Broadview Heights photographer brings Rust Belt Photo Collective to Tri-C

by Emily Canning-Dean

Richard Okay Holmes can’t fairly pinpoint when his love of pictures started.

“I’ve been a photographer since 1980 and I remember taking a photography class in college,” mentioned the Broadview Heights resident. “I’ve done a lot of different things as far as a career, but photography has always been a part of my life to some degree.”

Holmes relies in Cleveland but in addition works commonly in New York City getting concerned in pictures assignments and private initiatives. His ardour led him to hitch the Rust Belt Photo Collective, a northeast Ohio pictures neighborhood aimed toward enhancing ardour for the artwork by means of experiences and ideas.

“It’s a fairly young organization that has been around for only about 18 months,” Holmes mentioned. “We are excited for this next exhibit at Tri-C. It’s free to the public and most of the artwork is for sale.”

Holmes took the lead on the Tri-C present which is themed “Touched” and can run on the Tri-C Gallery East Campus, 4250 Richmond Road, in Highland Hills, by means of July 30.

“I came up with the theme so we could ask people to show us things they have been touched by in their lives,” Holmes mentioned. “This could be people, places, time, memory and environment. I think about 50% of the pieces are people and photographs of loved ones or family members. Others are exotic places around the world or fantastic landscapes. Some pieces are quite literal like a hand that reaches out and touches something while others are more metaphorical. It’s a broad range of photos with about 70 percent of them in black and white. Some are by professional photographers and others are by experienced amateurs and some by people who have never done this before. The primary goal is to give people an opportunity to display their work.”

Holmes mentioned he loved going by means of submissions and selecting out the items that may be a part of the gathering. He mentioned the show consists of 56 separate items from 31 totally different artists. Three of Holmes’ pictures are additionally included within the show.

“One is of a younger girl looking a window pensively hanging on to a chair that claims ‘I have always loved you,’” he said.

Holmes said he is excited for the public to visit the gallery at Tri-C and enjoy all the work selected for this show.

“The gallery is fabulous and very large and since most of the students have gone home for the summer this was a good spot with a lot of availability,” he said. “I recently spent all morning laying out the show with the gallery director. The director did a great job helping me figure out the best way to arrange the pieces.”

Holmes said the Rust Belt Photo Collective has hosted multiple shows so far this year and plans to have additional exhibits around northeast Ohio in the future.

“I think we have at least two or three more events that are currently in the planning process,” he said.

For more information about the Rust Belt Photo Collective visit rustbeltphotocollective.art.

Photo caption: Broadview Heights photographer Richard K. Holmes’ art work can be featured within the Rust Belt Photo Collective’s present at Tri-C this summer time. Photo submitted.