Category Archives: Gleason’s Gym

Joellen VanOuwerkerk: Artist Extraordinaire

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on
                                                   ©Joellen VanOuwerkerk

“My wife, Joellen VanOuwerkerk has been training at Gleason’s Gym for the past 18 years.  She switched to boxing after getting her Black Belt in karate. She spars for two hours every Saturday morning. This keeps her in great physical and mental condition to go home to her real love and job since graduating from The University of Wisconsin with an MFA Degree and a BFA Degree.
She is represented by The Woodward Gallery, located in New York City at 133 Eldridge Street.  Their website is: www.woodwardgallery.net. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 to 6 PM and Sunday from 12 to 5 PM.
Joellen’s most recent Opening was January 29 through March 19, 2011.  The show was magnificent and very successful.
You can see her work on www.artnet.com or www.woodwardgallery.net.
Click Here On This Link To Read Review. 
American Arts Quarterly reviewed Joellen’s January show in their Spring 2011 issue.”
     
     ~ Bruce Silverglade, owner of Gleason’s Gym.

Gleason’s Workshop

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

©Dylan DiMaggio

I remember the first time I walked into Gleason’s gym in 1972. The sights, the sounds, the smell- it was pretty amazing. When I was working with Sports Illustrated and Gerry Cooney, I spent an awful lot of time there in the late 70s and I decided I was going to do a documentary on boxing. Thus was born, a five year project, “In This Corner”. I brought my class to Gleason’s and it was pretty amazing. They got with the program really quickly. Several gigs of photos were done and from what I can see, some of them are very good. This may be the last Joe DiMaggio/ Gleason’s workshop in the front street location. Gleason’s, born in 1937, will be relocating several blocks away. When? We don’t know. I’d like to share a photo taken by Adrian. Special thanks to my friend Bruce Silverglade, who was kind enough to allow our class in.

There are no miserable days, there are only great photographic opportunities

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

©Dylan DiMaggio

Well here we are, the day after a very cold, windy, torrential rainy, Joe DiMaggio workshop with and international cast of players. With all of the adversity and all the logistical problems, I think my students kicked ass and took names. As we were starting to peel off in the early evening, someone thanked me for conducting a great workshop but I said without their participation, there is no workshop. My job is to motivate and inspire but the student is the person who does execution of the visual literacy which will result in a strong photograph. It was a small intimate group of 15. Thanks to the FDNY Firehouse Engine 205 & Ladder 118, one of the oldest fire departments in Brooklyn allowed us to not only do a photographic tour and environmental portraits but they were kind enough to have a real fire call so we all got a very up close and personal look at what these great people do to protect our lives, family and property. As some of my close friends know, I lost two firemen friends in 9/11, Terrence Farrell and Doug Miller. Many thanks to my partner JoAnne Kalish, Dylan DiMaggio, Larry Malang and of course Monica Cipnic.