I'm working on staging my first exhibition of photographs -- not mine, those of an Italian photographer, Guido Doria. It's instructive to learn what goes into it, even when it's at a non-traditional venue like Bacchus, which will hang the works in its lovely solarium.

Today, I'm waiting for the photos to arrive from Italy and Guido tells me they're packed in crates he made himself so I'll need an electric screwdriver to open them when they get here.

The image of opening the crates brings to mind old photographs I've seen of art museums hanging shows in those salon settings, with works displayed on nearly every available inch of wall space. It makes me want to go to the car to get a crow bar to pry open the crates like they do in films, when the European gadabout "scientists" return from Africa with a haul of looted treasures.

Luckily, my treasures -- or more appropriately, Guido's treasures -- aren't stolen. But I expect that I'll be protective of the precious cargo within the crates. Guido's black and white photos are hard-won. He only opens his shutter when the conditions are perfect.

When I suggested to him that I'd love to have Doria photos of a couple specific places -- Guido photographs lots of things but his photos of the vine-laced hills Monferrato area of Piedmont are what will be on display here -- he replied that he would do it but it would take time as he only takes photographs when the conditions (clouds, light, setting) are "divine."

The results, I didn't tell him, make that perfectly clear. You can see them for yourself at his site (below) or by coming to Bacchus from Sept. 7 to 30. There is an opening reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 7, which is free and open to all. A donation from each photograph sold during the exhibition will be made to MPS' Italian Immersion Program at Victory School.