BRISTOL, Va./Tn ? Nineteen-year-old Briana Morris admitted that some two years ago, she would have never dreamed that two years later she?d be among Bristol?s most-popular photographers ? or be standing in front of a room of other aspiring photographers, talking about her passion.
Yet, both were reality at the 606 State Street Gallery Sunday afternoon, as Morris and other photographers were the featured speakers for ?Photography 101: Let?s Take Pictures? ? a photo-taking workshop highlighting the final day of State of the Arts, the weekend event spotlighting downtown Bristol?s arts and entertainment community.
?Photography is something I?ve just always loved to do, so also being able to talk about it - and have some success with it ? is beyond awesome to me,? said Morris, a Bristol,Va., native whose photography not only won Best of Show at last year?s Rhythm and Roots Reunion festival, but also sells in droves at the 606 State Street Gallery which features Morris? work and that of 30 other local photographers, painters, sculptors and artists.?
?I have a lot of fun taking photographs and having that form of artistic expression,? said Morris, who uses a Nikon D5000 camera. ?So I love having a chance to help other photographers enjoy it as much as I do.?
Sunday?s photo workshop by Morris and two other local photographers, Kaylynn Wilster and Jacob Edwards, which drew a small but enthusiastic gathering, helped bring a festive end to the first-ever State of the Arts weekend ? an event organizers hope will inspire more people, in and outside Bristol, to take advantage of the downtown area?s vibrant, diverse arts scene.
The three-day event included viewings at five downtown art galleries, wine tastings, a music-and-movie double bill in Cumberland Square Park, craft-making, book discussions, ballet performances, theater productions and live concerts. In addition to showcasing downtown Bristol?s artistic community, the State of the Arts was held to formally celebrate the area?s official status as an Arts and Entertainment District in Virginia ? a designation given by Bristol, Va. last November.
?We?re very pleased with how the community responded to the whole weekend,? Katherine Bowman, associate director of Believe in Bristol, said Sunday. ?There were great numbers at so many of the events, and we?re definitely looking to make State of Arts an annual thing.?
A non-profit community group, Believe in Bristol played a leading role in organizing State of the Arts: its officials said the event ? along with downtown Bristol?s new A&E District status ? would only help efforts to sell the area as a must-visit spot for culture-loving tourists.
?The key thing is to take the momentum we?ve built during this weekend, and sustain it all year long,? Bowman said. ?We think we?re starting to get the word out about how much downtown Bristol has to offer as an arts community. There?s such an artistic spirit here, and so many talented people.?
And Morris is clearly among the latter.
During Sunday afternoon?s workshop, the Virginia High grad - now an East Tennessee State University student ? proudly displayed eye-catching photos that ranged from raindrops caught in the spider?s web to a night-time shot of the famed Bristol sign, captured at an angle that made the sign appear in motion.
?Don?t be afraid to look at things in different ways,? Morris told the gathered photography lovers.
It was a fitting remark for ending the State of Arts weekend ? because it?s the same attitude Bristol officials hope many embrace in viewing downtown Bristol as an arts community.
rbrown@bristolnews.com
(276) 645-2512
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Source: http://www2.tricities.com/news/2011/jun/13/celebrating-passion-state-arts-weekend-ar-1103827/
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