reason, mainly because I couldn’t care less about going into that building anymore. I was extremely friendly to him though, I shook his hand and thanked him and told him that wasn’t a problem at all. He told me that my ‘friends’ (meaning photo assistants I think) could come get the equipment for me. Again, totally fine by me. Sorry for not helping guys!
I also told him to convey my apologies to Ms. Klekas for coming off rude and explained that I realized she was frustrated and wanted to let her know that I was dealing with stressful frustration as well. He thanked me back and said he would convey the message to her. I never once set foot into the building or talked to her or any other staff member of the Art Center for the rest of the night. I had no problems disassociating myself from the Art Center at this point. Except for the Sheriff, he was cool.
We started setting up on the sidewalk and that’s when the sheriff arrived, again. I’m guessing he was called by the Art Center staff but I’m not sure, the only thing I am sure about is I was standing five feet away when he explained to the staff that I was going to be shooting on the sidewalk, which was public property so I was permitted to be there. He also kindly pointed out to them where their property ended because apparently there was some question in their mind about that particular fact.
Shortly after we started shooting and the models and animals immediately started attracting a crowd. Out-of-towners were asking if they could take photos, little kids were asking if they could pet the animals and the reptile wrangler was educating interested people about the different reptiles. Exactly the type of interest I was hoping to generate for the event and I actually LOVED being outside to do it so to me this wasn’t that big of a deal, I had even forgotten about Klekas-gate. Then the next thing happened.
At some point druing the shoot I was told (I was kind of focused on shooting) that now the entire styling team were not allowed back on premises. This included Paula Dahlberg (makeup artist), Steven Robertson (hair stylist), Michelle Boucher (wardrobe designer), Ryan Muirhead (photo assistant), Steven Wood (photo assistant), Tiffany Sanchez (photo assistant), Jessica Garcia, Jayme Vanderhoof and Paris Gibson (all models). Mind you we were ALL there free of charge donating our time for a charity benefit.
Denise Gibson, the mother of one of the models, was not happy about this and she insisted on returning inside for her daughter’s belongings. She was physically blocked from entering and was told that since they were part of an “illegal photoshoot” they were not welcome in the building. Funny, the sheriff didn’t seem to share curly black haired guys opinion about the legality of the shoot, but whatever.
As I usually do with an on-location shoot I had a full team of EXTRAORDINARILY talented photographers as my photo assistants including Steven Wood, Ryan Muirhead and Tiffany Sanchez. We were all so focused on the fashion shoot that we completely forgot that we should also be documenting this insane drama unfolding around us, which is when Ryan Muirhead snapped this photo of Michelle Boucher, Denise Gibson and Paris Gibson being being physically blocked from entering by the man in curly black hair (the same man that escorted me out). Paris is the one in the insanely amazing wardrobe, wardrobe not designed for wandering around in downtown Salt Lake.
It was the refusal of entry by this man that led to models having the fantastic option to change OUTSIDE in public… oh, ya, Ryan Muirhead was still taking pictures when they settled on the idea of holding up coats while the models changed right next to the Salt Lake Art Center, in full view of the Art Center staff who was still furiously guarding the doors.
Last night we were inundated with questions about what happened, I had already made it clear that I was waiting to post my version so Ryan Muirhead posted a brief summary of the event on facebook and it immediately garnered some serious late-night interest, and in the morning I was told that Adam Price, the Executive Director of the Salt Lake Art Center had commented on the post. I was still under the impression he was not at the event (mainly because if there was someone higher on the authority list than Jenny Klenkas I assumed they would have sought out my side of the story before escorting me out) so I was highly confused that he was speaking with such authority about how the events unfolded, especially since he had a highly inaccurate understanding of how the events actually unfolded.
Later that night Ryan Muirhead developed his film from the event allowing us to take a second glance at the person refusing to let the models in to change or collect their personal belongings. Wouldn’t you know it… it was the man with curly black hair. By an absolute coincidence around the same time I was told that the man in question was the Executive Director of the Salt Lake Art Center, Adam Price. It made me sad to realize that the behavior was not only sanctioned by top management it was top management. You can come to your own conclusions about the accuracy of the public comments he made.
Just in case you forgot, Ryan Muirhead took that photo because the models were actively being denied entrance and people were gathering to watch, both inside and outside the event.
Those are the facts surrounding the event as it unfolded. I seriously don’t understand why, of all places, an ART center would be so punitive and vindictive about a photographer who figured out a way to make an amazing shoot happen in a way that didn’t violate any of their rules. Is that really the message you’re trying to send? If so then that’s cool I guess, I haven’t donated to the Art Center for years (excluding last night that is) so who am I to tell you how to do your job.
I highly respect the Salt Lake arts community and the people that contribute to it both creatively and financially. There isn’t a ton of money in Utah for the things most artists do so it is driven by passion, and that passion needs to be encouraged, not stifled. This blog is about a very specific experience, and I write about it in the hopes to create open dialogue in resolving the issue.
I’m happy to report that in the midst of all this we put on an amazing photoshoot and I can’t thank the amazing team enough for all their hard work in getting the job done no matter how badly it was fought against! Those photos, will be coming soon!
PS – If Ryan Muirhead does not get a Pulitzer prize for this photo then my next beef is with you Pulitzer!!! 
Leave a reply
Fields marked with * are required
52 Comments
18 October 10 at 3:12am
1
This is a shame. I've never had anything but respect for Adam. I can only imagine that there was some serious misunderstanding and missed communication. So sorry this went the way it did, for everyone involved.
18 October 10 at 4:46am
2
Wow, what a shame it is that people treat others like that. I know you and your team rocked it, and i can't wait to see the images. Good for you for not backing down, seriously can't believe some people would treat others like that! Makes me never want to get involved with the Salt Lake City Arts Center being a fellow photog. Thanks for this Jake- I planned on attending this event up until having to leave for business and I was sad I couldn't go. What a nightmare it would of been. You guys handled it like champs though and worked through it all!
18 October 10 at 4:56am
3
I was pleased to have attended my first, and perhaps only event there the previous night, which included openings for two photographers. I am saddened by these events you describe.
18 October 10 at 6:38am
4
Shocking and sad.
18 October 10 at 7:12am
5
This is amazing... sad... and frustrating.
18 October 10 at 8:04am
6
Thanks, Will, for having faith that there must be more to the story than Jake has told. The principals of Aperture Marketing, the event organizers, apparently had a falling out with Jake that evening and asked me to exclude him from the building because of his behavior. The rest is a long, complicated story that I'm not going to bother trying to explain in the comments section of Jake's blog (look for more elsewhere), except to say that it is now clear that Michelle Boucher and the models got caught in the crossfire, a fact for which I actually am very sorry. I can assure you that nobody ever told me that the models needed to come inside to change into their street clothes during the time that I was at the front door, and I'm quite upset to find out that Aperture's security guard, who remained at the front door after I left, apparently exercised such poor judgment under the circumstances. I think it is unfortunate that even though Jake acknowledges in his own blog post that he is still learning new facts about what happened that evening (for instance, something as simple as whether I was even there), he continue to want to try this matter in the court of public opinion rather than sitting down with me face-to-face to try to sort matters out, as I have invited him to do.
18 October 10 at 9:03am
7
I am shocked at the treatment of you and your amazing team! I hope that this public outrage will cause the people of the Arts Center to learn to treat people donating their time for them better! I can't believe that they used your names to to advertise the event and then kicked you out! You and your team were almost the entire reason I wanted to go to this event. I admire your work and love to see it in action. I can't wait to see the photos! Thanks for your side of the story! I hope you get it on the news as well!
18 October 10 at 9:17am
8
the treatment of you and your team by SLAC is appalling. i'm sorry that this has happened. the arts community should be supportive of one another and this horrible mess does not encourage good feelings. photographers will be quite weary to donate their services and talent in the future if they are to be treated so disrespectfully.
18 October 10 at 10:04am
9
Sad indeed. I hope things get resolved and this misunderstanding wont happen again.
18 October 10 at 10:12am
10
What a terrible representation of an Art Center by its staff. The community of people who support & contribute to the arts should never be treated in this manner. Whoever gave Adam & Jenny their jobs needs to have a "sit-down" with them. If any employee of mine was representing my business in that way, they wouldn't have jobs any longer.
18 October 10 at 11:13am
11
I can't believe that the one person who should have been as objective as possible didn't even identify himself to you or anyone in your group during the course of events. That speaks to his lack of professionality. Then to deny the whole thing when there are photographs that illustrate the matter makes him a liar (for there is no other word to describe it). It is a terrible shame that oversized children have risen to such a position and it only hurts artists in the long run. I admire your work as well as the work of your assistants. You are all incredibly talented. I also appreciate the sense of humor with which you've approached the situation in hindsight.
18 October 10 at 12:15pm
12
Adam, You failed to "sort matters out" during the event. Now you want to backpedal and blame this on Jake for alleged behavior? I hope your next job isn't in my town.
18 October 10 at 12:36pm
13
Adam - This is the first I'm hearing of an invitation to speak with you about this event. Am I supposed to call you about it? I have a phone number listed on my website, as well as an email form, as well as a link to my facebook page. I did not receive a message from you through any of those means. Did you use a different form of communication? Heidi or Aperture Marketing did not escort me off the premises, you did. And you did so without an explanation or introduction. I took that to mean you wanted nothing to do with me and I respected that which is why I did not actively seek you out after or during this event, nor do I think I needed to. As far as me wanting to try this in the court of public opinion? Let's review my actions. I waited more than 24 hours to post my blog post. during this time you were actively commenting on various pages using facebook (as I posted). During this time you never privately contacted a single person on my creative team (that I'm aware of) with any sort of explanation or apology, in fact, the only communication any of us have received has been in the form of public comments. If you wanted to make this a private discussion then you went about it in a very odd way. But again, I'm not going to tell you how to do your job. You were the one that escorted me out of a fashion event (a circle I'm well followed in), you were also part of a BIG scene at your entrance that dozens of people saw. Take a closer look at the face of the patron behind. That is the face people make when something untoward is going on, and the going-ons were very untoward. You, Adam Price, were denying entrance to someone who was obviously a model, obviously needing to change, and obviously trying to enter your building. I'm a little surprised you didn't realize she didn't want to wear that outfit home. Again, it is very possible that powers of observation are not a big qualification required to do your job, I don't want to judge. You were the one that made this public, not me. Your only communication with me has been public, I have never had a phone call, email, invitation to your office to discuss it that night or anything of the sort. You treated me poorly in a very public manor and I am responded about it on MY blog just like you dealt with me as publicly as possible in YOUR building, at least you acted like it was yours. I have been inundated with questions from people that have a partial story about what happened, I felt it appropriate to write about it once, and set the record as clear as possible rather than have 8 million versions of the story floating around. Anyone on my team will tell you the great deal of hesitation I had in posting this. It needed to be stated, whether you like it or not this is what happened. So I posted it, at around 3 in the morning on a Sunday night knowing full well that Monday morning is when things are not read very actively at all (people returning from work after a weekend generally have a full inbox and put off reading blogs until after lunch or not at all, little marketing tip) giving you additional time to craft a response before too many people read it. My plan worked, you are the sixth response, and I'm flattered you read my blog. You seemed like a cool guy that night, I thought you were just doing your job under the direction of your irate employee. You and I know full well how nice I was to you when you kicked me out. I'm a cool guy, I gave you every opportunity to make amends and any insinuation to the contrary is just flat out wrong. I'm sorry to be so blunt. As far as you just taking orders from Heidi at Aperture Marketing? That may be the case, I know Heidi well and I LOVE her. If she wanted me out I don't blame her. It was obvious, from my perspective, that your employees were attempting to hold her event hostage. I wouldn't blame her one bit for not wanting people like me around. As I said I'm fully aware at how good I am at being mean. The only problem I have with your version is I also know that if Heidi asked me to steer clear of the building I would have, she knows this, I know this. There is no reason in the world she would need to involve the Executive Director of the Salt Lake Art Center to get involved. But either way I made it pretty clear in my post that I didn't have too much of an issue with my removal. That was actually the least of my worries so if she decided to do it or you decided to do it is beside the point, to me. Was Heidi also in control of how your employees, like Jenny Klekas, treat volunteers? I do appreciate your apology, I wish it came without denials of your direct involvement though. To displace blame on another security guard is completely insincere, they were there watching you refuse entry (as pictured) and if they also refused entry to additional models (which they did) they were obviously following YOUR lead. Odd they'd take cues of behavior from the Executive Director. Again, I'm not here to tell you how to do your job. I'm sorry you feel like I'm trying to be vindictive, that is not my intention and I think most people probably can see that from the tone of my post and the tone of this response. It was well-publicized that I'd be doing an exhibition shoot at the Salt Lake Art Center and I always blog about how events went. This is how this particular event went.
18 October 10 at 12:48pm
14
WOW! I used to live in SLC, and this is outrageous and embarrassing for the Art Center! Jake, I have so much respect for you and what you do that I hope everyone reads this and gets riled up! Obviously these people at the Art Center didn't realize that you were a big deal! :) Go get 'em Jake!!
18 October 10 at 12:48pm
15
Does Adam really think any of us believe his version of events? On FB, he said he never blocked the models from regaining entry. Here, after being faced with photographic proof that he DID deny their access, he now says he didn't know they needed to go back in simply to change their clothes? He clearly talks out of both sides of his mouth. As a former trial attorney, I feel compelled to point out that there is a jury instruction in court cases that says that when a witness on the stand is proven to have lied about one thing, then the jury can disregard everything else that person has said. Adam, your pants are on fire. How exactly do you expect to run an art center when you show such deep contempt for artists? How cowardly to throw out the artist who volunteered his time -- the one person who could have made your event a smashing success -- and not even identify yourself as the person in charge! I hope all artists in the area boycott this center until it changes management. Jake, I am so sorry you had to endure this. It sure says a lot when the local sheriff is more reasonable than the so-called arts center.
18 October 10 at 1:22pm
16
Adam, You may or may not remember me from the conversation that was had on the stairways, as myself and Paula Dahlberg were the ones that were first delivered the news by you that nobody from our team and set could return to the building (you were standing on top of the stairs with Heidi, Paula and I on the second stair from the top on the corner slightly southeast of the South entrance to SLAC; if you can't seem to remember). Your explanation to Paula and I (and Heidi was there as well) was that, and I quote, ". . .because your team is now shooting on public property, you are no longer associated with the AMF event at SLAC. Given said, we will not allow your team to use our facility to hold your items or to traffic." Nobody, including Heidi, disagreed with your statement. Paula Dahlberg followed with a simple and very basic request, which should have already been given in your little speech, ". . .what is your solution to this matter? We need to get all of our models clothes and our tools out?" Adam, unfortunately you came up with no solution. You held to your original message and it wasn't until my initial request (aka, solution) that you finally agreed to let Paula and I in to retrieve all the items. AND if you swayed with us allowing to retrieve all materials, then why after the matter were the models then unable to enter the building, even once, to change. Both conversations of YOU letting Paula and I back in, and YOU not letting the models back in were, with your physical presence, decisions that were directed by you. Now I realize that its impossible to make good decisions during a stressful situation, given the brain doesn't work as efficiently. And really, I had no problem with you the entire night. No direct problem that directly involved me anyways. I was helping my team with any request that was made of us. We all were. And unfortunately, your inability to approach decisions that involve change without ANY solutions also submitted, simply shows me that you were fueled by the feeling that everyone was fighting your "power", when really, we were doing what was necessary to make OUR invitation and project successful to your newly changed arrangements.
18 October 10 at 1:26pm
17
Such a terrible thing to happen. I have posted on facebook and did a review on google. Sad to think I have served in the military, as an officer, for 24 years (and counting) to defend a "leader" who would do something like this. I simply don't have the words for this...I'm at a loss for words. Keep your chin up Jake. Hopefully, if Adam keeps his job, he will think twice about allowing childish behavior of one of his employees affect so many talented people. If you were the problem, as he states...a person of that level should have been able to identify you and you only and expel you. I can tell you a private in the military does a better job of management than Adam.
18 October 10 at 1:31pm
18
Steven just in case you wanted proof of that conversation... http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=455226426121&set=a.455131211121.255152.87452556121
18 October 10 at 1:45pm
19
Jake, Yeah, this whole story stinks from the top. What is wrong with these people???
18 October 10 at 2:44pm
20
This is a total fail. I don't understand why SLAC would not CHOOSE to work with this creative team, albeit over an exchange of words between Jake and an Executive Assistant. (At least this is how I understand The Debacle, at this point...) WHY was an Executive Assistant handeling sensitive, last minute details of the event?? This conversation needed to happen way before the event. An email without a response does not equal a conversation. Phones work...last I checked. It is a shame things got to this point and all could not work together, as first intended. I was horrified to find my own family name had been muddied in this mess!! Klekas is not a common name in this town, we might be related via marriage or perhaps are distant 5th cousins. I don't really know Jenny. I hope our creative community does not hold her actions against me. ABSOLUTELY HORRIFYING. THIS is why Salt Lake gets a bad wrap. THIS is why our talented people leave for other cities. THIS is unacceptable. Adam Price and his team are replaceable - bottom line. I will not tolerate this type of treatment towards artists, or ANYONE, in my city. I hope the powers that be at SLAC are considering bringing in a new team of people that can talk through situations when they come up, and not close the doors on innocent bystanders. Ridiculous. Paula, Ryan, Steven, Michelle, Jake, Paris...rock on. Love you all.
18 October 10 at 2:45pm
21
Couple of things, if Adam Price was indeed there that evening as Mr. Garn was pointing out, I think Mr. Price could have handled the situation much better. After all, he was fully "responsible for whatever actions were taken" by his staff. Apology evidently as always, would come in too late ... especially to those models who had to change outside the building. Had the person in charge took the time to sort things out, maybe this whole messy incident could have been avoided. One thing obvious here, some people with little authority given to them can surely excercise too much ego. I dont know Mr. Garn personally but I think had he had the information and restriction information ahead of the time, he wouldnt be that stupid to waste all those prep time. Again, whether its his fault or not for not getting the information himself, the staff could have handled the situation professionally and just a simple understanding (courtesy) that those artists were there contributing their time for that very goal ... to create art. This is just another example how people get their job ... not so much of knowing what the job entails but "who" got you your job
18 October 10 at 2:50pm
22
Sorry, Adam Price, if you can't handle the heat, then GTFO out of the leaders position! Can't work well under duress in 2010? Even 15 years ago, something like this wouldn't have been such a big deal, but now look, you've been a dick to the wrong people with internet and cameras. These pics are classic, this whole page is classic. GTFO Adam Price, YOU FAILED.
18 October 10 at 4:16pm
23
Adam Price = SLC Art Scene Epic Fail.
18 October 10 at 6:12pm
24
Although it may not be as fun to read about it is the best scenario. Your intentions are clearly stated that it's to bring about dialogue and resolution so it doesn't happen again. However, i have and idea!! hehe... I think a great restitution/peace offering would be to offer some space for a future gallery showing that features the artistic team that were banned from the show! :) That would be a very kind gesture Mr. Price.
18 October 10 at 7:17pm
25
Steven, I'm very much in favor of peace offerings generally. Thank you for the kind suggestion.
18 October 10 at 9:46pm
26
I will not be donating a cent to the Salt Lake Arts Center nor attending their events any longer. Clearly they do not respect artists. They should be ashamed to have treated your models and yourself that way. I say ban the SLAC.. do not attend any function there, do not donate money. I know I will post this request on all social networking sites.
18 October 10 at 11:40pm
27
Hmmm...a google search for "salt lake art center" currently lists this post as the #12 result. And a search for "Jenny Klekas" currently pulls up this post as the #3 result. Jake, it looks like you got your message across, but we can SEO the hell out of this post if you want. :-) Ryan's documentary photos were interesting. Can't wait to see some of your work from this shoot.
19 October 10 at 12:40am
28
I had the privilege of listening to James Nachtwey discuss his experiences photographing the tragic events of 9/11 in New York City as well as other tragedies around the world. One point that intrigued me greatly was how appalled he was with the nations reaction to 9/11. All he heard was exclamations of hate and revenge in a moment that he saw as an opportunity for the nation and world to unite in a moment of peace and greater understanding. He felt that instead of rashly pushing into a war that we instead should have united with the Muslim world in a showing of mutual respect and understanding to condemn the actions of a few extremists and terrorists. Nachtwey felt we as a nation were immensely wronged but that reacting in the way we did was equally wrong. This came from a man that has seen the worst that the world has to offer a hundred times over and just had the same evil dropped a few blocks from his own home. Then saw evil returned back to many innocent people (as well as some of the guilty) by his own country. I have watched this Salt Lake Arts Center 'debacle' play out over the past few days and keep thinking back to what Nachtwey had to say. Here is my impressions for what they are worth. One thing I have surmised is that Jake, Ryan and the rest of their creative team were wronged and suffered from a very unprofessional exchange from the staff of the Salt Lake Arts Center. I also believe the response from Jake etc., since the incident to be equally as unprofessional. People that have been responding on this blog and on the different facebook threads have been just as viral and hate mongering as anything that Nacthwey discussed in the time following 9/11. I was appalled that the artistic community would unite to try and destroy or at least demean a venue built to support the artistic community. Yes artists were wronged but the response exhibited helps absolutely no one unless your intent is solely to through the last punch. I applaud Jake and Adam for finally taking civil steps to try to resolve this professionally and cordially. I was not at the activity and I am positive that I do not know all that occurred. (Which I think is a fair assessment for everyone that has posted here and elsewhere as well as Jake and Adam) I am also glad my opinions of what happened were not formulated based solely on the diatribe that occurred on Facebook in the hours following the incident. To continue to see anger spewed from people not directly involved even after Jake and Adam have announced that they are trying to resolve things is very disheartening. I have always felt that the artistic community should be more capable of seeing behind the surface of things and thinking differently than the rest of the population. I apparently have been mistaken. To condemn an institution for one act of stupidity in contrast to the years of unparalleled support to local artists in our state without giving the Salt Lake Arts Center a chance to explain or make amends is a travesty. To continue to attack while a white flag is being held up is unconscionable. If you were legitimately wronged today, you will still have been wronged in a week. Gut reactions and revenge have never solved anything. I often laugh at pedestrians that complain about how cars don't stop for them while in the crosswalk. Even seeing some walk out into crosswalks with out pause or looking at all. You fully have the right away and you may be completely right about stupid Utah drivers but if you get hit by a car you are still the one who loses. If I was a parent I would ground both sides of the argument and for dang sure would never let them play with their facebook friends again. The true debacle I have noticed is not what happened at the Salt Lake Arts Center but the demonstration of the power and danger of mob mentality in social networking. As I attempt to create art I try to seek out that which I find beautiful. I did not see anything of beauty at play this weekend from anyone involved. I don't care who was right and who was wronged, the reaction has been very sad. Again, I applaud Jake and Adam for finally talking to each other. Please, could others do the same! (I'm sure glad ditch bank hangings are no longer legal)
19 October 10 at 2:31am
29
Travis, Your righteous indignation about the righteous indignation of others is duly, and ironically, noted. I had the privilege of listening to a debate between Al Gore and George W. Bush, one point that intrigued me greatly is that anytime one of them couldn't make an argument but still wanted to say something they just had to invoke 9/11 to automatically win the debate! So checkmate on your part, well played buddy. Just one quick question, if I wanted to be righteously indignant about your righteous indignation about other people's righteous indignation (not that I am indignant of course, you won the argument fair and square) I'm just curious if I was ethically allowed to write about that and still be professional? If you could clarify the system I think everyone on the internet would appreciate that.
19 October 10 at 1:47am
30
Removed at Will's request.
19 October 10 at 1:50am
31
@Travis Lovell - Yes, it is good to see Jake & Adam work things out. However, have you considered that perhaps your attack on the people who expressed outrage over the incident is no different than the very attacks you condemn in the post? You mention not caring about who was right and who was wronged, yet at the same time you suggest that everyone's reaction to the incident was wrong because they didn't react in the same "right" way you reacted. Does your preference for seeking beauty in art make you anymore "right" than someone who seeks the grittiness of real life in art? Why do you choose to see the "power and danger of mob mentality in social networking" rather than the beauty of friends coming together in support of an entire team that was wronged? If your expression of outrage is valid and was important for you to get off your chest and vent here, could not the expressions of frustration and outrage of others be equally valid? :-)
19 October 10 at 7:27am
32
Not a bad story - You managed to get yourself and your whole crew kicked out from a charity event by losing your patience and being mean to an art center employee.
19 October 10 at 10:00am
33
Jake, :) I do appreciate your wit. I think you may be just as quick and direct with your words as you are with a camera. I think you have a talent with both. I think you are absolutely allowed to write about it (and like I said, I think you are a very good writer and should keep doing it) and I hope the point came across that I was overjoyed that you and Adam were talking and attempting to be cordial. The post was not meant as an attack on you. It was a frustration that the art community could potentially wound itself proportionally to whatever damage is inflicted on the Art Center. To witness the mob mentality that occurred from everyone else before you two had a chance to talk it out was sad. I don't think anyone has questioned that your team was wronged. Adding further scars to the Art Center doesn't make it better. I also understand the need to expression frustration as Sterling has pointed out. I just wish that people would have been more excited to see you guys figure out a resolution rather than go headhunting. You were wronged-without question. What happened in the aftermath didn't help fix it, I only saw it creating greater animosity between artists and venues. I told Ryan at the onset of this, that I didn't want to see any negative repercussions come back to bite him and all the progress he has made in his career. That includes you as well. That goes double for the photo community as a whole. You have my support in working out a resolution with Adam and would be willing to do whatever is needed to make the situation better for all photographers and others in artistic fields. I do wonder how many of the posters would come out in support of the Art Center or other venues with equal fervor when they do something good for artists. I didn't mean the 9/11 reference as a trump card. Just wanted to relay the wisdom and insight of an incredible photographer who has seen more than the rest of us combined. When he was wronged he saw pause for improving relations so it doesn't happen again rather than seeking recourse or revenge. What you are doing now I applaud. I want a better ending to this story as well. I hope everyone else that is posting would be willing to have a pleasant conversation with Adam as you have done. P.S. When do you sleep?
19 October 10 at 1:25pm
34
Travis, You're the man. :-) PS - I generally get a full night sleep, from 4am to noon. I'm at my best in the middle of the night!
19 October 10 at 10:10am
35
So I feel kinda bad about this, but I have taken classes in Event Management and usually after we have have helped with an Event we critique it. I have seen some bad situations in the way events have gone, but this makes me want to email my friends in the event industry as an example of 'What Not to Do'. Ouch SLAC. I hope you can fix this gracefully. Its amazing what one moment of thoughtless reaction can do for your reputation. I will be happy to hear how this situation is resolved. :)
19 October 10 at 10:31am
36
Hello everyone, Let me preface my comments with a couple of quick comments. My name is Josh Kanter and I am a Trustee at the Salt Lake Art Center. I am also very involved in numerous other art-related activities around town. I have known Adam Price and Jenny Klekas for several years. I do not think that I know Jake, though his name sounds very familiar, and a quick glance at his work is obviously impressive. I definitely don't know the aperture folks and I doubt I know any of the rest of the folks commenting on Jake's blog or on Facebook. Ok, so I've got to commend Travis for his overall observations and the tenor of his comments. Right on. Here's the thing - I wasn't at this event and I have absolutely no idea what went on. Adam is a good friend. As I said, I don't think I know Jake. But regardless of those personal relationships, there are always two sides - or more - to a story and sometimes, sadly, things get seemingly out of control, there isn't enough time to fix a problem, there are surprises, there are things said that shouldn't be, there are actions taken that shouldn't be, there is the realization that we should have talked about this or that long before this or that became an issue, etc. We should all be adult enough to gather some information, work toward a resolution and move on. This one didn't go as planned. That sucks but it happens. Here's what I do know. Adam is a great guy. Sounds like Jake is too. I hope their meeting goes well. Regardless of that, I am sure that the Art Center, under Adam's leadership, was not "out to get" Jake or to destroy this event. I am equally sure that Jake was not out to harm the Art Center. And again, I have no idea where aperture falls in this whole mess. For those of you who say you are upset with the Art Center or won't come to, or support, or donate to, the Art Center, that is obviously your choice. Those of you calling for Adam's head are also equally within your prerogative to do so. But be realistic too. Adam is a terrific director and a huge local supporter of the arts. The Art Center (and, by extension, Adam) doesn't respect artists? Really? The 337 Project was founded by Adam and his wife, which brought in 150 artists to make art in a to-be-demolished building. The 337 Project has supported local artists by co-hosting the Urban Gallery with The Neighborhood House for the last three years. The 337 Project has run the Art Truck, bringing local artists' work to the community for the last two years. The 337 Project collaborated with the Art Center to bring local and National artists together to bring Contemporary Masters (the mini-golf project) to the Art Center this Summer. Have those of you who say Adam or the Art Center doesn't respect artists been to these events and exhibitions? I can't imagine how you could be and then make such comments based on a single, albeit very unfortunate, incident. The Art Center has, for the the last two years, hosted a program called Not Just Another Pretty Face, pairing local artists and local collectors to commission original works of art. The Art Center just recently hosted Gary Vlasic's 48-hour performance piece - Dark Horse, Fallen Shadow. It was an amazing experience. The Art Center provides educational programming for adults and children alike. We exhibit local, National and International artists. Under Adam's direction and leadership, we've just hired a new curator from LA, a new development director from Chicago and a new curator of education locally. Our programming is top-notch and garners rave reviews. Everyone is welcome in our doors - in fact, we are always free and open to the public. So if you want to boycott the Art Center over this, go ahead. We will miss you. We really will. We love visitors! But I also think it is fair to say that you will be missing out. This event itself is a perfect example of the Art Center trying to bring different constituencies together to experience all aspects of art. Who else in town does that? Who else in town would invite the curator from the UMFA to curate a show on a different institution's walls? (Go West, curated by Jill Dawsey of the UMFA just opened last week.) So this experience had some serious communication and execution flaws. It's sad to read about them. But these comments are, by and large, a bit too much in the "throw the baby out with the bathwater" vein. Adam is a great guy with a great heart and a great vision for the Art Center and the arts in Salt Lake City and the State. Jake seems to be a magnificently talented artist who was participating in what should have been a great event. It sounds like Adam and Jake will talk this all out when they meet. Maybe they'll see eye-to-eye and maybe they won't but when they part, Jake will still be a great artist, Adam will still be a great Executive Director and the Art Center will still be a jewel, getting ever brighter, in the community. So be pissed if you want. Be skeptical if you want. But as Travis has done, how about raising the bar of comment here above that of the Tribune and DNews comment boards. The last thing this community needs is unnecessary rifts among those of us who care deeply about the arts in this community! Thanks, Josh
19 October 10 at 11:24am
37
Had fun reading the story! It reminds me of the good ol' days skateboarding on private property. Who would have thought the same treatment goes to a creative team trying to participate in a charity event (at an ART CENTER). I think a peace offering is great and all, but I personally wouldn't patronize The Art Center after a debacle like that. There are many other venues with more pleasant staff that would welcome such a talented team. Even if there was a misunderstanding, being bullied by staff is NEVER acceptable and I hope the staff at the Art Center will take note. The creative community in Utah (and the supporters of it) is small enough that something like this can easily have a lasting effect. Keep up your public disobedience... it gives me something good to read when work is boring.
19 October 10 at 11:38am
38
@Travis. Do you really think this would have ended so gracefully...as I assume it will, if there had not been such a outrage at SLAC and Adam? While this was happening Adam made no attempt to get Jake's side of the story and only very recently contacted him and agreed to a meeting. I am confident that had it not gone so viral he would have simply lived in his tiny power tripped environment and continued to grow in his napoleonized, confined and out of touch world. So by doing it "this way" everyone has come out better and hopefully future problems will be avoided. John Adams has a couple of quotes that come to mind: "There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty." "A Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever." "I agree with you that in politics the middle way is none at all." "Power always sincerely, conscientiously, de tres bon foi, believes itself right. Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views, beyond the comprehension of the weak" Last one from John today that fits this situation: "A pen is certainly an excellent instrument to fix a man's attention and to inflame his ambition" Last famous quote for the day comes from old Ben Franklin: "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Last quote is my own from a lot of experience. "Those that stand in the middle will usually look up to see mountains on both sides of them. Not a good place to be when the floods come." Thanks for your time.
19 October 10 at 1:19pm
39
Josh, Your comments about Adam are very appreciated. I agree with you completely, people should not be judged solely by mistakes. My speaking bluntly about what happened, and the outrage it stirred, may seem unfair to the Art Center and it may seem unfair to Adam. However, there are two sides to every story and this is my side. I left many of the more inflammatory details unsaid (and they will remain unsaid) simply because my goal was never to inflame. If the events did inflame that is not my fault, nor is it the fault of my blog readers. The reactions are genuine because the events were outrageous. Both Adam and I have something in common, at some point both of us realized that we were in a no-win situation. I realized it when I was immediately belittled upon arriving at the Art Center. A place I had come to donate my time to... I realized I had a choice. I could coddle her and beg her to be better at her job and to help me help her. Or I could cut her out of the loop and do the shoot I was scheduled to do. I think either choice would have led to further mistreatment. I don't know when Adam realized he too was in a no-win situation, so I won't conjecture. Mistakes were made by both sides. The passion of my blog readers is real, and in my experience real passion is almost always flawed (isn't everything?) but real passion is a beautiful thing. It should be encouraged, not stifled. I personally believe their passion is the fuel that has driven the open dialog that is starting to occur... and that is the beauty of imperfection. It humbles everyone enough to take a step back and think about what, and who, we really want to be. Perfection should be worked towards, not expected and that process is working. Yes, sometimes it takes pain to get there. To my blog readers I say thank you, and to Josh I also say thank you. We can all probably do a little better at making our passion less flawed... but eliminating that passion would be far, far worse I think.
19 October 10 at 12:21pm
40
Travis and Josh: Thanks for your well-reasoned comments. I do hope bashing ends and solutions are found quickly. As I mentioned before, I made my very first visit to the space the previous evening, to enjoy the work of two photographers. I hope I have that opportunity again on my next visit to the area. Mike
19 October 10 at 1:17pm
41
Erik, While at some level I appreciate your desire to defend the Art Center, I'm not sure your tone is helpful at this point. Jake and I don't see eye-to-eye yet on exactly what happened and why, but the picture is a complicated one (certainly more than your comment suggests). Jake put in a lot of time locating an animal wrangler who would donate services, as well as arranging a shoot that depended on the presence of those animals, only to find out when he arrived that it would not be possible. This created a very difficult situation for all concerned, and I certainly wasn't at my best in dealing with it. Jake and I still need to talk about why that happened, how he responded and how our staff responded, but I can understand why he would feel angry about it. I'd prefer to try and maintain a constructive tone about this to improve the chances of a positive outcome for everyone. Thanks, Adam
19 October 10 at 1:35pm
42
@ Josh, as a trustee, I hope you would not stand by and allow the mistreatment of the rest of the creative team to stand. It is wrong on so many levels and makes me furious as a citizen.
19 October 10 at 2:46pm
43
Jake, thanks for your further thoughts. I will continue to follow this with interest. I have no desire to see passion stifled. Rather, my only hope is that no one blow what is obviously a mistake-filled, multi-party, multi-faceted story so far out of proportion that not only does nothing productive come from it in terms of lessons for the future, but we manage to cause unnecessary damage to the arts community in Salt Lake just when it seems our artists and arts organizations are garnering more, and well-deserved, praise both in and outside of our community. I very much appreciate your recognition that there are always two sides (or more!) and I hope that you and Adam have a productive meeting. I also hope that when the dust settles, everyone will see that the Art Center is a net-contributor to the value of our art scene despite whatever parts of this episode might have been handled differently by any of the parties involved. You have noted that none of us are perfect. Quite right. Soon I hope we can all turn back to making our community a better place filed with artistic endeavors! Jill, thanks for your comment as well but I have no idea what you expect me to do. Adam specifically apologized to those who were "caught in the cross-fire" earlier in this blog. My knowledge of these events is limited to this blog. From your earlier comments, it sounds like you were not there either so you are accepting a certain version of events as written on a blog and assuming they deserve some particular ramification. It is unclear that you have spoken to all sides of this mess, despite your own admonition to everyone else that "phones still work". Adam and Jake plan to meet and talk this out. As a Trustee, I will certainly seek to learn more. That said, I have full faith in Adam to determine what mistakes were made by the Art Center and to address them. There are lots of reasons that our artists leave our community as you pointed out earlier. Quite frankly, I don't think this is one of them. As I tried to say in my earlier post, I think few people in town have done as much for local artists as Adam has. To overlook that as a result of one incident which does not seem likely to come down solely to the Art Center's mishandling of the situation is, in my view, a mistake. I suspect that in the end, everyone will step back and say that they could have done something differently to lessen the severity of this situation and, hopefully, those who were involved will learn some valuable lessons.
19 October 10 at 3:21pm
44
One thing - my wife and I have been considering moving to a warmer climate. We are desperate to get out of the winters. And, every place we look, we notice that there is no "urban art", or that the "arts community" has many people who are competitive and b$tchy, or that there just isn't a "web" of community. We have failed utterly to move, because our experience with the SL art community is that it has the most cooperative, interconnected, decent people we've ever been around. This community beats Phoenix, Albuquerque, LV, even SFO in my opinion for creativity and decency. I see it in both sides of this dustup. Hopefully, soon, the threads will be woven and both sides will become part of the unique fabric. Good luck with the meetings.
19 October 10 at 4:19pm
45
It's good to see some opinions from SLAC represented here. And to see the venomous attacks dying down making way for a productive resolution. I'd like to make a few points on some of the criticism posted here on how Jake handled this: - Jake has been very transparent. He is allowing all criticism to be published here on his personal blog. He could reject any comment, ban users and refuse to work with them. His posts clearly shows that he feels he, his team, and a model's parent were barred from SLAC with no opportunity for dialogue. Yet on his own home in cyberspace, he is treating SLAC reps in the opposite manner he felt he was treated by them in real life, giving them complete access and say here. - Jake does not appear to have suggested firing, boycotting, or any other retaliation against SLAC. Any retribution was brought up by commenters. - Jake was just expressing his frustrating experience. He felt that no one at SLAC attempted any kind of resolution or dialogue until AFTER the public outcry, so perhaps this was his only way to be heard. - As for attacks on his professionalism...I've been doing business and working with Jake for a decade. He's accomplished some amazing things on both artistic and professional levels. One doesn't achieve the things he has without having the skills to get along with others and diffuse tense situations. Yes, he admits he reacted a bit rashly to being mistreated. But this was after having his attempts at cooperation repeatedly rejected in a hostile manner. How many other "professionals" have NEVER reacted emotionally when someone continues to provoke them and refuses to work with them? If being a pro means being like Gandhi, than we're all a bunch of amateurs. :-)
19 October 10 at 5:48pm
46
This is a very interesting story isn't it? I can't believe how much time I have spent reading everyone's responses to it! I've had the privilege of working with some of these artists...they are some very talented people! I get their outrage at being treated this way. That being said, I have also had plenty of Management experience and I also get Adam's side...to a point. I know there are plenty of times when you are knee-deep in a sticky situation, you muddle your way through, and then end up rubbing your temples afterward wondering what on earth just happened. The thing that stands out the most in all of this is Ms. Klekas and her reaction, as well as Adam being content to let her represent the SLAC. As a professional, and an adult, you do not yell at people and treat them like idiots. I say this as someone who shares Jake's talent of being very mean to people when provoked. But as a representative of the SLAC, Ms. Klekas certainly should not have reacted like that. Unfortunately, we have all worked with people like this and know that some people tend to react poorly in stressful situations. It should have then been Adam's job to get to the bottom of what was going on. He should have stepped in and professionally introduced himself to the people involved and tried to find the best solution. If you are in charge, the evening should not have ended with half of the involved parties being confused about who's decisions were being enforced. Sounds like Adam didn't want to own up to the fact that he was running the show and was content to let Ms. Klekas' "tantrum" represent the SLAC. Being a total people-watcher, I am grieved that I had to miss this event! Sounds like there would have been plenty to take in. :)
19 October 10 at 11:19pm
47
Resolution? Seems a little too little too late! Maybe some apologies are in order! I do agree it is bad for the art community to be divided, but no one deserves the treatment this team received. It seems very appropriate to let people know what occurred. That is courage, and maybe this kind of incident can be prevented in the future. I do not agree with Jill (sorry, dear),I don't think this is a "Utah or Salt Lake" thing, it is a human thing when miscommunication and egos take over. Happens everywhere. I applaud your efforts and measured responses in try to heal this, Jake.
20 October 10 at 2:44pm
48
Hi Shauna. :) I don't think this is a normal Utah or Salt Lake "thing" by any means, but we do have a smaller community where word spreads like wildfire - and instances like this do reflect poorly on our community. That's what I was saying. But you are right, I'm sure people get power trips and treat artists badly in NYC & SF. If the same thing happened elsewhere to my friends I would still be upset. @Josh, I have not spoken to all sides. I'm not a mediator or a decision maker in this case so Jake's blog is where I'm limiting my opinions. I was referring to a phone call from event planners to Jake to let him know prior to event day that animals would not being allowed in building. Semantics at this point. I don't believe you are suggesting I pick up the phone and have a conversation with someone like you who wasn't there either ...no need. I don't expect you to do anything because clearly you think Adam Price and his team are fabulous, but I'm glad you read my post and know how I would handle it. A few days later, I still feel the same. Looking forward to seeing the actual pics from the sidewalk...and watching all involved move on towards future projects having learned something here, if anything.
22 October 10 at 12:42am
49
Jake, I'm far removed from all of this, and am a little sad that I didn't get to watch it unfold as it did. But, in spending the past half hour or so perusing through the debacle, I must hold my hands in applause. I felt your blog was thorough and lacking hyperbole. (I have a very expressive nature when writing and, while I'm never intentionally *trying* to dramatize anything, I've found frequently that people read my ecentricism as a hyperbole to how things really transpired. That being said, I have a knack for deciphering others' words as potential (albeit entirely unintentional) over-dramatics or one-sided lenses when detailing something that was full of emotion.) Now, all of *that* being said (and with a chuckle to the suggestion of righteous indignation), I am very impressed by your professionalism, your tact, your willingness to be wrong in a situation where it was clear only YOU were wronged, and many other acts of grace your exercised here. I was very impressed with the way you handled yourself in the reply to Adam. And, even comedically to Travis later. All in all, since I know you have more important things to get to, I just want to nod my head to you. And, from a young little photog like me who was only just agasp the other day to have you compliment me in my deviantID on dA? I look up to you. Not just as a photographer, but as someone who handles their forums respectfully and in good manner even against insurmountable odds as these. Not everyone can be perfect when being attacked. Fight, flight or freeze, No? The latter weren't an option if you wanted to get anywhere with your shoot. (You certainly couldn't flee, and becoming immobile produces few photographs :P ) But, even in your 'fight', if the worst thing to slip your mouth is hell? Maybe you're not too far from a Peace Prize yourself ;) Regardless, you were determined to continue on with your shoot, not letting anyone down, you were diligent and professional -- and, even in all of these goings-on and subsequent commentary from everyone, I really feel you're handling yourself as best as can be expected (and then some, thus the admiration). I can't say I have the highest of hopes for your coffee and soda meeting with Adam, but I still wish you the best. Know that we're her for you and, beyond your accolades in art, your at least exhibiting great qualities for younger people like myself to hope to emulate in their future careers or even life challenges. Many well-wishes and hugs. Kristie :) P.S. I really hope those windows the models were changing in front of weren't covered or sealed by any kind of banner or something due to the event! Oh the greatness it would be for the models to have stripped down before a window of potential onlookers :D
24 October 10 at 9:35pm
50
[...] the day of the shoot we ran into a little bit of a dilemma which I described in detail in an earlier blog post where I was faced with the decision about whether to skip the animals and just shoot the wardrobe [...]
13 September 11 at 4:38pm
51
I hope this years event is better. http://ticketcake.com/amf-venue/art-meets-fashion-2011/2011-10-15
14 September 11 at 11:47am
52
It will be amazing, I'll be attending! :)