It's about Love.
It's about Community.
It's about Healing.
The heart-lifting effort to collect 10,000 photographs of the affectionately-inclined from around the world.
Finally. The first entry on the new Smooch! blog. Here’s where those interested in the project can find the latest info regarding this project, including a calendar for upcoming Smooch! shoots, current stats on how far we’ve come in reaching the goal of 10,000 archive images, and more. In early January, this blog will probably have a new look when it is linked to the brand-spankin’ new Smooch! Project website. Until then, you’ll find it here on Blogger.com.
For those of you interested in participating in an upcoming Smooch! shoot, there are three of them coming right up in Minneapolis. Check the calendar to the right for details. Fellow Twin Citians: The time is fast approaching for The Smooch! Project to hit the road. If you have a wish to Be A Part of Art, it is strongly suggested that you catch a Smooch! shoot soon. All affectionately-inclined people are welcome to participate in this FREE event.
Every month, a new pic from the archive will be featured on the new Smooch! blog. This month, we’ve included David luvs Amy, a photo collected during Smooch! Shoot #43 at the November 7, 2008 Seward Arts Festival in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Amy & David have been married 23 years — and are still going strong! This photo is now part of the newly created Smooch! Project archive category Together: Old Marrieds, for couples celebrating 21+ years together. You’ll be learning all about the 12 categories comprising The Smooch! Project Archive when the new website goes up in January 2009. Before then, everyone is of course welcome to visit the current Smooch! Project website anytime to view the 100 photos already there.
If you had the idea that The Smooch! Project had gotten to where it is today simply through the efforts of the project photographer, you’d be WAY wrong. Over the last two+ years, dozens of people have contributed an incredible amount of time and energy to help this project grow. As a small, heart-felt Thank You to these generous people, The Smooch! Project blog will include a Featured Volunteer section to give these individuals some of the attention they justly deserve. To that end, it is a great pleasure to introduce the first Smooch! volunteer to be featured: Karen Van Wert, shown below in James luvs Karen, a photo pulled from the Smooch! Project Archive category Together: Young Love (1-4 years).
Like The Smooch! Project photographer, Karen is a member of the Minnesota-based organization WPVA (Women Photographers / Visual Artists) where the two artists met. Now a personal friend, Karen has already provided hours of consultation, ideas, and Smooch! shoot support and her strong photographic skills and promotion savvy has made her an ongoing source of inspiration for the project. Karen is shown here with hubby, James Fuchs, in James luvs Karen, a photograph collected during Smooch! Shoot #40 held at the Uptown Art Fair on August 2, 2008. Here, Karen can be seen wearing one of her incredible photographic pendants, samples of which can be found on her website, KVW Creations, along with other gorgeous works of hers. Many more samples of her landscape photographs can be found on her personal Flickr site. Karen has shown her work widely, all of which possesses a very strong yet lyrical compositional strength, a trait that really shines in her pics of common objects as viewed from unusual angles. Many thanks to Karen for freely lending her considerable skills to the needs of The Smooch! Project.
If you have a personal interest in helping The Smooch! Project reach its goal of collecting 10,000 archive photographs, the artist would LOVE to hear from you. As this project is not yet financially self-supporting, all volunteer help is GREATLY appreciated. Please contact the project photographer at photogirl@thesmoochproject.com.
The world sure need hugs & kisses — mostly love. Your project brings it all to life.
For your events!
Tax-deductible!
Be Smooch!-savvy
