03/28/2009: "Concepia Gallery Opens"

Concepia, Friday Harbor's latest business venture, opened Saturday in the new Churchill Corner, just above the ferry landing. The opening show is the first solo show of Randy Laybourne.

Concepia boasts an impressive list of products: photography gallery, photography studio, large format printing, standard and custom framing, photography bookstore, website design, technology and photography tutoring, are the core of Concepia's business.

About Randy Laybourne's Show "Going":

The first exhibition at Concepia features the work of Canadian photographer, Randy Laybourne. This stunning series of photographs captured during a journey from California to British Columbia, showcases his exceptional talent as a photographer. Shot with a variety of cameras and films, it documents the small nuances of life that we often walk straight past. From aging roller-coasters to commercial signs, Randy's range of subjects is diverse, but the emotional connection is consistent throughout. It's classic Americana photography, but with a focus on the unusual.

Laybourne explains that "For years I have been taking photos. With each new day I make sure I have at least two cameras and enough rolls of film (color and B&W) to capture what's next. People have expressed their curiosity at my decision to shoot mostly with film rather than digital. It can be expensive and risky but I find the process rewarding. There's something tangible and real about it. My wife and I were recently married and upon our honeymoon and relocation to Canada we decided to take our time on the road. Without any particular deadline I had the freedom to take photo after photo. We were "Going" and this show is just a portion of what was captured."

Concepia is run by John Sinclair, a local photographer and nine year resident of San Juan Island. His interest in photography and desire to maintain a year-round island life led him to opening a retail space in Friday Harbor. Up until just recently he was commuting back and forth to Siberia, helping the Russians drill better oil wells.