What a great night at the Ogden Museum last night. The musicians – Ratty Scurvics (good day to be Ratty), Luke Allen (2 black suits), James Marler (take care of your pets, and your friends), Gwendolyn Knapp (IBS glory), Mike IX Williams (TIME), Michael Welch’s kids and Costa Rican “kid” and last but not least 10th Ward Buck – get ya draws outcha ASS. – were all GREAT.

To see everything from tasteful rock pop, to industrial doom metal to NOLA bounce, b/t the walls of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art…made us realize there is a place for it all here. There was a slim crowd, maybe the Board of Dir. called in sick – dunno – but there were alot of “what the…” and “holy…” in the crowd – but all in all it was a hit.

Bradly and Gary made my 7 prints look great in the back walls, next to Johnny T’s and now i can say i showed at the Ogden. Yea that’s right.

If you haven’t picked up a copy of the New Orleans: the Underground Guide Book please do so! The 2nd Edition has tons of new images by yours truly.

After the Ogden After Hours, myself, friends Laura Schweigman, James Marler, and Kacie Stillings rolled over to the “newly renovated” Circle Bar. The place looks fantastic – great job Dave Clements and co. They even got em a real B. Singer behind the bar. we ran into Jenn O. and Richard V. and checked the joint out. I am very fired up to close out 2012 Jazz Fest there with Rotary Downs on May 6th.

http://www.ogdenmuseum.org/calendar/index.html

OGDEN AFTER HOURS…

I am honored to have been one of the principal photographers in the new book: “New Orleans: the Underground Guide” (UNO PRESS) and will be showing some prints at the OGDEN Museum as part of a live show, and interview session tonight!

…celebrates a “literary musicians” theme via “New Orleans: the Underground Guide” (UNO Press).

Artists both reading and playing music include:

Mike Williams (eyehategod – author of “Cancer as a Social Activity”)

Tenthwardbuck (bounce legend, author of “The Definition of Bounce”)

Ratty Scurvics (black market butchers)

James Marler (rotary downs)

Luke Allen (happy talk)

Gwendolyn Knapp (green demons)

Michel Patrick Welch

PLUS photography from the “Underground Guide” by Zack Smith and Jonathan Traviesa.

“Underground Guide” maestro Michael Patrick Welch will briefly interview all of these artists, plus read from his new novel “Y’all’s Problem” (Dirty Coast) and show videos from his rap/literacy class.

Also part of Ogden After Hours:

O Bar: Full bar with a specialty cocktail of the month

O Fun: Kid’s Art Activity Table

O Yum: Miss Linda’s Soul Food Catering

What a day. for those that know, you know. those that don’t, let me open a crack of a window.

things in my life are very good – very whole and very positive. Nothing got me here by chance – it’s all about what has come before and what has made today..today. there’s a lot of folks who have been positive influences in my life – mentors, uncles, aunts, parents…the sort. But it’s the friends, the community in New Orleans, the Runnin’ Podnahs, the conspirators…that have made me what i am. You know who you are.

But, i’ll single out one. Libby Nevinger. Your keen eye, your disposition on your reality you photographed, in a way, made me always look at what i was doing. I looked at you for some sort of ground – because – you ALWAYS seemed to know what was going on…one step ahead. I have always respected you for, you. I will always live with your smile after you took a photo. Priceless. Never too late to say that too the world.

Z

Alot of exciting news in Zack Smith Photography world. Too many to saturate your/my mind right now – so in time i will keep you updated. I do hope in the near future i will be able to blog from my website and it will be a one-stop shop.

One nice new thing, i started smoking my grandfathers pipe again. i recently tried to stop drinking for a bit during January and it worked until last week. So,i am back trying to stay clean so i picked up the pipe…w/ tobacco. So please send your favorite loose leafs to ma haus

As alot of you may know i took a trip down to the Domincan Republic in July of 2011, mainly to get away but i really can’t just “get away” and do nothing. I ended up hustling in 3 cities during 9 days there documenting some notable local artists and one youth baseball team. The Dominican Republic boasts some of the top imported players in Major League Baseball – its true! And being a country that has been ruled by so many countries and cultures, it’s art culture is vibrant, expressive, introspective and alive.

Armed with only a Mamiya 645AF and 20 rolls of 120 film, i set off to document with clarity, precision, and begin this very powerful story.

Please check my new uploaded section of PROJECTS on my site

http://nolavie.com/2012/02/art-belows-pop-up-brings-fine-art-to-the-streets-67316/

one thing i love about living and creating in New Orleans is that you don’t have a shortage of talented and creative folks and friends right where you need them. My friends who run/own the uber cool Fifi Mahoney‘s whig shop and One Eyed Jacks tapped Zack Smith Photography to do their very style specific portraits for an ad they were creating for Mardi Gras.

As usual, time was running against us so execution of this photo shoot was crucial to getting them the image they needed in a short manner of time. I like to shoot it right the 1st time and leave myself little editing later – so location, lighting, and models were key in getting this job done the right way.

We had some amazing help by Ryan offering up the club, Jamie Gandy and company being pro’s at looking great and Marcy at Fifi’s donning them up…here’s one excerpt:

http://www.nola.com/arts/index.ssf/2012/01/art_billboards_appear_in_new_o.html