Exhibit features Rock House fire pics

The images of one of the largest fires to blaze through Texas are still fresh in the minds of Fort Davis residents. Now those iconic images are being put to good use.

The Gallery at Fort Davis Drugstore is holding its opening reception of the Reflections of the Rock House Fire exhibit at 6 p.m. Friday. The exhibit will be at the gallery until mid-August. Photos featured in the exhibit are available to purchase, with proceeds going to the Jeff Davis County Relief Fund.

Gallery owner Bill Davis said he wanted to start the exhibit after seeing the many photos of the Rock House fire popping up in media outlets shortly after the fire started on April 9.

“We just started talking about what we need to do to get these (photos) out where people could see them,” Davis said. “We sought them (the photographers) out. We ran a couple of ads in the local paper and talked to some folks.”

The exhibit features photographs from up to 12 photographers, from teens to retireess. Alongside photos capturing the intensity and destruction of the wildfire, maps show the extent of damage caused by the Rock House fire. According to the Texas Forest Service, the fire burned 314,444 acres.

McDonald Observatory senior programs coordinator Frank Cianciolo is the featured photographer of the exhibit, with his photographs of the Rock House fire taken from the observatory.

Cianciolo said he took the photos as evidence of the surreal event.

“I was definitely thinking, ‘This is amazing. Nobody’s going to believe this stuff unless somebody takes some decent pictures of it,’ ” Cianciolo said. “The pictures relayed the drama that I was seeing in front of me. It was just unreal and staggering.”

Though Davis said there might be some hesitation in buying the photos due to the devastation the fire caused, Cianciolo said he has received positive feedback on his works.

“I tend to be pretty critical of my own work, but people have really reacted to these pictures really strongly. People think it’s an amazing shot,” Cianciolo said. “It’s a pretty impressive subject matter.”

With the wildfire photographers gathered in one space, Davis said the exhibit might bring about some strong emotions.

“Some people are almost incredulous. We try to show it all. We tried not to hide that there was destruction,” Davis said. “Do you want that (photographs of the fire) hanging in your house? I’m not sure. But, flames are beautiful sometimes.”

Even with the negative emotions caused by the fire, Davis said he hopes to sell thousands of dollars in prints of the photographs. Photos are available from 5 inch by 7 inch prints to 46 inch prints, costing from $20 to $1,000 each.

The exhibit is just one of many fundraisers in the area helping community members get back to their normal lives, Cianciolo said.

“Most of the people here don’t want to be victims. They want to stand on their own and make their own way of life,” Davis said. “We are people who pride ourselves in being able to stand on our own two feet.”

@OAlifestyle

Want to purchase?

• Prints of from the Reflections of the Rock House Fire exhibit are available in a variety of sizes, costing in a range from $20 to $1,000.
• Proceeds go to the Jeff Davis County Relief Fund.
• Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The exhibit lasts through mid-August.