JOSEPH, OREGON__The Josephy Center for Arts and Culture in Joseph, Oregon is honored to present their second annual juried exhibit of “Wild Landscape” photography from Northeast Oregon. The opening reception is Saturday, August 6, at 7 p.m.; doors open at 6:30 p.m. With 45 photographs by 14 photographers, the exhibit is the second of this theme, celebrating eastern Oregon’s wild landscapes. The judge is Dennis DeHart, Associate Professor of Photography with Washington State University. He will speak Friday, August 5, at 7 p.m., for our ‘Live and Up Front’ artist lecture series. Both events are free but donations are welcome.
The Wallowa Mountains have been featured in the “Seven Wonders of Oregon” advertising campaign to enhance Oregon’s tourism and promote beautiful places in Oregon. With this in mind, the Josephy Center is sharing the diverse geography and natural beauty of this area through photography. Northeast Oregon is home to many highly talented photographers who explore its wild landscape. Each photograph demonstrates some feature of the region, from its river canyons to its bench grass prairies to the Eagle Cap Wilderness. The goal is to capture the diversity and beauty of wild NE Oregon (Wallowa, Baker and Union Counties). Sharing the region through these photographs allows a viewer to see the aesthetic quality and artistic skill involved in capturing the area’s beauty in a wide array of geological settings: Hells Canyon National Recreational Area, Wallowa Lake, Zumwalt Prairie, Eagle Cap Wilderness, and the Wallowas. Prizes of $750 for first place, $500 for second, $250 for third, honorable mentions at $100 and a people’s choice award will be voted on at the Opening Reception.
Narrowing the selections from the incredible variety and quality of entries proved to be a daunting task for the judge. Dennis reflects that his criteria in jurying the Wild Landscape photographs “included evaluating the quality of craft in terms of how the photographs were articulated. For example, the quality of the tones and color, understanding and use of light, and composition including framing and picture design, all played roles in my reading of the images. Thoughtful statements about the work, including input about the photographer’s process, conceptual motivations, and other information that helped me to contextualize the photographs, also played a contributing factor. Evaluating photographs on a computer screen can be a tricky business in regards to visualizing how the final images play out in physical form.”
As a part of the wild landscape theme, the Josephy Center will host a 5-week photography class with Ellen Bishop, beginning September 8, from 7 p.m. to 8:30, in the JCAC basement. Call or register online at www.josephy.org.
The Center also plans to host two “Brown Bag” discussions regarding the wild landscape – dates and speakers to be announced. The gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
Dennis DeHart will be available for online portfolio reviews for $50 by appointment only from August 4-6. To arrange please call Cheryl or email her at director@josephy.org.
Judge’s Bio: Dennis DeHart’s fine art photographs and interdisciplinary projects are informed by the connections, conflicts, and intersections of the natural and cultural worlds. Dennis has exhibited broadly, including dozens of solo exhibitions, numerous on-line media and art contexts, and over 100 group shows, nationally and internationally. Dennis received his MFA in photography from the University of New Mexico in 2002. He previously served as an Assistant Professor of Photography with the State University of New York College at Buffalo and is an Associate Professor of Photography with Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. During the fall of 2016 and Spring and Summer of 2017, Dennis will be travelling with his family to artist residencies throughout the world including Malaysia, Thailand, the Netherlands, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. His artistic practice/research will focus on water rights, place, and cross-cultural exchange. Learn more about Dennis at www.dennisdehart.com.
For more information about Josephy Center for Arts & Culture or the Wild Landscapes exhibit, contact Cheryl North Coughlan, 541-432-0505 or director@josephy.org
