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By: Steve Reisman , The Record
The Arts Center City Hall gallery on the second floor
of Troy's City Hall opened Tuesday in collaboration
with The Arts Center of the Capital Region, showcasing
the work of local resident and professor Jim Flosdorf.
The gallery displays his panoramic views of Troy, blending
shots of Troy's landscape with images from other places
to create a visually pleasing exhibit. One of Flosdorf's
pieces, "View from Prospect Park," was awarded
Best View for 2003 by Hudson Valley magazine.
Flosdorf is professor emeritus of English literature
at Russell Sage College, where he has taught for the
past 35 years. Since 1968, he has taught creative writing,
Shakespeare, Milton and 17th century poetry.
He has also written poetry of his own for publication,
most recently a poem entitled "Sailing Through
School," which was published in Blueline, a literary
publication of SUNY Potsdam. Flosdorf also published
a collection of poems in 1992 called "Rivertown"
about the city of Troy.
Although he makes a living as an English professor,
he's always had a passion for expression through the
medium of photography, sparked by his first visit to
a darkroom at age 12.
His artwork uses a special form of photography in which
he collages images from several photographic frames
using a digital photo-editing program. After spending
anywhere between 20 and 30 hours on a piece, it is laser-printed
onto the paper by Bokland Graphics in Albany using a
LightJet 430 printer.
The artistry in his photographs is undeniable, catching
the eyes of many different individuals. "They're
appealing to people because they can see places they
know in the pictures," Flosdorf said.
That was apparent as Mayor Mark Pattison and President
of the Arts Center of the Capital Region Raona Roy viewed
Flosdorf's work after speaking about the new gallery.
"This gallery is a place for Troy artists to display
art about Troy," said Roy.
The Arts Center plans to have the exhibits changed quarterly,
and hopes to graduate to all sorts of media as the gallery
gathers momentum. The gallery looks to showcase the
artistic richness for which Troy is already well-known,
bringing new sights for the holidays and new year.
The opening of the new gallery in City Hall also served
to notify the public of the "My Troy" photo
contest, in which amateur photographers of all ages
can capture images of the people and places of the city.
There will be a general division and another for students
in grades K-12.
A $100 prize will be given to the first-place winner
in the general division, $50 for second place and $30
for third place. The student division prizes will be
$50 for first, $30 for second, and $20 for third. Prize
sponsors of the contest include Troy 2020 and Atrium
Services LLC.
In an attempt to further strengthen the historic and
cultural heart of Troy, the city plans to showcase the
entries to the photo contest during the Victorian Stroll
on Dec. 7. Pattison estimates the participation of 15,000-20,000
people in the annual winter event, set up by the Chamber
of Commerce.
The artwork by lovers of Troy will be out for all eyes
to see as participants in the stroll make their way
to the final stop for the lighting of the Christmas
tree at City Hall.
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