The Charlotte Street Arts Centre, 732 Charlotte Street, has a “walk-in” camera on display until the end of April.
Created by Drew Gilbert for a New Brunswick College of Craft and Design foundation visual arts class, the pinhole camera or camera obscura (which literally translates as “dark room”) converts an entire room into the interior of a camera – without film.
Installed in the college’s second-floor seminar room at the Centre, the camera demonstrates the basic optical theory behind photography, by showing how light enters a camera and creates an image that may be recorded on film.
Pinhole cameras were one of the earliest mechanisms for recording images on film or glass plates. They operate without a lens, using just the restriction on light to create an image. In this case, the image is of the streetscape in front of the centre, with the houses, trees and street projected upside-down and in reverse on the walls and ceiling of the seminar room.
The camera will be open to the public, with Drew Gilbert on hand to explain the process and answer questions, at the following times:
Gilbert, a graduate of the NBCCD and photography technician there, created the camera for Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day, April 30.
If teachers or groups want to arrange visits to the camera at other times, they can contact Katie FitzRandolph, FAL media relations, at 455-8045 or Drew Gilbert at 457-2208
For further information:
Katie FitzRandolph – FAL media relations – 455-8045
Drew Gilbert – 457-2208
Earlier news postings
2006
February 21 – FAL's annual general meeting shows first year of operation ends in the black.
February 19 – FAL programs include outreach workshops for young Frederictonians.
January 4 – The four Fredericton candidates in the federal election spell out their policies on the arts to a packed house in the CSAC auditorium. The forum was organized by the Fredericton Arts Alliance.
2005
December 3 – Students at Renaissance College make CSAC the beneficiary of their annual fund-raiser.
November 7 – Federal Cultural Affairs Minister Belinda Stronach chose the centre as a venue for announcing new money for arts and training.
October 29 – Performing Arts NB, formerly the New Brunswick Arts Council, launched its new identity and booking services with a day-long Celebration of the Arts
October 22 – The Harvest Ball culminates a day of free workshops and a general Open House.
October 19 – Lieutenant-Governor Herménégilde Chiasson, and Justice Minister Brad Green participate in the official opening of the Centre
October 16 – Film shoot and fiddle workshop take advantage of the new facility.
October 12 – Fredericton Rotary clubs honour FAL prime mover Charlotte Glencross with the Paul Harris Fellowship Award.
October 8 – A volunteer work party takes over the school to clean and paint. Members of the board, tenants and the neighbourhood association pitch in,
Ballet and breakdance lessons liven the Dance studio and students study violin.
September 9 – New signs reflect tenants moving in; craft college students draw the Centre
August 31 – Orientation at the craft college
August 30 – Moving at the Film Co-op
June 17 – N.B. Premier Bernard Lord presents FAL with a $100,000 cheque
June 10 – The 4 Engineering Regiment from Base Gagetown spent six months bringing the Centre up to code.