Local concert photographers Nick King, David Simchock, and Frank Zipperer present their work in the group show, Front Row Focus. The exhibit is on display at Green Sage Café in the Westgate Shopping Center through April 15. A reception takes place on Sunday, Feb. 8, 4-6 p.m.
Press release from David Simchock:
The Green Sage Café at the Westgate Shopping Center in West Asheville is host to a new photography exhibition, this time focusing on the local music scene. Participating in the event are three of the area’s finest concert photographers, Nick King, David Simchock, and Frank Zipperer. The show is titled Front Row Focus, which also happens to be the name of Simchock’s popular on-line music magazine. The art will hang at the café for three months, from Janaury 15 to April 15, 2015. A reception will be held on Sunday, February 8th from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. Refreshments and snacks will be served, and the event is open to the public.
The idea of doing a “music” show originated between Paul Rollins (who curates art exhibitions for all three of the Green Sage Café locations) and photographer, David Simchock (who participated in the Zoom In street photography show at the Westgate location in 2014). Simchock, who is an active concert and festival shooter around the Asheville region envisioned a diverse display of music genres to complement the types of music that he typically covers (folk, bluegrass, rock, etc.). He immediately thought of his peers Nick King, who leans toward the heavier sounds, and Frank Zipperer, who is the go-to photographer for the region’s jazz community. Together, with the help of Rollins, the three artists have produced quite a dynamic exhibition, featuring nearly 40 fine art color and black-and-white music images, most of which were captured at concerts and festivals in the Asheville / WNC area.
This is a truly unique exhibition and a departure from the popular nature and street photography that is often found in cafes and galleries, and it is sure to get a lot of attention from both the music and photography community. All artwork is available for purchase through the café or via the artists. The Green Sage Café Westgate hours of operation are Monday through Sunday, 8:00am to 7:00pm.
About Nick King: Nick is an Asheville-based photographer who frequently covers the city’s vibrant music scene. An avid music fan, concert photography allows him to combine his two passions of music and photography into one. He has shot everything from large music festivals to promo shots for local bands, and is available upon assignment. When he’s not shooting music, he also does architectural, news, and wedding photography. His images have been featured in local publications such as The Laurel, Mountain Xpress, and The Asheville Citizen-Times. You can view more of Nick’s work at www.theloudestcamera.com and www.nkingphotography.com.
About David J. Simchock: A native of New Jersey, David has lived and traveled overseas for many years and, since returning to the States in 2002, quickly established himself as a reputable freelance photographer and artist. His images have been published in major publications around the world, and he has exhibited his work in numerous galleries and venues from New York City to Asheville. David’s efforts have been awarded many prestigious accolades, while his life story and career have been covered in several publications and TV features. David is a staff photographer for the semi-annual LEAF Festival, and he is also the founder and publisher of a new on-line music magazine, Front Row Focus. His music imagery is used by several bands and artists for their websites and publicity materials, and has been used in print in several music and cultural magazines. David is also an educator, speaker, writer and aspiring picker and grinner (i.e., a banjo player). His creative activities fall under the umbrella of Dijon Creative Solutions.
About Frank Zipperer: Frank grew up with a camera and a love of music so his passions for music and photography have developed side-by-side over the years. Frank became a fan of jazz in his teens and, although he loves most music types, his love for jazz persists today. Upon his introduction to the growing Asheville jazz scene, shortly after moving to Asheville over four years ago, he began shooting live music events and has continued doing so ever since. Frank’s website for music photography is www.ishootlivemusic.com.
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