A letter (three, actually) from Candela founder, Gordon Stettinius, as we wrap up 2023 and look to 2024.

We are in the final week of our tenth annual summer juried + invitational exhibition, UnBound! We’re making one last push to get to our goal of $10k so we can continue to support the artists participating in this year’s show. Continue below to hear from Founder Gordon Stettinius and Director Ashby Nickerson about the origins and mission of our beloved summer group show.

We are in the final week of our tenth annual summer juried + invitational exhibition, UnBound! We’re making one last push to get to our goal of $10k so we can continue to support the artists participating in this year’s show. Continue below to hear from Founder Gordon Stettinius and Director Ashby Nickerson about the origins and mission of our beloved summer group show.

In many ways, my relationship with Gita and her work is Candela's origin story. I founded Candela Books in 2010 to publish a monograph of Lenz’s work. At the time, we managed to secure the interest of Tom Gitterman, who owns a premier photo gallery in New York City, Gitterman Gallery. Tom appreciated her early adaptation of abstract expressionism and was especially drawn to the quality of her prints. Later that same year, Tom mounted a solo exhibition of her work. Although Gita wasn't well enough to attend the opening events, between the book and the exhibition, I felt she had a sense that her work was being seen and appreciated once again.

Good Thursday, All!

I want to take a moment to write a thank you and issue an update from the director’s chair. I used to write all of these Candela newsletters with an irreverent air, tucking in a photo koan or limerick but as with so many things, our operation has matured somewhat over the last 7+ years. And so have I, maybe? …pausing for the wave of existential nausea to pass… but we have been dancing pretty hard, trying to pull you onto the dance floor with us. And so, our general goal is to put out the most effective PR and messaging we can for the artists and institutions with whom we are partnering.

Candela Books + Gallery is currently seeking photographs made by photographers photographing their own families for our next book project.