AFP Exhibit from American Festivals Project on Vimeo.

Last weekend we were able to celebrate the end of our project by hosting an exhibit and party in our hometown of Charlottesville, VA.  Our friends over at The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative opened up their gallery and created the place to be on First Fridays.  It was a real joy to finally see our photos in print and have our closest friends and family there.  Brother Sean made an incredible mix of Cajun and Zydeco music, while we made an open call for people to bring food and turn the evening into a potluck.  What a turnout we had!  From 6:30-10:30 the place was packed!  Many people told us later they couldn’t even see the photographs because of the dense crowd.

The AFP attended festivals and events and parties for over a year, and there was no better way to end the project by having our own “festival” in Charlottesville.  Thanks to our many friends who helped set up the exhibit the week before:  Sean, Julie, Buster, Johnny, Maria, Mandy, Kevin, and Ashley.  Ya’ll are the best.

Quickly, and almost imperceptibly to most of the town of Charlottesville, it came and went.  There were a few flyers here and there and it was announced on the Paramount marquee, but on each it said USPDF.  And what common pedestrian is expected to know what USPDF stands for?  Would you have guessed US Pole Dancing Federation?

I don’t even remember how I heard about it. But I wasn’t planning on being in Charlottesville on October 4th. The plan was to be on a boat relaxing. This wasn’t something the AFP could pass up though, especially since it was in our hometown theater. Ross was leaving for Israel the next day, so, alas, I would have to go this one alone. As you can imagine there was some resistance to a young male photographer asking for behind the scenes access to a pole dancing competition. I called ahead and explained the concept of the AFP to the governing body and event host the USPDF, and thankfully was able to convince them of my purely photographic intentions. I was working on a hunch that this could be a great event for the AFP and I think I was right. With my audio recorder, I interviewed the competitors and tried to capture some of the sounds backstage to pair with the images.

US Pole Dancing East Coast Regionals from American Festivals Project on Vimeo.

I don’t think the blog post here needs to be extensive on the analysis. The women speaking in the video do a pretty excellent job of sharing the way they see it. But it’s a fine line between women who perform on the pole as strippers and the women who perform as artists and competitors. To the casual observer, the difference is negligible. It’s erotic, it’s high heels and tiny outfits, it’s women climbing on a pole. But when you actually watch one of these events, you can begin to tell that these women are pursuing something far beyond the agenda of the late night club girls. Yes, it’s sexy but all the underpinnings of Sport are there…extensive training, athleticism, team bonding, competition… As I see it though, there are 2 major flaws in pole dancing that will challenge it’s ability to be accepted as a legit sport. The first is that it’s in the dark.   Keep the house lights on and nobody’s going to get the same sexy vibe as when it’s dark. It’ll look more like a gymnastics routine. The second flaw is the argument that pole dancing should be accepted and embraced for its ability to empower women to feel confident and sexy.  Which then begs the question, should women’s feeling of self-confidence and self-empowerment be rooted in the pursuit of feeling sexy? Does wanting to feel sexy, or wanting to be sexy, subordinate women and reinforce an overarching patriarchal culture where the male gaze calls the shots? If the art of the striptease was born out of women seducing men, does pole dancing, even in its most athletic form, sever those ancient ties? Judging from the event I saw in October and my interviews with the competitors, I would say not quite. Seduction was a pervasive element in the choreography of each performance. And that’s probably exactly the point.  Pole Dancing isn’t pure sport.  It isn’t field hockey, or swimming, or gymnastics.  And women do want to feel sexy and attractive, just as men want to feel the same way.  That’s not because of Cosmo or Maxim magazine, it’s because we’re hard-wired to think about sex; we’re pre-built with an overwhelming evolutionary agenda to seek out those who can help us make more copies of ourselves. So take it for what you will.  But no matter your position, you can’t argue the skill and strength involved.  It’s simply astounding.

LOOK3 slide show from American Festivals Project on Vimeo.

Few things are more beautiful than a sunny day in Charlottesville in the spring time.  The temperature is just warm enough for you to feel the heat but the notorious summer humidity is still a few months away.  The dogwoods are in their majestic pink and white blooms.  The daffodils couldn’t be a more perfect yellow.  And the folks living here gleefully shake off the long winter season with whatever outdoor activity they can find.  There’s a gaiety to the air that’s infectious.  And down off Garth Road on the last Saturday every April there’s a type of gaiety and cheer that can only come from 12oz cans and horse racing.   The Fox Field Races are a C-ville tradition where the county’s blue-bloods picnic lavishly on the outer rim while UVA students drink themselves into a hilarious (if not dangerous) stupor.  On the outfield it’s a white-collar picnic; on the infield it’s the most savage frat party you’ve ever seen in a field.  Never mind the sundresses, bow ties, seersucker jackets and enough JCrew to barely stomach…I think they mean to be ironic.  (Or am I giving them too much credit?)

Is Fox Field an event worthy of the AFP name?  Some might argue that it’s not totally in line with our mission.  We’re not sure it had the kind of cultural relevance of some of our other events.  But it was in our backyard, and if there’s one thing Fox Field had in common with plenty of our other events…it’s beer.  So we grabbed our preppiest shirts, our cameras, a few cases for ourselves just to fit in, oh, and some of our best buds and joined the massive crowd.

L to R: Maria, Ross, Mandy, Sarah, Jenna, Jonny, Andrew

The biggest obstacle to Fox Field (besides the hefty ticket price) is getting there.  With one road, two entrances, thousands (literally) of cars, and millions of barely legal drinkers (ok, millions is exaggerating but it’s still like trying to find a parking space in a school of fish –Wahoos to be exact!) piled into a giant field, there is bound to be some congestion.

Door to door: 2hrs.  Door to door: 7.2miles

Fox Field is no Kentucky Derby, and the stakes aren’t quite as high as the grass.  This is after all a Steeplechase with a drinking problem.  But this year there were some very sad moments.  Two horses broke a leg on the final jump on two separate races and both had to be put down right there on the spot.  I missed these moments and only heard about them the next day (the photo action was not on the racetrack) but I did see a nice pink-shirted young colt get put down when he tried to run away from the cops.  Why does that seem like a feasible option when you’ve been drinking?

In the end it was a sunny beautiful day and the experience was humorous and spent with good friends.  But that might be the last Fox Field for a while.  We just didn’t quite fit in.  Still, we managed a few nice photos.  Enjoy the madness!

In this short video, be sure to notice the Makers Mark bottles, the half moon, and the “Only in America, dude!”

We are very excited and honored to announce that The American Festivals Project will be presenting a slide show at LOOK3-Festival of the Photograph on June 12th.  If you are a photography fan, and don’t know about LOOK3, check out their website and read about this amazing three day festival of Peace, Love, and Photography.  Lucky for us,  LOOk3 is located  in our very little city of Charlottesville, VA.  On a Friday evening, the AFP will be showing some of its best photographs on a big, outdoor screen in front of 2,00o people.  If you’re in the area, we hope you’ll come and enjoy a cool summer night in Charlottesville.  Festival passes can be purchased HERE for the whole 3-day shibang!

The pillowy Charlottesville Pavilion will give the AFP our biggest audience yet

Some of the greatest photographers in the world will be there as well as magazines, agencies, and…our closest friends!

In case you have not noticed the lack of photo posts, The American Festivals Project is taking a winter break.  However, there are a few things to note and look forward to for the spring and summer.

Most notably, the project will continue in February as a solo effort.  Matthew has decided to put in his resignation and return to NYC.  This is not the most welcomed news to announce, as it certainly changes the original vision of the project.  But the photography will go on, and this blog will continue to provide a wide look at America’s small, hidden, and bizarre festivals and events.  Matt, the project will miss you.

In the meantime, be on the lookout for a revamped website with more info about planned festivals and routes for the spring and summer.  The website should also provide a better way for those of you who purchased prints to browse through the project photos.  Also, there may be some changes in equipment, as the beloved Airstream is currently up for sale.  I’ve realized that speed, size, and accessibility all contribute to making traveling as easy as possible.   There may be some new people on the project too, but you’ll have to wait and see.

I’m also in preliminary talks with a producer from a National Geographic television show called ‘Wild Chronicles’.  The American Festivals Project may just find itself on T.V. in the near future, but the details are still vague.  Will keep you posted on that!

In January, look forward to photos from an Ice Fishing festival somewhere really cold!  February and March include the World Toboggan Championships, a Maine winter fest, the World Water Tasting contest, a Rattlesnake Roundup, and a small Mardi Gras festival in Louisiana!

The past few months have been a real adventure and learning process.  I’m so grateful for the many of you who have continued to visit the blog, offered comments, opened your homes for accommodation, or supported the project by purchasing a print.  Your support is very helpful in providing encouragement, feedback, and enthusiasm.  Further up and farther in!

I’d like to recap and call out some people who were an incredible help in getting on the road.

Two weeks ago Matt and I traveled down to his hometown in Albemarle, North Carolina. There, Matt’s father, Rick Burris, donated a set of tires to the Airstream and hours of work by his shop crew. Their help and knowledge was invaluable.

how many people does it take to fix an Airtream?

Rick Burris in the Burris Tire office. His father, pictured on the wall, started the business. Thanks for all your help Rick!

Here is Kevin, auto-electrician-extraordinaire. He wired up the Airstream and trailer hitch in a matter of hours. Thanks for your help and for buying a print Kevin. You know we will be calling when we break down!

The official shop crew that helped so much. From left: Steven, Kevin, Boo, Alan, and Eric. Thanks guys!

I’d also like to thank Matt’s sister and brother-in-law for taking their only day off and helping us to clean and fix the Airstream. You all are so generous! Here, Julie braves the ammonia fumes and give the trailer a scrub-down.

Dan the man working on the Airstream seals. Danny took his only day off to help us on the trailer, then spent an hour after work the next day to do some welding on the bumper.

Here’s the whole Burris crew in the shop. Matt is being sent off with a good support team behind him! Thanks Rick, Sue, Julie, and Steven.

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On Thursday afternoon we received the WVO conversion kit from Golden Fuel Systems. What should have been a 2-day installation turned into a maddening 4-day challenge to get the system installed because we were not sent adequate directions. Nonetheless, we had a genius behind us all the way, Mr. Wheeler Gum himself:

If it were not for Wheeler, and a few others, we never would have figured out the installation. Wheeler worked endlessly for almost three days to help us leave in time.

Our other savior was Mr. Dan Raudenbush (left). He swept in at the point of despair and laid out a diagram for the wiring. Thanks Dan!

Mr. Tom Hughes devoting his whole weekend to help us. Thanks Tom!

I can’t remember who took this picture of me covered in veggie oil.

The crew doing some problem solving.

Another big thank you goes out to Emily Gum and Hope Sowell. Emily shared her husband with us for three days and did some beautiful upholstery work for our couch. If you may remember from before, Hope re-plumbed the Airstream and put in more hours than what we traded for. Thanks for your knowledge and work and sharing your tools!

Lastly, I have to thank the two people who really assisted in helping during the last few months of preparation. Jeff Erkelens and Joey Conover gave me a free house to live in for a few months and let me park the Airstream on the street for its two-month slumber in Charlottesville. They let me store my personal items, use a bathroom, and borrow tools. Thanks Jeff and Joey for your generosity, flexibility, and support!