Restaurant shares its walls with local photographers
Published 5:59 pm Monday, January 11, 2016
Jack’s Tavern on River Road in Washington is known as a popular eatery and hang out, where one can watch a game or play a game of darts. Recently, however, it’s taken on another role in the community: that of a gallery, where patrons can peruse walls filled with art.
The exhibits at Jack’s Tavern are the work of artist Nancy Scoble, who plans to rotate shows throughout the year.
January’s exhibit opened Saturday — a four-person photography show featuring the work of Kelly Adams, Scott Clark, Dana Jo Murph and Hannah Wing. The show touches on many subjects, from a close-up, color photo of a tiger cub to stark desert landscapes in black and white; from colorful fishing boats docked in a calm harbor to the towering Yosemite monolith of Half Dome silhouetted against a dark sky. Some are small, demanding a closer look; others capture the attention from across the room.
For Adams, the exhibit represents a return to photography. For Clark, it’s the first showing of his work.
“It’s nice to see the work on something other than a (computer) screen. I have an online gallery where I post all my stuff, but it’s nice to see it out in print and framed,” Clark said.
The two photographers come from very different backgrounds — Adams has an art degree and decades of photography under his belt, but took an ; Clark is a computer consultant who’s always had a fascination with photography — but have found common ground in capturing moments in time.
“I’m trying to get him to shoot digital. He’s trying to get me to shoot film,” Clark said. “It’s a learning experience for both us.”
As someone who teaches seminars all over the U.S., Clark said his down time on the road is often spent ferreting out places to practice his craft.
“Because of the job I do, I have the opportunity to be able to go and travel and take a camera with me,” Clark said, mentioning a trip to California in which he photographed Yosemite National Park. “Whenever I travel, I have at least one camera with me.”
While Adams’ work — enormous black and white landscapes — might be a visit to past photographs, the exhibit is prompting ideas for the future.
“It’s nice to see the work out again. It’s pushing me to start to work with photography again, so that’s a plus, too,” Adams said.
Whether manipulating a photo in a dark room or in a computer program sitting in front of a computer, many times, perfecting an image happens long after the image has been taken.
“It took 1/200 of a second to take that picture, but five or six hours of post-production work,” Clark said, referring to his photo taken of Half Dome in Yosemite.
“We probably printed that seven or eight times trying to get it like that.”
The hours of effort are apparent in the photos decorating the dining and dart rooms of Jack’s Tavern. All photos are for sale.
“If they come in and fall in love with it, they can most certainly take it home,” Clark said.
Jack’s Tavern is located at 712 River Road, Washington.