www.montereycountynow.com SEPTEMBER 4-10, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 31 ART ImageMakers is a fine art photographic community, formed on the Monterey Peninsula in the mid1990s. “It’s a support community for advancing photography in the region,” says Monterey Museum of Art Executive Director Corey Madden. “That’s what is so special about the region. The photography community is so active and organized and collaborative. The idea of [over] 60 people in a group critiquing each other’s work— that’s pretty unusual.” The group includes mature and much recognized photographers (Martha Casanave, Kenneth Parker) and younger talents (Effie Benjamin, Silvia Gardner), also embracing traditional and alternative photography, digital imaging and mixed media. Madden curated the community’s new exhibit, Embracing Light: An ImageMakers Exhibition, which can now be seen at the Pacific Grove Art Center. It’s an homage to an Italian Renaissance technique called chiaroscuro (chiaro meaning “light” and scuro “dark”), which refers to the overall distribution of light and shadow in visual artwork that creates a three-dimensional impression. “We’re fortunate here, because we’re not in Los Angeles, New York, or Berlin, where there’s so much pressure on artists, curators and directors,” Madden points out. That means more flexibility in terms of style or format. Several ImageMakers do underwater photography. Others like to experiment, pushing the boundaries. From Cara Weston’s elegant coastal landscapes to Steve Zmak’s studies of moving lights, almost all the members of the group have a piece on display. This is the first time Madden has curated for ImageMakers, and she doesn’t consider herself an expert on photography, but she is well versed in the local photographic art scene. “We have a deep collection in the museum, and we have a deep commitment to it,” she says. What she looked for in the process of selection was “the angle and perspective the photographers take on the object or the thing they take a photo of, and their ability to manipulate the camera.” The images are engaging. “I love the work that has a sense of bending perspective so that you see something new,” Madden adds. Embracing Light: An ImageMakers Exhibition is on display through October. Pacific Grove Art Center, 568 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. An Afternoon with the Curator takes place 1-2pm Saturday, Sept. 6. 375-2208, imagemakers.photo. CAROLYN MOORE Light Meets Darkness An exhibit of local photographers puts an old artistic technique on display in a new exhibit. By Agata Popęda The strength of the ImageMakers lies in the group’s artistic diversity. The above work, titled “Wind of Passion,” comes from Monterey-based artist Carolyn Moore. www.folktalewinery.com 49TH CATCH TOMORROW'S COMEDY STARS TODAY. SEPTEMBER 7THH PRELIMINARY ROUND
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