The 2nd Friday Artwalk will be a little longer in August with the addition of a new photography gallery in downtown Carrboro.
The Jesse Kalisher Gallery now occupies the space at 209 E. Main St., between Scooters Inc. and Harper Arts, across the street from Cat’s Cradle.
The gallery showcases the work of photographer Jesse Kalisher, whose black-and-white, fine-art photography can be found anywhere from big-name hotels to permanent collections in museums including the deYoung Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, the Oakland Museum of California and Ackland Art Museum, to name a few.
Kalisher was introduced to the art of photography at a young age, working closely with his father, the celebrated photographer Simpson Kalisher. However, when it came time for Jesse to choose a college and a career path, he parted ways with his camera.
“It was like we were friends that went our separate ways,†said Kalisher, who went on to have a decade-long career in advertising, but realized in 1995 that it was time for him to do something else, although he had no idea what that was.
“I had a backpack and a point-and-shoot camera that I bought for 100 bucks, and I started traveling,†said Kalisher, who chose Vietnam as his first destination.
“I really had no intention of being a photographer or doing anything other than taking some snapshots to record my vacation,†Kalisher said, “but when I started taking pictures the camera and I rediscovered each other, and it was a very enjoyable reunion.â€
Kalisher returned to San Francisco after spending two months in Southeast Asia with a reinvigorated passion and began a series of photography projects, including a series of black-and-white landscape images from around San Francisco and a project called “Indivisible,†a collection of portraits of Americans combined with text from interviews about race relations in America.
When Kalisher’s wife became pregnant, they began looking for a place to open a gallery.
“We just opened up a map of the United States and said, ‘Where do we want to live?’†Kalisher recalled, “and we discovered the two towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill.â€
In late 2003, Kalisher moved with his family to Chapel Hill, close to the Carrboro border, and has since developed a great affection for both places, but especially for the more community-oriented Carrboro, which was an impetus for choosing the location to open a gallery.
“The sense of the arts and the sense of community in Carrboro, for us, is wonderful,†Kalisher said, “and we feel very, very lucky to have found this location in the middle of town, right across from The ArtsCenter, and hopefully we will be able to become part of the thriving arts community.â€
The Jesse Kalisher Gallery will open its doors for the first time Friday, August 8 from 6 to 8 p.m., just in time for the month’s 2nd Friday ArtWalk. Jesse Kalisher, his wife, Helen, and the entire gallery staff will be hosting the event and Open Eye Café will provide refreshments. The first exhibit is entitled “Art Watching†and features photographs exploring the interaction between art and people.