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' Paparazzi ' exhibit coincides with Women's History Month

FOR RELEASE: 2/26/2004

SPRINGFIELD - With Diana M. Henry's prominent photography of the heyday of the Women's Movement a featured aspect of the upcoming The Famous and the Infamous exhibit at the Valley Photographic Center in downtown Springfield, center director Keith Sikes is reminding photophiles everywhere that March is also Women's History Month.

Henry's photography has captured stills in the lives of such influential women as Rosalynn Carter, Coretta Scott King Bella Abzug and Betty Freidan, and has documented events of deep historical importance including the First National Women's Conference. Many of her photos depict the lives and events that have helped to make Women's History Month what it is today; not one day of recognition, as it was in 1911, and not one week, as it was decades later in 1978, but a month of historical recognition, as the United States Congress dictated in 1987.

Henry's photos from the first National Women's Conference in 1977 will be on display as part of an overall presentation of photographs that examine the culture of celebrity in America. Sikes said the addition of Henry's work to the gallery is an excellent opportunity to combine an interest in the arts with a lesson in women's history.

"While these photos exist on their own merit as an excellent document of an historic event," Sikes said, "They also serve as reminder, through the images of the people involved, about what a significant period in women's history the Seventies were."

Henry began her career in photojournalism at Radcliffe, as photo editor of the Harvard Crimson from 1967 to 1969. She received Harvard's Ferguson History Prize in 1967 and her A.B. in Government in 1969. She has specialized in interpreting social issues and events. Her photography for private literary, social and fashion clients in New York City has been widely published.

Henry's work will run concurrently with two other exhibits at the photo center ; The D'Addario Brothers and Pioneer Valley Paparazzi . The show will run from March 3 to April 10, with a reception hosted by Springfield Mayor Charles V. Ryan on Thursday, March 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. the public is invited

The Valley Photo Center, located on the ground floor of Tower Square at 1500 Main St., Springfield, is a fellowship of photographers from western New England, and began three years ago as an extension of the Springfield Arts Festival. The center is totally supported by voluntary contributions by involved photographers and the general public. The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, contact The Valley Photographic Center at (413) 781-1553 or visit their web site at www.valleyphotocenter.com.


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Mayor Charles V. Ryan hosts ' Paparazzi ' reception at Valley Photo Center

FOR RELEASE: 2/26/2004

SPRINGFIELD - The flashing lights, the glitzy gowns, the smiling faces of celebrities making their way through throngs of fans . it ' s all coming to downtown Springfield, and Mayor Charles V. Ryan is ready to welcome the celebrities to his city.

The Valley Photographic Center has invited the most accomplished of photographers as well as all amateur shutterbugs to take part in " The Famous and the Infamous, " a gallery show scheduled to run from March 3 to 10, featuring over 100 images of celebrities of all kinds. A reception slated for Thursday, March 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. will be hosted by Ryan, and will welcome star-trackers from across the Pioneer Valley to meet the Mayor and sneak a peek at images of the " famous and the infamous, " said Valley Photo Center Director Keith Sikes.

Sikes said the show already includes a staggering number of photos of the famous, and he hopes the show will help to bring a little glamour to downtown Springfield. " The Valley Photo Center is starting to look like the red carpet at the Oscars, " he said. " We've collected images of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alec Baldwin, Paul Newman, Jerry Stiller, Bill Murray, Kim Bassinger, Pam Anderson, Cindy Crawford, and Kevin Kline, among others. "

The work of Vincent and Raymond D ' Addario will be featured, including photos of John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, Muhammad Ali, along with scenes from the Nuremberg Nazi War Trials among many others. Diana Mara Henry, former personal photographer for women ' s rights activist Bella Abzug, will be also be featured, including images of historic figures, such as Gloria Steinem, Betty Ford, Betty Freidan and Lady Bird Johnson, to name a few. Sikes added that a host of other non-actor celebrities like George Bush, Robert Frost, Dale Earnhardt and even some local celebrities - politicians and news reporters among them - are also expected to be included.

" And, we have a few surprises, " Sikes said.

The reception will be a catered affair, with music provided by the Eric Bascom Jazz Quartet. Sikes added that a selection of prints will be available for sale at the event.

The Valley Photo Center, located on the ground floor of Tower Square at 1500 Main St., Springfield, is a fellowship of photographers from western New England, and began three years ago as an extension of the Springfield Arts Festival. The center is totally supported by voluntary contributions by involved photographers and the general public. The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, contact The Valley Photo Center at (413) 781-1553 or on the website at www.valleyphotocenter.com.


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For immediate release: contact Keith Sikes at 250-3738 or Jaclyn Stevenson at 733-4668

Downtown Gallery Fills With Celebrities In March

"When I had the idea for an exhibit on the celebrity culture we live in, I never imagined the number and quality of images that would end upon our walls. " So said director Keith Sikes as he announced the new show at the Valley Photographic Center; The Famous and the Infamous. " We have everyone from Eleanor Roosevelt to Pamela Anderson; from Eric Clapton to John Kennedy to Fidel Castro. It is an amazing array. To top it all off we have Mayor Charles V. Ryan hosting our March 25 open reception. "

The exhibit consists of a three-part variation on the theme. The center space features Women On The Move, the work of Diana Mara Henry of Springfield, whose images of the first National Women ' s Conference in 1977 are riddled with the famous. Her photographs feature such feminist luminaries as Bella Abzug, Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem, as well as political forces such as Coretta Scott King, Rosalyn Carter, Betty Ford, Lady Bird Johnson and others.

Our portfolio wall will feature The D ' Addario Brothers, the work of career photographers Raymond and Vincent D ' Addario. Vin was staff photographer for the Springfield paper and Ray was the official photographer at the Nuremberg war trials. The images here chronicle the training of Cassius Clay at the Schine Inn in Chicopee, the Kennedy campaign and inauguration, postwar Germany and the Fifties. A great selection of Americana with a chilling documentary on bringing justice to Hitler's regime thrown in.

Finally, a general call for entries from any Valley photographer who had taken images of a celebrity has yielded a surprising gold mine of images, entitled Pioneer Valley Paparazzi. Among those featured are Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Robert Frost, Bill Clinton, George Bush, Eric Clapton, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Jimmy Buffett, Dale Earnhardt, Pamela Anderson, Cindy Crawford and many, many others. " We hoped that the general public would enjoy this kind of exhibit, and we ' re looking forward to seeing a lot of new faces in the gallery. "

A gala " Meet the Mayor " reception will be held March 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. The public is invited to attend and enjoy the sounds of the Eric Bascom and Friends. The gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday, 11- 2 p.m. and Thursday evenings 5 to 7 p.m. The Valley Photographic Center is supported by volunteers and subscription donations. It is located in a space donated by Mass Mutual at 1500 Main St. on the ground floor of Tower Square. Call 781-1553 or visit www.valleyphotocenter.com for more information.


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