We’re gonna be on TV!

[Peter Williams]

Congrats guys. Having shot with them - I can say that they are all class acts.

 

[Jeremy]

If anyone is interested in seeing some images from our first day of shooting on February 20th, I have them up on my blog (easier than trying to link them all over again here).

Dead Link Removed

 

[Gay Larson]

Jeremy, what church were you in? This is so very cool. I hope to see the program although I know it won't be shown in Oklahoma.

 

[David Brown]

... what church were you in? ...

I'll answer, in case Jeremy doesn't get back to the forum for a while. All the interiors and the shot of the group with the TV crew and their truck are at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in New Corn Hill, Texas. (And, yes, there is an Old Corn Hill!) The two of the cameras set up are at St. Pauls UCC near Marlin, Tx.

 

[Alex Hawley]

A well-earned congratulations guys. I hope a DVD or video is produced so I can see the program.

 

[David Brown]

Finally! An air date has been set.

In Texas, they are to air the segment the weekend of May 5, 2007. Check your local listings in Texas and/or check the website for specifics.

http://www.texascountryreporter.com/SubSites/show_time.htm

Nationally try the following cable & satellite providers:
DIRECTV channel #379
Mediacom channel #78
DISH Network channel #9409

Set those VCRs and DVRs!

 

[David Brown]

Completely coincidentally, we have an exhibit scheduled for May ...

May 7 - 24! University of North Texas in Denton.

http://www.unt.edu/union/galleryexhibits.htm

http://www.unt.edu/union/artiststatements.htm

(scroll down to us on both pages.)

 

[scootermm]

David is our marketing genius... and our wordsmithing genius .... and our model making genius .... and the rest of us just sit quietly and look pretty.

 

[Alex Hawley]

Way to go guys! The Texas Church Gang is riding tall!

I'm hoping a DVD is published.

 

[Monophoto]

David is our marketing genius... and our wordsmithing genius .... and our model making genius .... and the rest of us just sit quietly and look pretty.

After checking the group photo on your web site, the term "pretty" seems a bit of a stretch.

 

[Shmoo]

Finally! An air date has been set.

In Texas, they are to air the segment the weekend of May 5, 2007. Check your local listings in Texas and/or check the website for specifics.

http://www.texascountryreporter.com/SubSites/show_time.htm

Nationally try the following cable & satellite providers:
DIRECTV channel #379
Mediacom channel #78
DISH Network channel #9409

Set those VCRs and DVRs!

DIRECTV...my old stomping grounds! That would give you national exposure! Congrats! Setting my TiVo as we speak...

 

[David Brown]

(Bump!)

Just a reminder about the Texas Church Project and the two upcoming events:

First, The weekend of May 5-6 (next week ), there will be a segment on the project with all five of us on the TV show: "Texas Country Reporter". Check your local listings in Texas and/or check the website for specifics.

http://www.texascountryreporter.com/SubSites/show_time.htm

Nationally try the following cable & satellite providers:
DIRECTV channel #379
Mediacom channel #78
DISH Network channel #9409

Set those VCRs and DVRs!

And second, our first gallery exhibition opens at the University of North Texas in Denton the following Monday, May 7, with a reception on Tuesday, May 8. The exhibition will be up May 7 - 24!.

http://www.unt.edu/union/galleryexhibits.htm

http://www.unt.edu/union/artiststatements.htm

And, of course, our own website is: Dead Link Removed. New stuff in the gallery!

Thanks to all the apuggers who've offered support and encouragement. This project may not have happened (at least as it has) if the 5 of us had not all met via APUG.

If you're in the DFW/Denton area, come on by!

 

[roteague]

Thanks for the update David. I've watched your site for sometime now, your pictures bring back lots of memories when I visited Texas as a child. I haven't been there in many years, but always had a fondness for it.

 

[kwmullet]

Just saw it!

Dianna and I just watched it. I taped it too, but my tape has tracking problems. I think my vcr is about ready to (or has already) given up the ghost. I'll have to look at my tape on a good quality VCR and see if it can overcome the tracking problems so I can make a couple of copies.

Wonderful wonderful show. I would have liked to have seen the ten-part miniseries version!

Bob Phillips sure has a knack for drawing good talk out of people. That's just the kind of conversation I would like to have when we meet for our infrequent get togethers.

I especially liked the part during Lee's interview when he characterized digital photography as "The devil's work". We laughed and cheered so loud our five-year old didn't know what was the heck was going on.

The opening scene when the church doors open, sunlight pours in and Mike, Matthew, Lee, David and Jeremy walk in with cameras and tripods slung over their shoulders was something straight out of a spaghetti western.

Sure would be nice if apug could get licensed to show that segment online -- would answer so many "Why do you do that?" questions by newbies, or at least the "What do you get out of that?"

Personally, I guess I'd always thought "The Church Guys" shot churches because of their interesting architecture, but I was missing the point. Luckily, you guys poignantly spelled it all out, how the Czech, Norwegian, German and other surnames of the infants being baptized were the same as the parishioners who sat the pews, handmade the stained glass, and who continue to rest in the cemeteries. Generations of immigrants and decendants of immigrants have shared common threads of the cycle of life in these structures, and every square inch of these churches is charged with the experiences of countless families.

The way their work and this segment most personally connected with me was that I've got a particular fondness for trying to record disappearing worlds, and with more and more churches polarizing toward either the megala-Six-Flags-Over-Jesus model or, on the other end, the stripmall storefront church, the generational handcrafted place of worship seems to be slipping from our grasp.

It was a good-sized segment, too. Since Texas Country Reporter had three segments, and he crowded the first two into the first half of the show, so the Texas Church Project segment filled the last fifteen minutes or so. As the segment drew to a close, though, I was left wondering something.

Do you guys give prints to the communities whose churches you photograph, or maybe even duplicate prints so one could be stored with the church and one stored elsewhere in case something happens to the church?

I can envision some ten year old child seeing a high-quality hand-crafted photographic print for the first time and being influenced to spend her life behind the viewfinder, documenting the world around her.

The urgency of photographing the churches (not just be buildings, but the manifestations of their culture) before they fade away brings to mind a passage from the Nicene Creed I recited over and over again in parochial school as a child: "We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church". Through your images, these catholic (small "c", comprehensive, universal) churches will always have apostles to defend their memory.

-KwM-

 

[lee]

thanks Kevin and Dianna,

you can go to Texas Country Reporter website

http://texascountryreporter-store.stores.yahoo.net/tecoreepindv.html

we are #1027 and you can order your own personal dvd which is what I am gonna do.

lee\c

 

[David Brown]

Do you guys give prints to the communities whose churches you photograph, or maybe even duplicate prints so one could be stored with the church and one stored elsewhere in case something happens to the church?

I can envision some ten year old child seeing a high-quality hand-crafted photographic print for the first time and being influenced to spend her life behind the viewfinder, documenting the world around her.

Good question! The fact is, when we started this project, it was really a personal project for us and we did not (realistically) envision getting the exposure and attention that has happened. Now that we have an exhibition mounted and have "been on TV", we shall have to get serious. We have discussed giving the churches a print or two, but really haven't reached any conclusions. This is one of the items we will discuss real soon, when we decide "what's next?"

One problem with doing this, though, it that we are not "successful" at every church. Some churches we get images we want people to see, some we don't.

Most of the churches are empty when we visit, but the ones where someone is present or comes in while we're there have generally been pleasant encounters. Most pastors and parishioners are thrilled that we are in "their" church, but I don't recall that anyone has ever asked for a print. At one church, there was an older man doing some maintenance. This was a country church that had dwindled down to about 30 members. While we were there, he showed us some pictures he had taken of the church. I just happened to have some workprints in the car that day (usually don't, of course) and had an image from that very church. So, I went out to the car and got it and handed it to the gentleman.

The opening scene when the church doors open, sunlight pours in and Mike, Matthew, Lee, David and Jeremy walk in with cameras and tripods slung over their shoulders was something straight out of a spaghetti western.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly?

 

[roteague]

I always appreciate the updates David. I've got the site bookmarked, and enjoy visiting it from time to time. Even though I haven't been to Texas in more than 15 years, I still think of it as a great place to visit.

 

[Jeremy]

 

[SuzanneR]

Awesome, guys!!!! Looks like a great show... I ordered the dvd!!

 

[Jeremy]

want more?

Dead Link Removed

 

[Valerie]

I can hardly wait to see it (and the guys!) in person!

 

[Gay Larson]

I also ordered the DVd, can't wait to see it. Congratulation to all of you. It looks like a great show.

 

[roy]

Congratulations to you all. I think it is great to explore a subject in this way and I should imagine that a great sense of camaraderie exists within the group.

 

[Valerie]

The Church Project Show at UNT is stunning! It was such a pleasure to visit with all of you at the reception last night. You all did a truly amazing job (David's model seems to have worked out great!). Now on to more churches, more shows!

 

[kwmullet]

Ditto!

It was wonderful to see the guys there (and touch base with Valerie too!) The gallery manager seemed pleased as punch that so many folks came. Seemed to me to be pretty packed from beginning to end, and each of the guys seemed to be highly in demand, being pulled over for questions and praise from another person as soon as they got done talking to the previous one.

Wonderful, stunning work. Since I'm lucky enough to live down the street from UNT, I'll have to visit the show several more times so I can soak more of it in. Really, there's more there than my wee brain can soak up in one visit.

Mike, Matthew, Lee, David, Jeremy: Thanks very very much for bringing such wonderful work to this show. I really could go on and on, but words are pretty much inadequate to convey the experience.

-KwM-