April 16, 2003
Exposing exhibit
Photographers showcase local historical structures
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Stark images, haunting impressions and ethereal beauty marked the photos on exhibit last week in the Traverse City's Historic Treasures exhibit.
Held in the Village Center of the Grand Traverse Commons, the exhibit featured the work of four area photographers: Deitrich Floeter, Heidi Johnson, Glenn Rauth and Laura Teeple. These photographers displayed images taken at Building 50, the City Opera House and The Cottages, Grand Traverse Pavilions.
Johnson, author of "Angels in the Architecture," a historical and photographic study of Building 50, organized the display. Johnson's office is located in the Village Center and she saw the possibility of a photo display after seeing a room in the building readied for the upcoming Northern Michigan Potters and Sculptors Guild show.
Johnson teamed with Gerie Greenspan of the City Opera House Heritage Association, and the exhibit came together and tucked itself into the room's two available days. Greenspan hopes that this short debut is the beginning of an annual show highlighting historical preservation efforts in the area.
"I think that telling history through the eyes of artists is a perfect vehicle and I would be looking for more partners to join us in the future," said Greenspan, executive director of the City Opera House Heritage Association. "Not only to celebrate the work that is going on but to give a better idea to the rest of Traverse City what can be done in the area of heritage tourism and how we can promote it."
"I think the Traverse City's Historic Treasures exhibit is a tool to raise the level of awareness to help Traverse City become a destination, a stronger destination, and this is one way to promote it," she noted.
Having the exhibit in the Village Center, with the room's soaring windows overlooking Building 50 and the park like grounds, was a perfect synergy.
"It was a thrill to have my work highlighted in this place," said photographer Laura Teeple of Traverse City. "There is so much history here, it is great and this exhibit is so much a celebration of our history and preservation."
Teeple's work focused on the City Opera House, a building she discovered just before it closed for the latest renovation. She attended a bridal show in early 2002 to take photographs of the event. She remained behind after everyone else had left, enthralled with the space.
"I just kind of hung out here after everybody left and took a bunch of photographs," Teeple recalled. "Then I contacted the Downtown Development Authority and they let me come back and take more."
"I'm just passionate about the Opera House, I don't know why, it is an amazing space," she said.
With an extensive background in architectural photography, Deitrich Floeter has also been captivated with the City Opera House. The photos he displayed in the Traverse City's Historic Treasures exhibit focus on it, exploring the rafters and other spaces not normally in public view.
"The appeal is largely the history, that it has lasted through the efforts of many," Floeter said. "It has character and is also one of the few remaining structures of its kind."
Teeple also found Johnson's work with infrared photography an inspiration as she worked to capture the moods of the City Opera House. Scaling scaffolding to the domed ceiling and poking into little seen corners, she documented her travels on both 35 mm and infrared film.
"It was so cool to just be able to get right up there," Teeple said. "Photographs are a way for many people to get a bird's eye view of the Opera House and what is happening to it - hopefully it will inspire others to get involved with the preservation."