Retrospective is a look at a photographer’s career, so far

Date: 9/21/2017

SPRINGFIELD – Keith Sikes is taking a break from hanging an exhibit of 100 photos at the Bing Arts Center, most of which he took, but also some from other photographers he has acquired.

With characteristic candor, he said of the exhibit that will open Sept. 30, “What we’re trying to do here is to hare my work with others and hopefully scare up some interest.”

Sikes, now retired from the newspaper industry, has been a photographer most of his life and is now pursuing freelance photography. He called the exhibit that will run through January 2018 “a good kick-off to a new career.”

Taking a quick look at the photos both on the wall already as well as those waiting to be hung, one sees some familiar faces such as musicians Lo Reed, Bob Marley and Bonnie Raitt, among many others. There is work from 30 years ago and work from last month from the Springfield Jazz and Roots festival. Sikes numbers himself among the paparazzi.

There are also many photographs of interesting people, reflecting his time as a street photographer seeking subject among the everyday faces.

His start came with his college newspaper at Springfield Technical Community College and his studies in journalism. The newspaper, of which he was the editor, became the first weekly newspaper at any community college in the Commonwealth.

His success was such that Tom Turley of Turley Publications recruited Sikes to be the editor of The Belchertown Sentinel before he graduated.

“Pretty much thought I was going to be a journalist,” he recalled.

His interest in photograph grew out of a frustration with the lack of quality of the photos that were submitted. The father of a friend had a dark room and Sikes taught himself the basics to the point he could get the results he wanted.

Since then, “I’ve always been the guy with the camera,” he added.

In 1970 he moved to Los Angeles and started taking photos at celebrity events.

“Paparazzi work, I just loved that,” he said.

He used the press card he had by editing a group of six weeklies to be invited into movie events.

Five years later he came east and called Turley looking for a job. He was assigned a sales position and Sikes said, “it was the smartest thing I did in my life.”

Photography, though was always in the back of his mind, he added. When Princess Diana died in 1997, Sikes was interviewed by TV22 about the role of paparazzi, he began to question what rights do photographers to “hound” celebrities and turned to street photography.

He described it as photography that is “right in your face.”

“I was engaging in a dialogue,” he explained. I was trying to show the common man and how he was subject to the same treatment as celebrities and how he or she would react. It got me a lot of attention.”

The Springfield resident has taught photojournalism at American International College for six years, started the Valley Photo Center and said with a smile, “Like a phoenix rising, I’m back.”

The show at the Bing Arts Center came about through his involvement with working Executive Director Brian Hale in promoting the wide range of activities there.

The exhibit will open Sept. 30 with a free reception from 5 to 9 p.m. and be on display for four months. He said that White Lion beer will be pouring and a rockabilly band will be performing.

“The opening is a party attitude with as many people as you can having a good time, have good memories. Hopefully they will come back,” he said.

Looking at the boxes of framed prints waiting to go up, Sikes said, “It’s been a long piece of work for me. I want to celebrate.”