Helikon Gallery Opening Reception Tomorrow, April 18, 2014

OPENING TOMORROWTomorrow, April 18th is another opening of the Kickstarter-funded show "Breaking Free," the exhibit of photography by Shoot Cameras Not Guns students. The photographers are journalists and activists documenting the life in Burma as well as the border regions of Thailand. 

The show had a great opening at the Posner Center for International Development with an interactive opening utilizing the building's many whiteboard and chalkboard walls. Viewers got to answer questions posed by the photographers, and those answers and reactions will be sent back to the photographers! View photos of the opening here.

The Helikon Gallery opening reception tomorrow is from 6pm-10pm at 3675 Wynkoop Street in Denver, Colorado. 

 

Cayce from Helikon hanging the show

PUBLIC VIEWING HOURS
If you can't make it tomorrow, you can check out the exhibit during public gallery hours (Tues-Fri 10am-4pm; Sat 12pm-4pm) through May 24, 2014, or check out the other upcoming events at Helikon!

 

BEERS FOR BURMABeers for Burma is our major fundraiser at Helikon Gallery on April 26th. (One week to go - get excited!) CHECK OUT THE VIDEO FROM LAST YEAR. This event features the student photography exhibit, as well as a celebration of all things freedom of speech. Performers include live musicians, aerial acrobatics and more!
GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!

 

FIRST FRIDAY

Helikon Gallery will host a First Friday reception on May 2 from 6pm to 10pm.

Here are some photos from the exhibit:

Shoot Cameras Not Guns on Idealist

Thanks to Idealist Denver Community Manager Dave Revere for the great article about us!

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE!

FREE Event tonight!

Join us tonight at The Ginn Mill in Denver for drinks, good conversation, and supporting Shoot Cameras Not Guns! Ask us any questions about our current Kickstarter, network with local international development and photography professionals.

Tonight only, all profits from the bar go to our organization. 

The Ginn Mill's weekly "Make A Difference Mondays" supports local non-profits and we're the newest addition!

RSVP on Facebook

The Ginn Mill
2041 Larimer Street
Denver, CO 80205

6pm-11pm

You're invited!

Beers for Burma is a craft beer festival & fundraising event for the Shoot Cameras Not Guns upcoming workshops in Burma and Thailand.

For more info, to RSVP and invite your friends, visit the event on Facebook.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS.

When:            First Friday, December 7, 2012

                        6pm-2am

Where:           ArtHaus Gallery

                        3340 Larimer St.

                        Denver, Colorado

The Event:

Featuring Colorado craft beers, live music, circus

style aerial acrobatic performances, and local art, the

first annual “Beers for Burma” is not to be missed!

This fundraiser for the Denver-based project, Shoot 

Cameras Not Guns, will  highlight RiNo businesses,

and have a great party for an even greater cause!

Get tickets early and your first beer is free!

Non-beer beverages available as well!

All ages welcome. 21+ to drink. 

Self Evident Truths

Portraits of iO Tillett Wright, the creator of the Self Evident Truths project, in the style of the project's portraits.

The Self Evident Truths project came to X Bar in Denver this year, creating portraits of anyone who considers themselves anything other than 100% straight. 

From the website:

IT IS TIME TO SHOW PEOPLE OUR FACES, SO THAT THEY MUST ACKNOWLEDGE OUR VARIETY, OUR HUMANITY,
AND OUR DIGNITY. FAMILIARITY BEGETS EMPATHY:
“HEY, THAT LOOKS LIKE MY DAUGHTER / SON /
FRIEND / WIFE / FATHER.”

The newest Moustachumentary participants!

iO Tillett Wright, the creator of the Self Evident Truths project.

Participants hang out at the bar.

Again, from SELFEVIDENTPROJECT.COM:
WE CHALLENGE YOU TO LOOK INTO THE FACES OF THESE PEOPLE, AND TELL THEM THAT THEY
DESERVE LESS THAN YOU.

Youth on Record at the Synergy School

Group image of Denver and the mountains.

Here are images from another light painting workshop with Flobots.org, this time at the Synergy School in Denver, Colorado. This residential treatment facility focuses on substance rehabilitation for teens. We worked with teenage boys, and they all really loved the process and final images.

Individual album cover

 As usual, we started with some group light graffiti and moved on to individual images. Students were welcome to invite friends to participate int their "individual" images, but they were required to be the "directors" and to tell the collaborators how to accomplish this vision.

Group image #1. Not bad for a first try, huh?!

 Youth on Record instructor Nathan Schmidt has been working with the boys, teaching them how to produce their own music. These images will be the album covers for their individual albums. These guys were super fun and the staff at the school really went above and beyond to turn a very well lit room into a darkroom for us. Thanks for your help, Synergy School!

Flobots Workshop at Cole Arts and Sciences Academy

The first collaboration of Shoot Cameras Not Guns and Flobots.org was a great success! The Flobots are a Denver based hip hop group that creates nationally known music filled with positive and thought provoking lyrics. Their non-profit offshoot Flobots.org teaches youth and community members how to use and create music for social change. "Art to Action" instructor Adrian Molina and I partnered up at Cole Arts & Sciences Academy in Denver to teach an after school program to elementary and middle school students. We focused on light graffiti, or "light painting," to allow the youth to express themselves anonymously. Graffiti is something most of the kids see every day and can relate to. Light graffiti adds another level to the art of graffiti, while taking away the risk and disrespect of property that is often associated with this form of expression. 

GROUP LIGHT PAINTING:

We started off making some photos as a group before moving on to individually created photos.

The individual shots are a response to the questions, "What makes you feel weak?" and "What makes you feel strong?" Each artist thought of a motion that embodied this feeling and then performed it for the camera to record.  

Photo by Dalaun, who's family makes him feel strong. Laying on the couch makes him feel weak: 

Photos by Nehemiah:  

Photo by Maria: 

Molina messing around with the camera on very slow shutter speeds, with flash: 

Photo by Patricia, who feels strong when using a computer (which she drew with the lights): 

Photo by Savejon, who feels both weak and strong when stretching: