Playing in the Dark

For photographers who came of age during the film era, the experience of seeing that very first image materialize in the developing tray is remembered as magical or uncanny. That the miracle often occurred in an educational setting as a shared communal experience deepened the impact.

Yes, community darkrooms left a fond residue in the mind as well as on the fingertips. But alas, their influence has faded. With photography’s transition from film to digital now mostly complete, community darkrooms have largely disappeared from the national landscape, Eugene included.

And with that shift, an opportunity for shared experience has given way to privatized practice.

Enter Eugene Darkroom Group, a consortium of film shooters dedicated to building a community darkroom here in town. EDG imagines the space as a center for printing, classes, and creative collaboration around film-based processes.

After slowly taking form over a few years, the group’s pace has accelerated, and they are now applying for non-profit status.

Where will the darkroom be and who will use it? Both questions remain unsettled.

Former darkrooms at Dot Dotson’s and Maude Kerns Art Center have been floated as tentative sites. Group leaders have identified a local community of 30 to 35 amateur film shooters who would serve as the membership base.

Final decisions remain to be made. At this point EDG is focused on raising the legal fees to incorporate as a nonprofit. Their first fundraiser is 7 to 10 pm Saturday, June 3, at Sam Bond’s Foundry, 540 E. Eighth Avenue, where local film photography will be exhibited and offered for sale.

EDG can also be contacted at eugenedarkroom@gmail.com and on Facebook at @eugdark.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!