Last week after my super fun visit to NY I returned home to some bad weather and a bit of a flood in the house.
A few weeks ago I was up in Milwaukee jurying the entries for the first annual Coalition of Photographic Arts exhibition. On my return home from that trip I got the call that our new puppy had caused a bit of flood on her own, chewing through the plastic hose from the water valve in the bathroom to the toilet. Leica (or Laika, we haven’t decided yet) got herself good and soaked along with about half the apartment floors, only to be outdone a few weeks later by mother nature herself.
I’m beginning to think someone is trying to tell me something and that the farther I get from home the more water in the house.

Leica not yet in trouble
Perhaps it’s karmic or a big marketing ploy for new movies.
As I lie awake at night snoring, the real culprit goes back being asked to be a juror of an exhibition of over 500 submissions. While it’s certainly an honor to be asked to be involved in a show of this undertaking, photography from WI, IL, and MN, jurying is simply a difficult task.
The process reminded me exactly why my own work have landed in the ‘no’ pile so often as well, (I could show you the many, many letters). To present ones work in 3-5 images in rapid succession does little to give the work its due. In fact, frankly all the submissions to the exhibition were really quite good making the task that much more arduous.
All in all I feel the resulting selection is a good one, focusing on more images by fewer artists, and then ones engaged in longer term projects. The show opens July 27 and I’ll have more info on that in weeks to come. In effort to reduce the amount of water in my water and hopefully lift the curse I’ll be posting work by some of the submitted images I loved but ultimately didn’t make the cut. I’m sure you’ll notice some editorializing…



Mel Trittin is one of the instigators of the SeeOhPeeAy (copa) and writes the fantastic blog Cigarettes and Purity. My fingers are crossed she’ll slow down writing about others to put together the website of her own work soon.



Apparently Andrew Breen is a Chicagrapher that I haven’t met. Though I’m sure it’s only a matter of time…


When Milwaukee’s Jeff Weber isn’t skydiving, he’s making photographs of the bygone working class like this one.


Rosemary Kerkay was a student of mine in an online class at MCAD in Minneapolis. She recently graduated and is off to an impressive start. Expect good things from her.


Ok Brian Lesteberg did get in the show but not this image. B.L. proves it’s not just about ideas but execution.

Many more soon.