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Squaw Valley Fine Arts Festival: June 21-22 |
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Written by Morgan Kriz
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Sunday, 15 June 2008 |
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The Village at Squaw Valley USA is once again set to celebrate art in the outdoors during the 4th Annual Squaw Valley Fine Arts and Crafts Festival. This highly popular event, presented by Squaw Village Neighborhood Company and The Village at Squaw Valley USA, will take place Saturday and Sunday, June 21-22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Visitors will have the opportunity to meet with more than 40 award-winning artists featuring a wide variety of artwork including photography, oil paintings, toy makers, ceramic vessels, jewelry and much more.
Among the artists participating in the Festival include Garry Moore of Olympic Valley displaying his landscape photography; Silvio Silvestri of South Lake Tahoe with his plein air paintings featuring portraits, floral and figures along with the breathtaking landscape of the Lake Tahoe area; David Starkey of Truckee, with his glass art pieces; and Diana Ahrens of Reno showcasing her 3-dimensional mixed media wall art.
For more information about the 4th Annual Fine Arts Festival, contact Squaw Valley Neighborhood Company at (530) 584-6267 or Pacific Fine Arts at (209) 296-1195, or visit www.pacificfinearts.com
 David Starkey of Studio 23
Dave grew up in Baltimore, MD. In 1997 he took a weekend class studying Venetian beadmaking. Since then he has been self-taught. After just 6 months he began marketing his glass and has held private glass shows in NYC, Baltimore and Lake Tahoe. Dave has resided in Lake Tahoe since 1999 with his wife Rachel and their dog Kobuk.
Starkey will have his artwork on display this weekend at the Squaw Valley Fine Arts Festival. You can also visit his Web site at www.glass23.com.
Tahoe World Associate Editor Morgan Kriz got in touch with David while working at his other job as a sushi roller at Dragonfly. When he is not working at Dragonfly, he is working on his art pieces. Starkey knows that living in Tahoe full time, sometimes requires more than one job. David took the time to answer some questions.
Tahoe World: Have you been involved at the Squaw Valley Fine Arts Festival before?
David Starkey: This will be our third year at this festival.
TW: What are you most looking forward to in participating in the festival this year?
DS: I hope there is a good turn out of people. This show has many amazing artists.
TW: For someone who has never seen your work before, please describe your art ...
DS: My art is very unique. It is contemporary designs using all hand blown glass. I design woman’s jewelry, small sculptures, wine goblets, wine stoppers, platters, ornaments and marbles.
TW: What is your favorite piece you have ever made?
DS: Any type of sculptures and marbles because it allows me to express myself on a separate level of glass blowing. It’s more of a free form on a larger level and a much more challenging task.
TW: Where do you get your inspiration from?
DS: I get my inspirations from my surroundings. The mountains and the ocean are where I tend to get most inspired. I got a lot of ideas on our recent trips to Hawaii and Mexico as well. For some reason the tropics really influence my glass blowing because of the different colors and aquatic feel. My wife is one my biggest inspirations as well and is always honest and helps me judge my work.
TW: Do you ever make the same piece twice?
DS: Occasionally, but very few because I am not into production work, but it must be done. Doing it twice or more though makes you a better artist because practice does make perfect.
TW: What advice can you give to people interested in using the art mediums you use?
DS: I would tell them to try different mediums and choose the one that is your passion. Also, think of safety — in glass blowing you need a safe environment to blow glass and there is also the equipment, and ventilation. It’s a passion that takes a lot of practice and patience.
TW: What can festival goers look forward to at your display?
DS: My display of artwork like I mentioned is extremely unique. It’s very appealing to the eye and will definitely catch people’s attention from afar. There are many talented glass blowers out there but my work is different and my jewelry is great for all ages of women. I am very excited for this year’s festival. We hope it’s a great turn out and each year has brought out original and unique artist sans
 Garry Moore of Kiwi Kamera Fine Art Photography
I describe myself as an “old school” landscape photographer, in that I still capture my images the old fashioned way ie with a film camera, I only use Fujichrome Velvia slide film. My primary camera is a Nikon F 5, I also have a Noblex panoramic camera which uses 120 film. I personally print all but the largest of my photographs, I have my own color darkroom where I can print Ilfochrome color photographs on paper sizes up to 20x40. Being able to do my own printing has allowed me to develop a signature style image.
I take a sequence of shots that when printed and mounted side by side create a single panoramic image. because each individual photo can be any of my print sizes when they are mounted together I can make finished image that can be quit large. These Ilfochrome photographs are printed directly from the original slides. Not only does this process produce museum quality archival photographs, they are also extremely rich in color and detail.
I have a display gallery and framing studio set up at my Tahoma studio, that way I can do all my own custom matting and framing. View Garry Moore's photographs at www.KiwiKamera.com
 How does it feel to be apart of the Fine Arts Festival right in your home turf?
I have been doing Arts and Craft shows for more than a decade, fine art photography is my livelihood, it got me my house in Tahoma. I do approximately 20 shows a summer. I have been involved with shows in Squaw for several years now, they are like a home show for me. when I first moved to Squaw as a ski bum in the fall of 85 and for several years after, I live on Forest Glen Road in the Valley, I still have my PO Box there.
I look forward to the Squaw shows each year as it give me the motivation to print some of my new Squaw images from the winter just gone. it is always exciting to see how the new stuff will come out, especially when I print them big. This year I am working on a couple of panoramas that I shot the end of February on the morning of what turned out to be our last big powder day of the season.
How does your photography differ from other Lake Tahoe photographs?
As you know there are many top quality photographers in this area, one of the thing that makes me different is that I am still "Old School" in that I still shot with a film camera. mostly a 35mm Nikon F5 using Fuji Velvia 50 speed slide film. I am also unique in that I have my own darkroom, where I can print a cibachrome photograph up to 20x40 inch directly from these slides. Cibachrome prints where the museum standard for decades before the onset of digital photography. They have such brilliant colors which is part of the reason I have been so successful in selling them. I also do all my own matting and framing which has allowed me to keep my pricing reasonable compared to the multitude of cheeper to produce digital inkjet prints, that everyone is making these days.
Another thing that sets me apart from other local photographers is that I take photos of many different subjects,although I specialize in landscapes and have developed my own style of multi image panoramas I always have a camera handy and will take photos of whatever captures my attention as long as I think it “looks cool,” be it powder skiing, a brilliant sunset, puppies in a canoe, wildflowers in a meadow or a vintage wooden boats cruising the lake. I describe myself as a “drive by shooter” in that am always watching my surroundings, looking for that special moment that needs capturing so that others may see what I see.
What photograph has the most meaning to you of all your photos taken in Lake Tahoe? Which are you most proud of?
As for a favorite photo? I have many. But they all have a common property in that they capture a special moment in time. my favorite Squaw photo is probably “Big Wednesday” a multi image panorama I shot from the top of KT 22 on 2/10/99.
Partly because it reminds me of that day, it was one of my best ever days of skiing. It was a blue bird, waist deep powder morning. And I had early ups with patrol, so I not only got the photo, which shows the whole upper mountain blanketed in fresh snow before the hordes tracked it out, but I also got epic face shot powder runs on KT before it was open to the public.
What are some tips on taking a good multi-photo panoramic shot?
My tips for taking good photos is simple! Take lots and lots and lots of photos, dont worry too much about the technical aspect, most of todays cameras take excellent photos when set to auto mode. so by taking so many shots you can then go through and edit them and see which ones appeal to your eye. I will oftern have a dozen photos of almost exactly the same thing which I then compare to see which best captured what I saw at the time,
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 17 June 2008 )
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