Without hesitation I would apply again to attend an Artist Round Table (ART) hosted by the amazing folks at Rear Curtain in Port Townsend. For the uninitiated, the concept of ART is to invite 8 artists to gather together for 3 days of intensive discussion and exploration of “voice”, “visual storytelling” and artistic vision. The sessions include image critiques not only from your peers and Ray Ketcham, a multi-talented artist, but also from a other professional artists and a recognized art director.

This is the second year for ART. Last year it was offered in two parts, finding your voice and raising your voice. This year the two sessions were combined and spread over 4 days. In fact most days ran from 8:30am to 10:00pm and since many of us lunched together and everyone had dinner together, there was ample opportunity for discussion, debate and getting to know each other. Trust me, there was no problem falling asleep at the end of each day.

Although not specifically a photography workshop, all of this years participants were photographers and the discussions surrounding visual communications were particularly intense. Not everyone got the answers they were looking for but they sure left with a fresh set of ideas to consider. Another highlight for me was a visit to a local artist’s studio where we had the opportunity to was a rehearsal of a Bhutto performance and were challenged to find and capture in one frame the significant moment for us. This was a fascinating exercise in anticipation and adaptability in the moment.

Port Townsend is a charming little town and I regret that I didn’t have the opportunity to explore it more than I did. I will be back there again to explore a bit more and to spend more time with Ray. I also hope that at some future ART I will get to talk some more with the friends I made this weekend; until then we’ll look for each other on-line.

Ken