'Fragile Beauty' at next Milford After Dark

MILFORD — The Milford Craft Show store and gallery will present "Fragile Beauty: The Photography of Alan Kaplan," an intimate collection of photos of the indigenous people of Ethiopia's Southern Omo Valley by photographer and part-time Milford resident Alan Kaplan.
The show opens at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 8, with an artist meet-and-greet and reception followed at 8 p.m. by an encore screening of Alan and wife Wendy Stuart's documentary of the same name. Guests are invited to stay after the film for a Q&A with the filmmakers, who have just returned from Dallas, Texas, where "Fragile Beauty: A Visual Journey" was featured as an Official Selection of The African Film Festival 2017.
In addition to screenings around the world including the Miami Independent Film Festival and the West African Film Festival, the film has been officially selected as a Semi-Finalist at the Los Angeles CineFest 2017.
Traveling to the remote Omo Valley in Southern Ethiopia, Alan Kaplan and Wendy Stuart discover a culture of tribal people who worship, live, dress, and adorn themselves as they have for centuries. The question is, "how different are they than us and how long will they remain that way?"
Today they live with the challenges of living in a developing world where their attempts to sustain their unique and diverse culture is already being threatened. These are beautiful people who are holding back as they are forced to accept current lifestyles of the outside world. Join us as we discover their colorful and often extreme fashion, traditional body paintings, the meaning of their elaborate piercings and how their ordinary lives are being forced to change.
Kaplan's photographs will remain on exhibit daily through Aug. 7 at the Milford Craft Show, 120 East Harford St., in downtown Milford. For more information visit facebook.com/craftshowmilford.
Milford After DarkAs with every Milford After Dark program, this special event is free and open to the public.
Milford After Dark features the work of area artists in galleries and storefronts throughout Milford on the second Saturday of every month. Participating businesses, including The Artisan Exchange, Golden Fish Gallery, and the ARTery on Broad Street, stay open into the evening with receptions and refreshments, Restaurants feature special seasonal items, often farm-to-table menu selections, and an occasional musical performance.
Milford After Dark is a function of Milford Presents. For more information visit MilfordPA.us.