When: Fridays and Saturdays, 1-7 PM and Sundays, 11AM to 7PM May 20th through June 25th
Where: South Shore Shopping Center (center court), 523 South Shore Center W., Alameda
What: View Alameda from the lenses of local photographers! The Frank Bette Center for the Arts, with help from the South Shore Shopping Center, is presenting the annual Alameda on Camera exhibit. In this yearly tradition, forty-eight contestants are given only forty-eight hours to snap their interpretations of the island city. Deadlines are tight—after the photographs are captured, artists are permitted only a few weeks to prepare their work for display.
This year's exhibit includes more than images from the typical landmarks of Alameda, like Crab Cove or Crown Beach. In fact, Mixed-Media-Award winner Gina Chabre entered "Dark Aster"—a photo of a flower balanced by a "darker, abstract image." Her other entries include more flowers, odds and ends, and mysterious structures whose names she won't reveal. In an interview, Chabre told the East Bay Times that she greatly enjoyed exploring different parts of Alameda—especially its East End, with an iPhone equipped with a macro lens.
Chabre also mentioned her gratitude for the Frank Bette Center for the Arts. According to her, the nonprofit creates a "nurturing" environment for artists. Located in the yellow house on 1601 Paru Street in Alameda, the Center has been a creative outlet for the city since benefactor Frank Bette donated his house upon his death in 1999. Members and volunteers fulfill the mission of making the organization a place for "meetings, readings, showings, and other creative doings" by offering classes, volunteer opportunities, workshops, and more. Though the Center is temporarily closed for city-mandated repairs, plans are in order for quick reopening.
South Shore Shopping Center hosts the exhibit through June 25th. For more information, or to find out about other events, you can contact the Frank Bette Center for the Arts at (510) 523- 6957 or check out their calendar at frankbettecenter.org.
Photo credits: Edge of Dawn by Philip Zike, 2015 AOC Nature Award. (Courtesy Photo)
Top photo: Blue Lagoon by Amos White - Area 7
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