Music Seen Govinda Gallery Strikes Chord With Specialized Photography by Steve King The story of Georgetownís Govinda Gallery begins simply enough, with a young schoolteacher named Chris Murray, whose only ambition was trying to help out a couple of friends. In 1975, two of Murrayís former classmates at Georgetown Universityópainters Howard Carr and Kim Watersówere desperate to find a place to show their art to the public. By chance, Murray was passing along 34th Street one day and noticed there was a vacant space for rent. Seeing an opportunity to help out his friends, Murray took a chance. ìYou couldnít do it [that way] now,î Murray said. ìI just drove by and saw the space for rent. I did it with one phone call. And after I rented it for a while, I opened it [permanently] as a gallery.î It wasnít long before Murray had left his teaching job and taken to running Govinda full time. Although the place was already gaining a modest reputation as a quality local venue, it received a large boost when the work of world-famous artist Andy Warhol became a regular fixture in the two-room gallery. Until he passed away in 1987, Warhol would often vi sit Murray and Govinda when he was in Washington. The friendship between the two was mutually beneficialóWarhol gave Govinda added visibility, and Murray provided rides around town for the eccentric artist. However, the galleryís current niche began to take shape when Govinda hosted an exhibit of Rolling Stone magazine photos taken by Washington native Annie Leibowitz, who also gained fame as a legendary photographer for Life magazine. ìThat was when I became interested in music photography,î Murray said. Today, displays of vintage music-related photographsófrom the Beatles to Janis Joplin to Miles Davisóare what set Govinda apart from other galleries. Just a brief visual tour of Govinda gives visitors an understanding of the quality and versatility of the showcased artists. In November and December, Govinda featured the photography of Barry Feinstein, the official tour photographer for Bob Dylan for periods in the í60s and í70s. With an entire room dedicated to these pictures, the moods captured by Feinsteinís lens vary as widely as the emotions of the iconoclastic singer-songwriter himself. In several pictures, Dylan is seen mingling with soot-covered, but happy-looking working-class children in Liverpool, Englandócoincidentally the hometown of the Beatles, who idolized the American folk singer in those days. Other Dylan shots include a picture taken with president-to-be Jimmy Carter in Atlanta in 1974 and another í74 photo of a bundled-up Dylanówearing sunglasses, a large coat and scarf, with a towel and a Russian-style hat covering his headóin Los Angeles, looking as if heís trying to hide from the world. There was also an extensive collection of Feinstein photographs that embody what the artist considered the decline of Hollywood after the advent of television. This motif captures some of his most powerful images. ìThat [collection] is extraordinary,î Murray said. ìItís basically half Dylan, half Hollywood.î Over the years, there have been a variety of famous visitors to Govindaóincluding Boy George, Buzz Aldrin and Muhammad Alióand Murray has branched out, organizing shows around the world. There have been Govinda-sponsored shows in locales such as Havana, Liverpool and Mexico City. In November, Murray traveled to his home town of New York, bringing with him a collection of photographs of perhaps the most influential rock ëní roll band of all time, the Rolling Stones, that had been on display in Washington in October and November. Murray has also broadened the scope of his work to include publishing, and a catalogue of the Rolling Stones pictures called ìRolling Stones 40 x 20,î made specially for the bandís current 40th anniversary tour, can be found at the gallery. Occasionally, Govinda still hosts artwork that has nothing to do with photography or music. Currently gracing the gallery walls is a showing of work by artist Mark del Isola, who specializes in large-scale oil paintings based on scientific designs. Yet, the focus of the gallery remains music photography, and Murray knows this is what brings both customers and quality artists to his doorstep. According to Murray, it has also made Govinda the longest continuously running art gallery in Washington. ìIíve made a point of seeking out the finest photos of musical artists, and that is our strength,î he said. ìWeíre the leading gallery in the world exhibiting photographs based on music.î Steve King is a freelance writer in Falls Church, Va.