From Buckingham Fountain to Picasso’s Flamingo, artists are carefully selecting their favorite images capturing Chicago for the Visions of My Life: Annual Photo Exhibit at Catholic Charities.
Since 2003, volunteers, including professional photographers, have been inviting guests of the Catholic Charities Sister Joyce Dura, O.S.F., Supper Program to participate in a photography project that culminates in an annual photo gallery exhibit. Supper guests with artistic skill and/or interest join After Supper Visions, where they are given cameras, attend photography classes, and participate in photo shoots. This artist community has several months in which to experiment, explore, and pursue their individual visions and creativity.
The photo exhibit featuring 20 artists and more than 80 photos is planned for Friday, Oct. 3 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at St. Vincent Center, 721 N. LaSalle Street, Chicago. Exhibit attendees will meet the artists, learn about their creative process, while supporting Catholic Charities. A percentage of each photo sale goes directly to the artist.
“Come see the most incredibly beautiful photographs of our city, and abstract images with light and color and shape,” said Jody O’Connor, one of the founding After Supper Visions volunteers. “They’ve taken cues from our photography classes and really have developed them. We help and guide them through this beautiful experience of learning how to create a photograph and seeing the end result of putting their efforts toward something and completing it.”
Extending the mission
The After Supper Visions program, she said, extends the mission of Catholic Charities by “Developing Film, Talent and Hope.”
“It’s a fabulous experience, and an opportunity to meet people you wouldn’t normally interact with,” said Linda Roxe, a founding volunteer and coordinator. “The quality of the images that we’re seeing is a big improvement from start to finish, and there’s a lot of enthusiasm from photographers.”
Each artist, many of them now using cell phones, may shoot hundreds of photos throughout the year capturing elements of Chicago’s landscape. Weekly classes teach the artists how to compose a photograph with a focus on angles, light, and how that helps change the image into something beautiful. Professional photographers volunteer and guide them in selecting the best images. It’s up to the artist to select their best four images, which are printed and put on display at the exhibit.
“It’s always new because we have new artists and new images every year,” Jody said. “It’s all new work and it’s always worth seeing, but the best is just the interaction with the artists. It’s a night that really celebrates their success.”
Also exciting this year, she said, is the number of new volunteers, joining a loyal following of returning artists.
Artist insights
Kenny has been an After Supper Visions artist since 2003. He remembers when they used disposable film cameras, then digital cameras, and now, he likes using his cell phone to capture the city. A teacher’s aide by day, Kenny identified two of his subjects while traveling on the city bus to work.
Patronus, the Abraxan Winged Horse, stands proudly outside the Harry Potter exhibit along Michigan Avenue. The angle of his photo captures the horse as if it’s floating, and the shadowing around the corners provides a vignette that draws the viewer’s eye directly to the center of the image. He also captured an unusual exhibit of a bass violin statue in front of the Wrigley Building. But his favorite is of the Easter Sunday sunrise service at Daley Plaza, a photo that appears black and white with the exception of the red “Cross on the Plaza” in the foreground.
“You can take pictures, and you get paid [in After Supper Visions],” Kenny said. “Even if you have a job, the money comes in handy. And I love to write the statements behind it.”
Another artist, Sharon, just joined After Supper Visions last year.
“I like that it’s a good group and it’s great this program is available,” said Sharon who has been taking photos her entire life. She likes capturing images of trains, and this year, she photographed CTA trains at Washington Street and Wabash Avenue. “I like the architecture around that station.”
Deborah is another returning artist who discovered her love of photography at After Supper Visions.
“When I first started, I couldn’t wait to come back,” said Deborah, who captured beautiful landscapes of the Japanese Gardens by the Museum of Science and Industry this year by using the portrait function on her cell phone in both color and black and white. “I wasn’t into photography until I came to Catholic Charities. To have a program like this to support you enhances your creativity.”