Facebook and other links

The Galesburg Portrait Project is now on Facebook. I'm posting one or two individual portraits each day. Please share the page with your friends.  https://www.facebook.com/GalesburgPortraitProject/

You can add to the information about the portraits that I post (corrected spellings, names and stories at galesburgportraits@gmail.com). I intend to edit that information and add it to the side of the boxes so that 30 years from now people will be able to see what the people of Galesburg were like, what they thought of their community. Scroll down to the John and Sally Morris image for an example of what I intend it to look like. 

Mark your calendars for a celebration to present the piece to the community at the Box on March 31. There will be local publicity as the date gets nearer; I will send an email and post the event on the Facebook page and the blog. 

Alexandra Byerly, pictured above with her friend Emily, wrote an excellent article on the project for The Knox Student, the college newspaper. Click here. 

Thanks: I want to thank you all for submitting images. I am so grateful. This project is only possible with your collaboration...and the support of good folks at Blick... I think that I managed to include about 90% of the submissions. My best count is that there are 399 people plus a few folks in the back ground on some images, 3 dogs, a cat, a pet lizard, a butterfly and Bob Nemuth's Harley.

As the writer and novelist Marilynn Robinson says, "To value one another is our greatest safety, and to indulge in fear is our gravest error."

The Critics Arrive

Jessica Tam, the artist in the studio next to me at the Box sent this: Right after you left for Chicago —I left Galesburg and I'm back at work n my Chicago studio— several people from The Kensington, a retirement home across the street from the Box, to a field trip to see the piece.They stayed for 15-20 minutes to find all of their friends. I kept hearing "Where's Danielle? Do you see her? Where is she?" and "Oh, do you know so-and-so? That's his son!"

It was really funny eavesdropping to hear how they were experience the piece.

Me: I assumed that people would look for their portraits but it had not occurred to me that the Kensington women would obviously be looking for children and friends. What a nice moment.

JT: Yes, they were here for a long time discussing all the members in the community that they recognized. Turns out it's quite a lot!

Thanks for the photos

Photo submissions for the Galesburg Portrait Project are now closed.

I wanted to take a moment to thank all the people I talked to, including those who decided not to submit photos. Getting to know Galesburg over to last several months has been really interesting. I feel like I'm on a first name basis with half the town.

I especially wanted to thank those who submitted pictures. I have just under 340 pictures for about 300 panels. I have no hard and fast rules about sorting the through the final edits but here's a bit of what I think about.

The editing process

Sometimes edits were made for technical reasons; some images submitted are so small that they would have become unrecognizable at painting size.  This is particularly true for images that from Facebook; Facebook processes images as you upload them so that they are small and efficient for the screen. Screens need a quarter of the data that print needs. Further, I typically needed to enlarge images to get head shots at the right size. There's more... but I can tell that you are going to sleep already. 

In other instances it appeared to me that I had thorough representation from the particular community. For example, if you were a Knox student and submitted in September, there's a very high likelihood that your photo got included because I needed mages to get started. Later submissions from Knox, as I began to have to get more images for the project as a whole, got more scrutiny. I didn't want Knox students over represented.

Kinds of submissions affected what Iincluded as well. And I confess that as a 60 something college professor myself, my prejudices came into play. If a college student sent a photo vamping in their Halloween costume. Ixnay! Parents will think that it's fun, that's enough. (My 20 something was the spitting image of Bob the Baker; I can't imagine that any one else was interested. I should edit this sentence out.) 

To the best of my ability, in consultation with people who are rooted in the community, I've tried to get members of various Galesburg communities in numbers that are high enough numbers so that even if you don't see yourself, you will see yourself in your part of this community represented by this project.

Mirrors

Finally, I am including a handful of mirrored panels so that current residents of Galesburg will see themselves in the middle of their neighbors —It also enables the girls to get a quick check of their makeup— Future generations will be able to see themselves in the context of their town's history. My last portrait project was for a church in Chicago. It also included mirrors. People tell me that new members take selfies in those mirrors as a way of identifying with the community. That's what I hope for here, too, especially if I had to edit out your submission. 

The entire piece will be completed early in 2016. I'll send an email blast and inform the papers regarding the opening and my talk about the project sometime in February. In the meantime you wlll be able to see the first 200+ panels in the lobby of the Box on Kellogg at Simmons. 

Plans

I'm heading back to Chicago with the unfinished panels. There will be more news in further posts as I continue work.  Eventually there will be some kind of online presence for the project that includes individual images, email conversations that accompanied the images and a way for you to contribute more information and share with your friends and neighbors. 

The last pictures

Getting images from 20-30 something African American males has been ...difficult. Men, young or old, don't take selfies. If they do, they tend to be suspicious of random strangers who ask for their pictures. Not to mention that I'm the wrong color, wrong age, wrong gender for that connection to be fluid. 

I took the train back to Chicago for Monday night before Thanksgiving. As luck would have it there were two young African American men in the waiting area at the station. I was going to the talk to them before we boarded but I lost my nerve. Fortunately, they sat down behind me and freestyled half way to Chicago. It was impressive. I couldn't tell if the intensity of the lyrical content was from personal experience —I hoped it was not— youthful bravado or simply maintaining the conventions of rap. In line behind them as we exited the train, I asked —one of them had mentioned that he had played basketball to a young woman looking for his attention— if they knew Brandon Kelly, the hoopster in painting I had just completed. I said that I assumed that they didn't know about the Galesburg Portrait Portrait project. One of them countered that his uncle from the bank had been talking about it that week. Apparently the freestyle was mostly the last two categories.  

This project has repeatedly dented my presuppositions. We all bring a welter of assumptions with us. The people whose first impressions of me asking for photos were uneasy on one hand and on the other, there were my projections onto the people I've met. Engagement with each other constantly recalibrates what we are sure we know. 

One last thing, Gary and Greg's pictures on the platform at Union Station that night are the final photos of the project. Thanks, Galesburg. 

•••

There's a hangover from constantly soliciting photos. In Chicago, while I was getting groceries for our family's Thanksgiving dinner, I had to stop myself from asking people to send me photos. I took me a couple of days to get out of image acquisition mode.

I hope you are all still feasting on leftovers as I am. I'll send you my late mother's exquisitely refreshing cranberry salad recipe if you email me. I assume you know the address by now.   

An Email Conversation on Galesburg and Persistence

After serious persistence: Jason and Erin

Sept 18. 2015 from Jason

Mr. Bakker.
Here is a picture for your project. Hopefully you don't want just individual photos. [The initial portrait included all four family members.]

I feel that Galesburg is an undervalued treasure, locally and nationally. I fear I'd need an essay to convey my feelings, but let me try to put it like this:

Many of our town's residents do nothing but complain about being here. I was the same way growing up. Then I joined the Navy, got out and did a little more traveling. I've seen many places and people, everywhere and every one of them had "problems" that were, somehow, relatable to life in the 'burg. Recently, as I was doing a show for Caged Aggression MMA at the 75th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, I was approached by a gentlemen because he heard where I was from. He told me how much he loves Galesburg and stays here 3-5 times a year. This man is a multi-millionaire that LOVES Galesburg, but so many people that live here take it for granted. A man that's seen and experienced the "finer things" in life and he LOVES Galesburg‼

My point is that I love Galesburg too. It's small enough to offer that "hometown" feeling, big enough to keep life comfortable and centrally located between Peoria, the QCA, Chicago and St. Louis. So much beauty and wonder right in front of us, taken for granted and much more that's hidden.

I feel that a project like yours would help to uncover some of what's hidden but also make some open their eyes to what's in front of them.

Plus my family is a treasure to be shared!

Thanks for allowing me to share.

John Bakker (artist): Jason, Your observations on Galesburg (a flatlander in the Navy??) were terrific. You caught the spirit of this project exactly. Can I quote you in my blog? 

Second. I'll split the picture into two pieces, time doesn't permit me to put three people on a panel. Individual shots are even better if you'd prefer to resubmit. It's up to you.

John: Gmail cut of the little guy at the bottom. Send me a few more shots, larger images framed on faces are best are best but I can work with what you send me. 

Sept 21. 2015

Jason: How's this: I'll go home tonight, take an individual photo of everyone, hopefully without them knowing and send them to you tomorrow. Does that work? Ironically, I was a photography for the Navy! Of course you can quote me. I won't say or write anything I don't want to be held responsible for.

Jason: Uh-oh. Nothing was attached. I made my original choice because it was my daughter's baptism.

John: Thanks, Jason, that's great. I've attached a couple of examples so you know the way I typically crop images. 

The project is really a collaboration between me and the people of Galesburg. Your images and reflections on life here are a significant part of the project.

 

Sept 24. 2015
John: Jason, Don't forget to send me a couple of pictures.

Jason: I won't. My son's had a fever. Believe me, I won't forget. I've committed!

John: Sorry. Hope he feels better soon. 

Jason: Would this one of the kids work alright?

John: That's great. Send me a picture of you and your wife, too.

October 5. 2015

John: Jason, I hope your son is feeling better. I'm still waiting for that picture. 

Jason: Just went back to school today. I'm sorry for the delay. I will pin my wife down tonight and we'll get it and send it off tomorrow. Cheers and thanks for the patience! Do you have many subjects yet?

John: Oh my. He was sick! That strains everyone's routine. Glad you are back to normal. No worries about the delay.

Jason: Yes. They ended up putting him on an expectorant, antibiotic and breathing treatments every 4 hours. To make matters worse, he vomited after his first dose of antibiotic. This made it next to impossible for future doses! Then we had to make sure to keep our youngest away from him.

John: Yikes. Makes for really tired parents. 

Jason: Hey John. We got some pictures last night but I forgot the camera. I'll run home at lunch, grab it and get that taken care of.

October 9. 2015

John: Thanks Jason, Love your persistence. 

October 12. 2015

Jason: Well here it is. After spending my entire anniversary weekend with a fever, I've got it for you. I picked this one because, chip off the block, my son bombed us in the background and it was perfectly placed.

Milestones

Here is a preview of the project. Thanks to Carla (fifth portrait up on the left, next to her mom) and to Jay Bullis for inviting me to preview the project in the lobby of their terrific new space for the opening of Our Town. Serendipity! It's runs Nov 14 and 15.

If I didn't have to keep painting I'd  be telling stories about half the people in these portraits. 

Progress report:
While I'm right at 300 photos which would allow me to stop submissions, I'd looking for greater demographic balance, that is, I would like more photos of individuals from the African-American, Latino, VFW and farming communities. I got a great image of a guy in a pick up with the corn drying in the field behind him. Thanks for the help, Zeph.  

Harass your friends and family to send a few more photos. 

Shady Hill

The search for photos of Galesburg men continues. I've decided that I need to just stop them on the street and ask to take their picture. You could say that both sides of that interaction are usually uncomfortable. I'll skip the crash and burn episodes.

I stopped at KFC for lunch last week. Most of the patrons were men. So I went back last Monday. I just didn't have energy to interrupt people's lunches until the guy who had been sitting in the corner came back in and asked the girl behind the counter to open the trash. Apparently he had dumped the keys to his Harley. 

I hustled out to the parking lot and introduced myself. It turns out that Bob tends bar at Shady Hill where the Maytag guys still go. I showed up at Shady Hill last night with his still wet portrait and a stack of Galesburg Portrait Project business cards.  

Little Help[ers]

The leprechauns showed up Monday night. Tuesday morning on the completed but still wet portrait of Ross Price and his wife, I noticed strange spots in the blue background and on her hair. Leaks? Dust? 

Three days later there was a line of spatter behind the paint across the back of my palette. Exuberant cleaning? On further inspection, it was a trail. The trail led across the entire 72 inches of palette, up onto the next table, little spots of paint on the side and then all over the top of my favorite travel mug (eeew!) which stood next to an open bag of peanuts, my preferred nervous energy snack. (eeek! Ditch the peanuts.)

The leprechaun trail continued on to a veritable party all over a very fresh painting of a lawyer (not pictured); with Modernist critic Clement Greenberg their little footprints reasserted the picture plane. Leprechaun critics? Who knew they had an aesthetic, a taste for lawyers and fresh paint.

I spent the first hour of my day repainting and grousing about it. Happy Halloween.

Progress report
142 paintings (173 people)
259 photos: 
Still needed: men ages 25-35, African American and Latino men and women, previous employees from Maytag

Image Power

Asking people you that don't know for photos often annoys them or gets their defenses up. It's understandable. I have to do some explaining about why sending a picture to the Galesburg Portrait Project is a good thing. 

From the beginning of this project it became apparent that internalized cultural norms play a significant part in whether people participate. Some people find away to communicate that they aren't comfortable enough with the way they look to send a picture.  It's changed the way I talk about the project:

Our culture is awash in images designed to make us feel inadequate. These images assert that you would be a lot happier if you drove the right car, wore different clothes, lost a little weight with this miracle product for just $19.95 plus shipping and handling. 

The Galesburg Portrait Project asserts that you are worthwhile exactly as you are. In fact, you are so worthwhile that your throwaway selfie from among the thousands of images on your phone will get hours of focused attention, get reproduced by hand in a manner that will last for centuries, because you matter without reference to the power structures in this culture. 

Move over, Louie. Move over, Entrainment Tonight. The people of Galesburg are joining the history of portraiture. 

The Galesburg Portrait Project 2015-16. (310 panels handcrafted, sanded, varnished and primed prior to painting),  6'x24'

Progress Report:
118 women
88 men

If this is going to look like Galesburg, I need more men. Veterans. Former Maytag employees. African American and Latino men. 20-30 something construction workers. Tell them to go have a beer and me a picture.

A little help

Everyone living in Galesburg should be able to see themselves in this project, either because their own portrait is included, or, because they see people with whom they identify in sufficient numbers for them to say, “That’s us.” Railroad people. Teachers. Roofers. Policemen. College students. Moms, dads and kids. Retirees. Et cetera. That’s a significant part of the goal.

In order to reach that goal, I need some help.

I have not yet connected with former Maytag workers or veterans. A friend of mine tells me that to really represent either of these groups there should be someone on a Harley —the only sound that seems as prevalent as train whistles in Galesburg. If you have a family member, friend or neighbor who fits that description please encourage them to send me a photo (galesburgportraits@gmail.com, or, drop off a photo at the Box, on Kellogg at Simmons).

I’m also a little short on 30 somethings and men. Surprise! Most of the people who contribute images are women. Without their inclusion of husbands and boyfriends, Galesburg might have been misidentified as the source of the legend of the Amazons.  

Some people who have been very supportive of the project have sent images of friends—and I really appreciate their support— but, in order for me to have permission to use images, pictures need come from the person in the picture. Further, because my aim is to represent all of Galesburg I will need more pictures than I can actually use so that I can achieve a representative balance.  

Progress report. 

106 of 290 paintings completed.

219 of 320 photos needed

The Morrises, Lost and Found

Two weeks ago my friend Mark and I were waiting patiently —as is our practice, just ask wives— for Jenn and Jeanine who were shopping at FarmKing. After 90 minutes —just kidding, it couldn’t have been more than 25 — I decided to check my email:

Hello John Bakker – Saw the post on Facebook about your portraits of Galesburg project.  I am submitting a picture of my wife, Sally, and me that was taken as we boarded a ship in Seattle to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2013.  We currently live in Jonesboro, AR, however, our roots are deeply planted in Knox County.  We were both born at the former St. Mary’s Hospital, I on 4/17/41 and she on 10/19/41.  We initially met at the Knoxville Grade School when I arrived as a transfer student from Bettendorf, Ia. and was seated in front of her in Mr. Long’s sixth grade class.  The rest is history encompassing marriage, two children, corporate relocations through the mid-west and and return to Galesburg in 1995 to spend the next 15 years looking after parents, aunts, uncles and reconnecting with old friends and classmates.  During those years Sally, a private piano teacher, taught scores of students who still enrich our lives with news of their lives.  We left Galesburg in 2010 for the mid-south to be near family, BUT many of our memories and, hopefully, memories of us are still there.  We will be returning sometime in the future to rest with the generations of Terrys, Kirkendalls, Morrises and Lantzs who have gone before us.  Until then, Life is Good!

John and Sally Morris

I was so moved by the story of how the Morrises are tethered to Galesburg's past and future that I wanted to read it to my friends immediately. In the process of pulling up the email my finger must have touched some button and it vanished. "Devastated" is a little strong for how I felt about losing the picture and the story but it illustrates something essential about how people feel about this place.

I searched repeatedly in the junk, trash, drafts folders, everywhere I could think of. No luck. It was gone. I couldn't remember their name, only that they had seen something about the project on Facebook, retired to Arkansas and planned to return to Galesburg forever.

This morning I searched another place. For a split second I saw “John and Sally Morris” and then it disappeared again. But I had the name, a search function and eventually permission to share their story. Thanks, John and Sally

That's my Aunt!

I was talking to Ricardo, standing behind a stack of paintings at an event called October Bash at Sandburg Community College. It’s an activity fair for clubs, et al., to recruit. Free lunch. Prizes. You get the idea.

Galesburg has two colleges, Knox, the host for this project and Sandburg Community College. Sandburg has been a valuable community resource especially after Maytag moved its factory and 1600 jobs to Mexico in 2004. Sandburg played a significant role in retraining workers. Consequently, the school attracts a representative cross-section of people from Galesburg which is why I was there asking for the next batch of photos.

I was explaining the project to a student, Ricardo, when he interrupted me, pointing excitedly to one of the paintings I had taken with me so that people could see what the completed project will look like.  He exclaimed, “That’s my aunt! That’s my aunt! That’s my neice!” He pulled out his phone shot a picture of the painting.

It was a nice moment.

Ricardo, Dude! Send me your picture? I still need photos.

Progress report:
100 paintings done. 190 to go. 
203 photos collected. 87 to go. 

At the Acapulco Cafe

At the end of my drive from Chicago three weeks ago, before I unloaded hundreds of boxes or settled into my new digs, I had stopped at Walmart to pick up a couple of things. As I walked through the store I thought, "Geez, I could be painting portraits of everyone in this store." Every stranger was potentially hours of work. It was overwhelming.

Last night I took a break for dinner at the Acapulco Cafe with my host, Knox' Art Department Chair, Mark Holmes. Knocking out six paintings plus the transfer process has been taking 14 hours a day this week. So I needed a break.

The Acapulco is owned by a Knox graduate, who had sent me pictures a few weeks ago. When I got up to pay my bill, I looked at the woman behind the counter and said, "I painted your picture yesterday." She looked at me quizzically, "It must have been my sister [the cafe owner]."

I pulled out my phone and showed her a picture of the painting. She said, "That's me!"

I'm far enough along that I've started to run into people whose portrait I've painted. What fun!

The "Participatory" in Participatory Art

The Galesburg Portrait Project can't exist without the people of Galesburgundians sending in photos; I keep getting introduced to people. The lunch time center of Galesburg is Q Cafe. I met the owners, Walt and Annette. While waiting for an outstanding sandwich —shredded carrots, smokin' hot Korean spice and meatloaf, not what I expected in Galesburg— they introduced me to a local pastor, Pam Marolla and her husband, Vince, a chaplain at the local hospice. He offered to help me connect to retirement homes and perhaps Pam can connect me to the ministerial association. (That would be spreading the word.)

Two radio stations interviewed me yesterday. That's good for getting the word out but uncomfortable. I was in "I-wish-I-would-have-said-it-this-way" mode most of the afternoon. For example, News reporter, TJ Carson: Describe your process. ....hummada, hummada, hummada.... I don't know what I mumbled but it was hardly coherent. What I figured out since: " my working process combines digital photo transfer techniques typically used in printmaking combined with traditional oil paint and drawing. It results in a recognizable image that maintains a connection to the photos people submit." In the future, I'll have someone dummy interview me the real thing happens. 

I was introduced to the Knox students Wednesday night. I now have work study help to log and process images. So today I spent a couple of hours creating a tutorial for logging and processing images. I ran into a railroad guy —Galesburg is a huge hub for the railroads. They are among the largest employers in town— at the local coffee shop. 

Next week it's off to the City Council meeting. I also have to connect to African American pastors and the Hispanic communities. They make up a fifth of Galesburg and I've not gotten many pictures. 

At the end of my first week I have 80 pictures 6 completed paintings and I feel like I'm on a first name basis with half the town. 

beginnings

Pushing the Elephant Upstairs

Wednesday afternoon: At the Knox College Pump Handle you make yourself a name tag. The Vice President shakes the President's hand and everyone else —students, staff, faculty, administrators, maintenance workers— everybody acknowledges everyone else. The line loops and winds around Old Main. Getting hundreds of pictures starts with asking. I shook the hand of 1500 people and got scolded for holding the line as I passed out 800 slips of paper with the email address.

Thursday morning: I distributed flyers with a tear-off fringe at grocery stores and local businesses talking to customers and managers about sending photos. Kevin at Baked, a local pizza joint, immediately pulled the project website up on the service counter iPad. Mike at a local coffee shop agreed to distribute Galesburg Portrait Project coupons with coffee receipts.
     At Walmart, there's no community bulletin board; company policy prevents putting flyers in the break room. I asked to see their community relations person. They looked perplexed and gave me the managers number.
     At 11 am at Knox's convocation, I was making small talk with a new freshman from Kansas, the woman in front of us was eavesdropping. Joining the conversation, Natalie said that she belonged to the service club and they planned to connect with the portrait project.  

Thursday mid-afternoon: I had talked to 1600 people. It's hard to imagine a faster way to get to know a community. Beside the Knox people I had talked to store owners, students, faculty, workers; it's a little uncomfortable but it's really fun. 
    I had zero photos. It's also pretty frustrating. Some people were interested, others suspicious —When was the last time some stranger approached you to paint your portrait? You get the picture.
    At 3:30 the Iron Spike, an upscale microbrewery, was empty. I talked to the manager bemoaning the lack of response. Matt pulled out his phone, pulled up a picture of his little boys and emailed it to me on the spot. Number one! The wine manager at a local liquor store pulled his picture off a bottle and handed it to me. It felt like a turning point.
    At 4:30, Natalie called and invited me to the bi weekly dinner at Central Congregational Church. Knox faculty member and city councilman, Peter Schwartzman, personally introduced me and the project to 20 people. They sent emails. Some guests didn't have access to email so I took pictures and let them pick what to use in the project, By Saturday night, I had 60 images. It's a start. 

1/310

At the top left are the beginning stages of two pieces. They demonstrate two processes I'll be using. Underneath them are two studies from early in the summer exploring color schemes based on the exuberant palette Harlem Renaissance artist William Johnson. Lower right is number 1 of 310.  That honor goes to Graham Holmes, an old family friend, because I swiped a selfie off his Facebook. 

Off to Galesburg

I was delivering a piece for an exhibition in Grand Rapids, MI when Peter Bailley, associate director of media relations at Knox, interrupted my lunch. He had a few questions about publicity. Further, he had seen the previous post with all the boxes in something like their final configuration. 

He said, "Do you have a semi to move these things?" 

"Not quite," I replied, "Just the Silver Bullet, an aging Dodge Caravan with mileage measured in moon units." Special thanks are due to the Trinity students who schlepped the boxes out to the van and, especially Andrew Holmes, the former UPS guy for a great job packing. 

To all you Knox students, I'm unloading Tuesday, September 8. Meet me at the Box if you want to help. Otherwise, I'll see you at "Pump Handle Day" and shake your hand. 

Test Drive

If you've followed this blog from the beginning, you've seen all the pieces and stacks of boxes. Here's what the project will look like...except it's missing your picture and everyone else's, too. 

All the panels: imagine your pictures on one or two of them.  

Like this.  

Opening Shots

The request for images went public in Galesburg this week. The pictures from the people (all four of the respondents) were beyond wonderful. I had forgotten how much fun this stage of the project is. In another picture, two under five-year-old siblings  embrace each other so tightly you could hardly distinguish them from each other. (My kids are 27 and 25. I'm deeply susceptible to this sort of nostalgia.) Of course, I need many more images. Email your pictures to: galesburgportraits@gmail.com . 

310 panels: One more coat of gesso and they are ready for Galesburg. 

Today, Saturday, August 22, the guys I have breakfast with every Saturday morning offered to help drive the panels out because they are worried that the Silver Bullet (my Dodge Van with a moon unit's worth of miles on it) won't last all the way to Galesburg with 1500 pounds of plywood in it. 

If you live in Galesburg please send me your pics at  galesburgportraits@gmail.com.

Attention matters

Twenty five years ago, after my widowed mother-in-law remarried, both families got everyone together for Thanksgiving. After dinner I organized some drawing activities with the kids. As they were working I did a simple line drawing of my new father-in law's 20 something son. I ran into him a month ago at a wake. I hadn't seen him for over 20 years. The first thing out of his mouth was, "Do you remember that drawing? I still have it. I treasure that thing!" Attention matters.