Landscapes from JR Harke Photography Featured at Village Plaza Gallery Show

The October 2009 show at the Fairfax Art League's Village Plaza Gallery in Fairfax, Virginia includes landscapes presented by Jerry Harke, an internationally acclaimed photographer from Northern Virginia.

"This month's theme at the gallery focuses on landscapes. I travel extensively and have shot landscapes around the world. My work shown this month at the Village Plaza Gallery comes from three distinctively different places. One piece was shot a year ago along the Amalfi Coast in Italy. My wife and I stopped at a beautiful resort along the Amalfi Coast to relax and enjoy the scenery. Perched high above the sea below, my view was framed by trees and foliage and in the center was the skyline drive that has made the Amalfi Coast famous, Harke said."

Harke's work knows no limits when it comes to landscapes. "Another of my favorite landscapes is one I call South Dakota Ranch. So often, while traveling in the western part of our nation, one sees beautiful settings right beside the highway. And that was the case when I traveled in South Dakota over two years ago. The most idyllic setting I could imagine suddenly appeared and I captured it in this image."

Coming closer to home in the metropolitain Washington, D.C. area, Harke recently spent a week writing one of his fiction novels at a resort in Virginia. Enroute to the resort, he saw the old Chapman's Mill that was burned over 10 years ago along Interstate Highway 66 west of Washington, D.C. He named the third piece, "Chapman's Mill."

Harke says, "I especially enjoy showing my art at the Village Plaza Gallery in Fairfax, Virginia. The league is comprised of a wonderful group of artists who have extended a warm welcome and the patrons who visit the gallery have been very complimentary."

Located in the heart of old-town Fairfax with a host of exciting new stores and top-notch eateries surrounding it, the Village Plaza Gallery is found in an area that is a perfect place to shop, eat and enjoy art.

For more information about Harke's work or to inquire about portraiture and other types of photo sessions, send email to jerry@jrharkephotography.com or call 703.981.4206. Also, visit http://www.jerryharke.com/ for information on Harke's published art books as well as novels.

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18 U.S.C. Section 2257 compliance notice. All models and other persons who appear in this blog were over the age of eighteen (18)years at the time of the creation of the images. Records pertaining to the photographic works of Jerry R. Harke required pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 2257 and CFR 75 are kept by the custodian of records at Marigot Publishing House, Attn: Jerry R. Harke, 6805 Sprucedale Court, Annandale, Virginia 22003

New Art From JR Harke Photography Opening October 2 at Del Ray Artisans Gallery

JR Harke Photography is showing three new pieces of art in the October show at the Del Ray Artisans Gallery located at 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA. The theme of the October show is "Arts Build Communities" and the opening reception is scheduled October 2.

"One of the pieces of art I have in this show is my favorite image of the blooming of the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. It features the Jefferson Memorial in the background with a perfect canopy of cherry blossoms around the focal point of the photograph," Harke said. "Another piece on exhibit this month is a beautiful shot of Mount Rushmore. I think that both the cherry blossom photo and the Mount Rushmore photo are strong indicators of how art builds communities. Both of those images have a significant history that spans across both patriotism and a sense of coming together in a community of Americans."

The third photograph being exhibited by JR Harke Photography is somewhat different. It shows a very long set of stairs that are found at one end of Georgetown in Washington, D.C. Harke explained, "Art can build communities in many ways. That set of stairs is quite famous having made it's entrance on the worldwide stage in the movie titled The Exorcist. Most people who see the image immediately identify the movie and location, both of which help build and extend a vast community of artists and moviegoers." All of the images are 16" x 20" matted and framed photographs.

An opening reception will be held at the Del Ray Artisans Nicholas A. Collasanto Center from 7-9:30 pm on Friday, October 2. Jerry Harke, along with other artists whose works on exhibit during the October show will be present to meet the public and discuss their art.

The gallery is open on Thursdays from 12 noon until 4 p.m. with the first Thursday of the month open until 9 p.m. On Fridays, the gallery is open 12 noon until 9 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Sundays 12 noon until 6 p.m. Admission is free. Handicapped access provided. Special thanks to the Alexandria Commission for the Arts, the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Alexandria for their support.

Jerry Harke is a frequent exhibitor in other galleries including Gallery Provocateur in Chicago, MOCA DC Art Gallery in Georgetown and the Village Plaza Art Gallery in Fairfax City. Other images from the Sappho Collection are on permanent display at Cafe Tatti in McLean, Virginia.

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18 U.S.C. Section 2257 compliance notice. All models and other persons who appear in this blog were over the age of eighteen (18)years at the time of the creation of the images. Records pertaining to the photographic works of Jerry R. Harke required pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 2257 and CFR 75 are kept by the custodian of records at Marigot Publishing House, Attn: Jerry R. Harke, 6805 Sprucedale Court, Annandale, Virginia 22003

"TALIBAN GIRL" Comes to MOCA DC in October 2009

JR Harke Photography, Inc. will be showing art from the studio’s Itallia Collection at MOCA DC Art Gallery in Georgetown starting October 2 and ending October 31, 2009.

The theme of the show is “Potpourri: Middle East & Middle America.” Commenting on his work in the October show, Jerry Harke, owner of JR Harke Photography, Inc. and Marigot Publishing House, Inc., said, “This piece of art is called TALIBAN GIRL. The photo was shot in Italy and features an Italian model known as Sony.”

Asked about the name given to the image, Harke said, “I was shooting with Sony in a beautiful green wheat field on rolling hills east of Pisa, Italy. We found and old brick and stone structure built in the early 1900s with parts of the building destroyed in World War II. Sony brought several items she wanted to use in the photos and one item was literally a herringbone pattern table cloth with tassels around the edge.

"She sat in a broken out windowsill and playfully threw the cloth up over her head, covering part of her face and said ‘I’m the Taliban Girl.’ I thought she was joking and began to laugh at her suggestion, but soon realized we were going to achieve a very special level of art. So, I began shooting. Although most of the images from that scene were humorous, there was one that I believe captured the essence of what she was working to project better than all the rest. It is this photo that is on exhibit at MOCA DC in October.”

Dave Quammen, Executive Director at MOCA DC said, “This exhibit intends to open the various conflicts and social mores of Middle Eastern nations to the critical inspection of artists working in all forms of art, including the written word. The nations include, but are not limited to the Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Pakistan, Palestine and Syria. While this is the general theme for our show every October, we have also added the issue of health care bringing the event to the point of what I call a political potpourri.

The opening reception for the show is Friday, October 2 beginning at 6 pm and running until 10 pm (or later). Those interested in more information about the show may contact Dave Quammen at

mocadc01@comcast.net or by telephone at 202.342.6230. The gallery is located in Canal Square at 1054 31st St. NW in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

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18 U.S.C. Section 2257 compliance notice. All models and other persons who appear in this blog were over the age of eighteen (18)years at the time of the creation of the images. Records pertaining to the photographic works of Jerry R. Harke required pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 2257 and CFR 75 are kept by the custodian of records at Marigot Publishing House, Attn: Jerry R. Harke, 6805 Sprucedale Court, Annandale, Virginia 22003

September Show at Village Plaza Gallery Showing New Works from Jerry Harke

The September 2009 show at the Fairfax Art League's Village Plaza Gallery in Fairfax, Virginia includes art presented by Jerry Harke, an internationally acclaimed photographer from Northern Virginia.

"I especially enjoy showing my art at the Village Plaza Gallery in Fairfax, Virginia. The league is comprised of a wonderful group of artists who have extended a warm welcome and the patrons who visit the gallery have been very complimentary," Harke said. "Plus, the gallery is located in the heart of old-town Fairfax with a host of exciting new stores and top-notch eateries surrounding it. It's a perfect place to shop, eat and enjoy art."

Harke's work on display beginning September 4 includes the photograph shown above which he has titled Morning at the Columns. "This is one of a set of 20 images that make up the complete SAPPHO COLLECTION," Harke added. "The other 19 images are on exhibit throughout the month of September at the MOCA DC Art Gallery in Georgetown and the Del Ray Artisans Art Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia."

A second piece of art being shown in September at the Village Plaza Gallery is called Beauty Revealed. "This is an image that is going to be a strong piece in a new book I'm working on and plan to publish in 2010. It is part of the URSULA COLLECTION seen last month in Georgetown's MOCA DC Art Gallery. The title of the new book will also be Beauty Revealed and the images will reveal feminine beauty from locations around the world."

One of the models for the new book is Ursula Bass, shown here in a sunrise scene at Northern Virginia's popular Great Falls National Park. For more information about Harke's work or to inquire about portraiture and other types of photo sessions, send email to jerry@jrharkephotography.com or call 703.981.4206.

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18 U.S.C. Section 2257 compliance notice. All models and other persons who appear in this blog were over the age of eighteen (18)years at the time of the creation of the images. Records pertaining to the photographic works of Jerry R. Harke required pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 2257 and CFR 75 are kept by the custodian of records at Marigot Publishing House, Attn: Jerry R. Harke, 6805 Sprucedale Court, Annandale, Virginia 22003