Another Joseph Vavak

There haven't been very many Joseph Vavaks in the world. At the moment, there might be a handful of us here in the United States. Not many more. Interestingly, the Smithsonian American Art Museum has six paintings by another Joseph Vavak.

Joseph Vavak was, as far as I know, unrelated to myself. Born in Austria in 1899, raised in Chicago and eventually passing away in Stotebury, Missouri in 1969. Most of the work I have found is from his time as a Works Projects Administration artist in Chicago during the 30's and 40's. Along with the Smithsonian, there are also paintings in the collections of the Illinois State Museum and the University of Kentucky Art Museum.

I plan on researching this Joseph Vavak more. It's fascinating to me that someone with the same (admittedly unusual) name as myself was such a wonderful artist.

All good things must come to an end

It was a great month, but the ninety-three exhibition at the Hot Shops has come to an end. I met so many great people and got so many positive comments on the work that it was all very overwhelming.

Going into the show, I was more than a little apprehensive about showing my photography to a wider audience. It's one thing to take a picture. It's quite another to assume that anyone would really want to look at the picture. In the end, everything went wonderfully and my fears were unfounded. I really wish the month wasn't already over, but look forward to sharing more of my creations in the future. After all, this is only the beginning.

Again, thank you to everyone who came out to see the show. And welcome to any new fans I may have found over the course of the last month.

Just about finished

I'm just about ready to call ninety-three finished for good. Today was spent in two counties that have given me nothing but trouble despite multiple visits: Merrick and Nance. I was a bit more successful this time around and feel like I really improved the photographs for both counties. The weather, in true Nebraska fashion, ranged from bright sunshine to pouring rain and back again several times.

Central City's State Theater is alive and well, currently showcasing Robin Hood and the latest Shrek film.

Also visited: Marquette, Archer, Palmer, Fullerton, Belgrade, Cedar Rapids, Primrose, Albion, Petersburg, Boone and St. Edward.

Hello.

I spent my Sunday afternoon walking around what remains of the State Fair Park in Lincoln. For those not from Nebraska, the State Fair is moving to Grand Island in 2010, leaving its home in Lincoln since 1901 behind. Some of the buildings are already gone, leaving nothing but a concrete foundation and tiled floors behind. Others remain but are slowly falling into disrepair. It's a sad sight for anyone who has childhood memories of the Fair.

The photograph is of what appears to be a fairly friendly electric box somewhere near the livestock building.