Patrice Helmar and John O’Toole join me to talk about the Marble Hill Camera Club entering its sixth year. When the pandemic hit Patrice had to figure out how to keep the much beloved photography open mic night going. In collaboration with John M. O’Toole of Oranbeg Press, they landed on shorter virtual evenings with free e-zines for every guest available to everyone. We talk about the past, present, and future of MHCC and the importance of collaboration and generosity when providing platforms for others.
 
https://www.marblehillcameraclub.com
https://oranbegpress.com
https://patricehelmar.com
https://johnmotoole.com
 

This episode is sponsored by the Charcoal Book Club, a monthly subscription service for photobook enthusiasts. Working with the most respected names in contemporary photography, Charcoal selects and delivers essential photobooks to a worldwide community of collectors. Each month, members receive a signed, first-edition monograph and an exclusive print to add to their collections.
www.charcoalbookclub.com
 

Patrice Aphrodite Helmar is an artist who was born in Juneau, Alaska. She worked in her father’s small town camera shop and darkroom growing up, and continues to work in photography. Her work has been shown at the Jewish Museum, Ortega Y Gasset Projects, Gaa Gallery, and the National Museum of Iceland as well as other spaces. Helmar is currently a Visiting Associate Professor at the Pratt Institute and living and working in Juneau, Alaska and New York, NY. 
 

John M. O’Toole was born in Boston, MA and lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. A photographer, writer, bookmaker, and founder of Oranbeg Press, his work explores the concept of familial roots through the lens of his Irish heritage. 
 
He received his BFA from Syracuse University in 2011 and received his MFA from the Image text program at Ithaca College in 2018 as the inaugural class of the program.