Festival of the Photograph

The inaugural Festival of the Photograph is happening in Charlottesville this weekend. Learn more about it at www.festivalofthephotograph.org. Thanks to the organizers for spicing up the hot, humid summer here in C'ville. And thanks to the big names (Sally Mann, Eugene Richards, and Bill Allard) for sharing their art and their stories. And thanks to the festival goers for bringing an outsider's perspective to our arts scene and fresh voices to discussions of art and artists. (And for their intelligent and heartfelt appreciation of our gallery's photography artists.) The more the merrier, I say. But I have a question that may not be answerable: Do festivals, special events, blockbuster shows, art openings, art fairs, public art, etc. have a downside in that they teach people that it is enough to have a superficial relationship to art? Do they learn that art is an event you buy a ticket for instead of something to live with every day? Just asking......