The Upstairs Artspace invites the public to the unveiling of its first exhibit of 2013, “UPLOAD: The Art of the Digital Camera Phone.” The show goes on display starting Friday, Jan. 18, and an opening reception will be held on Saturday, Jan. 19, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The exhibit, organized by Chris Tinkler, is the first of its kind in the region — a show dedicated entirely to photographs shot and edited on camera phones or tablets. It features more than 100 images divided into an open show with photos emailed to the gallery from participants as nearby as Tryon and as far away as Turkey; and a juried show, judged by art professor and photographer Colby Caldwell of St. Mary’s College in Maryland.

Caldwell says the possibilities of this new and fast-developing technology have opened up art photography to more and more people, as everyone can now carry cameras and editing equipment with them everywhere they go.

“I had to come up with new criteria to judge these photographs,” Caldwell said, “as camera phones have opened the door to new possibilities for photographers.”

The best image in the juried show, as selected by Caldwell, will receive a $250 prize.

Before the reception on Saturday, Upstairs board member Melissa Parrish, a mixed-media artist who led two workshops on smartphone photography leading up to the exhibit, will give an informal introduction and tour of the exhibit starting at 4 p.m. The “walk and talk” preview is free, and visitors are encouraged to ask questions about the images and about cell phone digital imaging and applications. On Feb. 13, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., the Upstairs also will hold a screening of “Annie Liebovitz” — a documentary exploring the life and work of a celebrity portrait photographer. That event also is free.

For more information, visit the gallery’s website at www.upstairsartspace.org, or call 828-859-2828. The Upstairs resumes normal hours – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday – on the first day of the show.

– article submitted by Harold Maas