Pepper & I were invited to the Salt Lake City Public Library’s annual fundraiser event in appreciation for our small donation to the silent auction. The event, titled Black & White & ReAd All Over is a dress affair held to benefit the extraordinary programs offered by the library every year. Black tie is optional, but you have to be in black & white & red to get in the door. We managed to finish up with our wedding shoot in time to make it before the midnight close.
Now, you may be thinking “Library? Dork alert!”. Ah, but this isn’t just any old library. This is the 2006 Library of the Year – the best library in the country! And its not just any old building – it won the 2004 Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects; an AIA/ALA Library Building Award in 2005; AND was just voted as America’s 69th most favorite piece of architecture. It is easily the most significant piece of architecture in Utah. In 2004, Pepper Nix Photography enjoyed the honor of shooting the wedding of one of the contributing architects which was held in the library itself! We’ve been shooting there since it opened in 2003 and it continues to be a source of discovery and inspiration to us – careful viewers of our images will see it pop up in our engagements, bridals, and catalog work from time to time. In other words, this is not your daddy’s library… Now, on to the festivities.
The Location
This is NOT our image, but rather that of the immensely
talented architectural photographer Timothy Hursley…
Its just that all of our exteriors have brides in them and that didn’t really fit the story.
Our hero arrives on the red carpet.
What a fitting last name for a librarian…
The main level, where the dancefloor….
…and musical motivation…
…drove Reverend Tom into a rug-cutting frenzy…
…as Utah’s upper crust…
…and our intrepid hero…
…looked on from overhead.
Meanwhile….in the basement….
…food (catered by the incomparable Culinary Crafts)…
…drink, and atmosphere.
It was here that we ran into Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson,
but decided not to interrupt him for a photo…
…as he seemed more engaged with the many items up for silent auction.
Pepper & I were pleased to be able to participate and support the library in our small way.
Many thanks to Colleen McLaughlin and the rest of the library gang.
- Mitch
What a fun affair! Pepper, you look gorgeous.
Lovely images.
Thank you! It was so much fun to be able to dress up and dance and party and not have 50 lbs. of camera equipment! I have to say, the food was absolutely delicious, if you are ever having an event in Utah, Culinary Crafts is amazing! I’d love to be able to take credit for the images Nancy, but it was all Mitch! Unfortunately that means we don’t have any pictures of him and how handsome he looked! Maybe next time…
That was by design…
Pepper:
Oh, the library looks beautiful (as did you!)! As you may remember, I’m in library school right now, and I LOVE libraries (so whatdya mean, “dork alert”?!). Did you know that the Minneapolis Central library is also brand new and similarly cool looking (although, I gotta admit, I kind of prefer the really old, Carnegie-type homey libraries)? http://www.mpls.lib.mn.us/central.asp Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any cool pictures on their website. Obviously, they need you to come here and take some pictures!
-janelle
Janelle, that would be a dream! If you know of anyone with the library out there and can pull any strings, I promise you that Mitch and I would absolutely LOVE to photograph it!