This week, the Bay Area Photographers Collective accepted PACC member
Chris Stevens-Yu into their membership. Getting accepted was a long and arduous process that included the preparation of two twenty-print portfolios for review by the membership committee in May. They helped Chris assemble a final portfolio to show the full membership.
Members In the News was interested in learning more and Chris generously agreed to answer our questions.
MIN: What are your personal goals for the next part of your journey as a photographer, and what role do you do you see BAPC playing to help further those goals?
Chris: My main goal is to make images that have “me” in them and I believe by putting myself in front of others with more experience I can move toward that goal. I also believe seeing others who are farther along in their journey will help me to dig deeper. Looking at the work of the members of BAPC, I see photographers who have pushed themselves to incorporate their own vision into the photographs they make and I hope to observe and be challenged to do the same. The structure of the collective is set up to provide this exchange of creative vision and critique.
Lastly, I want to see how far I can go while always keeping the excitement and love for the craft alive. This feels like a step I’d like to explore.
MIN: What motivated you to choose BAPC?
Chris: Phil Lewenthal actually told me about BAPC and put me in touch with one of their members. At the time, I was still at Gallery House and was feeling somewhat uninspired. Looking into BAPC, I saw that they served several purposes that seemed to be a better fit for me. They focus on prints only, they hold 1-2 curated exhibits per year in reputable local galleries, they provide monthly peer-review sessions, and all of the members are involved in many aspects of showing their work through the country and internationally. A great way to learn and be inspired! All of this is not to say that I don’t find many wonderful benefits from our own club and I don’t plan on moving on for a very long time!
Congratulations to Chris! For the curious, here is more information about BAPC:
The Bay Area Photographers Collective, founded in January 1999, is grounded in the belief that there is a need for an institution devoted to the development of a photographic community and its concerns. The Collective provides a home base for Bay Area photographers devoted to their art.
The Collective promotes and encourages independence, experimentation, cooperation, and creativity. It sustains a community of photographic artists through support, spiritual sustenance, encouragement, and constructive critique. It pursues the exhibition of members’ work on a professional level.
Website: https://www.bapc.photo/