The 38th Annual Light Work Grants in Photography were recently awarded to three Central New York residents. The selected artists are Dennis Krukowski, Tice Lerner, and Sayler/Morris (the collaborative work of Susannah Sayler and Edward Morris). The Light Work Grants in Photography program is a part of Light Work’s ongoing effort to provide support and encouragement to artists, critics, and historians working in photography.

The Light Work Grant is a fellowship that includes a $2,000 cash award, an exhibition at Light Work, and publication in The Light Work Annual. Applicants were required to submit 10 examples of their work along with a short application form. Three judges from outside the grant area then selected the recipients based on the merits of their work. The judges were Jamie Allen (George Eastman House), Bleu Cease (Rochester Contemporary Art Center), and Sean Donaher (CEPA Gallery).

Light Work is pleased to announce this year’s grant recipients:

Dennis Krukowski, Cicero, Onondaga County

Dennis Krukowski submitted work from a photographic series that captures decorated Christmas trees. He has been photographing the series since the late 1980s, and has created images throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and the Nordic lands. Krukowski also photographs interiors of homes, and those photographs have been published in many books and magazines. Krukowski’s work has been exhibited throughout New York State and is included in private collections.

Tice Lerner, Binghamton, Broome County

Tice Lerner received the Light Work Grant for his series Ever Onward, which chronicles his up-close and personal encounters with the inhabitants of Binghamton, NY. Once a prosperous manufacturing town for defense and the founding city of IBM, the area has long been economically depressed. At the time when Binghamton IBM was in its heyday, large companies were multigenerational employers that were, in Lerner’s words, “more like countries that corporations. “Binghamton IBMers” would show their pride by singing their corporate anthems daily–one of which was called Ever Onward. IBM, like the rest of these large companies, has long left Binghamton, leaving behind chemical spills and economic disparities.

Sayler/Morris, Syracuse, Onondaga County

Sayler/Morris, the collaborative work of Susannah Sayler and Edward Morris, submitted a selection of work from their series A History of the Future. Their images from Peru represent a progression: mountains in the Andes, where much of Peru’s water is stored in glaciers; aqueducts carrying water from the mountains to the desert coast, where most of Peru’s population lives and works; urban sprawl outside of Lima that depends on the water. Scientists predict that the glaciers of the Andes will be completely melted by around 2030. While there is a narrative progression to the images, literally following the path of water, there is also a more basic underlying contrast between two scales of history: geologic history (the trace of glaciers in the striations on the stone, the path of rivers, etc.) and human history (technology, the structure of aqueducts, etc.). Sayler/Morris have been exhibited internationally, and are the co-founders of the non-profit The Canary Project.

The judges for the 2012 Light Work Grants competition were Jamie Allen, Bleu Cease, and Sean Donaher.

Jamie M. Allen is the assistant curator of photographs at George Eastman House, the oldest and largest museum of photography in the United States. Allen has curated or managed numerous exhibitions for Eastman House, including Between the States (2011), 60 from the 60s (2010), Portrait (2010), Roger Mertin’s Rochester (2009) and The Photograph Collection: An Introduction (2008). She holds a BAA in Art History and a BA in Photography from The University of Arizona, Tucson as well as a MA in Photographic Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario.

Bleu Cease currently serves as the executive director/curator of Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo) in Rochester, NY. Since 2007 he has lead RoCo in its significant growth and curated numerous successful exhibitions. Cease is also involved with other art & cultural community building efforts including initiating and administering First Friday, Rochester’s Citywide Gallery night and serving on the board of trustees of the Landmark Society of Western New York. Bleu has worked as a museum professional, educator and curator since 2002. Cease holds a BA from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC and an MFA from the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, NY

Sean J. Donaher is the executive director & curator of CEPA Gallery in Buffalo, NY. One of the oldest photography galleries in the United States, CEPA is internationally known for programs in visual arts, and photo-based arts education. Donaher has also held the position of Executive Director/Curator of Big Orbit Gallery, Buffalo, NY since 1995. He has sat on a number of boards and panels including both the Arts Education Panel and the Visual Arts Panel at the New York State Council on the Arts, and has taught Graduate Seminar at the Visual Studies Department at the University at Buffalo.

To honor a longtime supporter of the arts in Syracuse, Light Work will name its main gallery space for Kathleen O. Ellis. The ceremony and celebration will be held on Tuesday, May 29, from 5-7 p.m. Jeffrey Hoone, executive director at Light Work, has worked with Syracuse University over the past few months to set up an endowment fund to support artist projects and exhibitions in the gallery, and in the process will be naming the gallery for his mother.

The naming of the Kathleen O. Ellis Gallery at Light Work will serve as a way to honor Ellis and preserve her legacy as a longtime supporter of the arts in Syracuse, and especially at Light Work. Since Hoone moved into a directorial role at Light Work in 1980, Ellis has supported him and the organization, where her attendance at openings and events is legendary. She has taken a personal interest in many artists at Light Work, and has invited several into her home for holidays and special events.

The dedication ceremony and event will feature a statement by SU Chancellor Nancy Cantor, who has championed the arts at SU. “This is such a fitting tribute to Kay Ellis, one of Light Work’s most dedicated and strongest supporters,” says Cantor. “Both professionally and personally, she has devoted herself to cultivating the arts in Central New York through her work across the public, private and nonprofit sectors. In a sense, Kay personifies Syracuse’s characteristically passionate, enduring embrace of the arts and their critical and evolving role in our community’s cultural and economic vitality. We’re proud to call Kay one of SU’s own, and profoundly grateful to her and all of those who have supported dedicating this gallery to her.”

During Hoone’s tenure in a directorial role at Light Work, the organization has seen significant advancements in programming, substantial growth in size from two to eight full-time staff members and a multi-million-dollar renovation of the facility. He embarked on the creation of this endowment fund as a way to pay tribute to his mother and make a lasting mark on Light Work by supporting its growth into the future.

Ellis attended SU, and as a member of the class of 1955, she majored in journalism and marketing. She is retired from the staff of Sen. John A. DeFrancisco of the New York State Senate. She formerly worked in the New York State Assembly and as a reporter and feature writer for the Syracuse Post-Standard for seven years in the 1970s. Now a volunteer in several organizations, Ellis is active in the CNY Irish American Cultural Institute, the Central New York Irish Cultural Society, the Syracuse St. Patrick’s Parade, the Syracuse Irish Festival and the CNY Kidney Foundation. Ellis has a keen interest in all of the art galleries at Syracuse University and a love of Syracuse Stage and the SU drama department, and the Everson Museum of Art.

The dedication event is free and open to the public. Parking is available in Marion Lot. For more information, contact Jessica Reed at Light Work, 315-443-1300 or jhreed01@syr.edu

Light Work is currently seeking a Full-time Lab Manager and a Part-time Customer Service Assistant.

For information about the positons and how to apply:

FULL-TIME LAB MANAGER

Light Work, a nationally recognized, artist-run photography and digital imaging center at Syracuse University, seeks qualified candidates for the position of Light Work/Community Darkrooms Lab Manager.

The Lab Manager will be responsible for overseeing the operations of Light Work’s public-access photography and digital imaging lab facility, Community Darkrooms, its business plan, budget, payroll, and customer service needs. He or she will provide direct support to Community Darkrooms members and visiting artists and will be responsible for all financial reporting, point-of-sale reconciliation, and other darkrooms-related business. He or she will supervise several staff members and at least a dozen student workers. The Lab Manager develops a schedule for photography classes and programs, recruits instructors, and manages them. Other responsibilities include equipment and building management, invoicing customers, and purchasing equipment and supplies.

The successful candidate will be an individual who understands and champions the organization’s commitment to supporting emerging and under-recognized artists. He/she will possess demonstrated managerial skills and experience in all key areas, especially budget management. The position requires the ability to work as part of a team and the proven ability to take initiative. The successful candidate will be a creative and efficient problem solver.

A working knowledge of photographic practices and techniques, including digital imaging, is a must. The successful candidate must possess this knowledge in order to effectively advise Artists-in-Residence, as well as support the darkroom staff. As an artist-run organization, priority consideration will be given to a working artist.

The Lab Manager must be able to assess current business practices and develop, plan, and execute programming to achieve Community Darkrooms’ objectives. As part of budget management, the Lab Manager will recommend expenditures, maintain budget records, and submit monthly financial reports.

We are seeking highly qualified candidates who possess the above skills and qualifications, and we strongly encourage applications from individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds. BFA or equivalent experience with solid background in photography required. Candidates must have a minimum of three years managerial and budget experience. Salary will be commensurate with candidate’s experience, and includes full health and pension benefits through Syracuse University.

This position will remain open until filled. However, priority will be given to applications received before June 8, 2012. In order to apply, visit www.sujobopps.com (view exempt salaried opportunities).

PART-TIME CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSISTANT

Light Work, a nationally recognized, artist-run photography and digital imaging center at Syracuse University, seeks qualified candidates for the part-time position of Customer Service Assistant.

The Customer Service Assistant supports the Light Work/Community Darkrooms Lab Manager through front desk coverage, providing reliable customer service, technical advice, and direct customer engagement for the public-access photo imaging center.

Major responsibilities of the job include:

* Point of Sales entry and other business transactions
* Front desk customer service
* Answering the phones for Light Work/Community Darkrooms
* Invoicing customers
* General support of the Lab Manager

Desired education, degree level:
Minimum four-year retail experience. Background in photography a plus.

This position will remain open until filled. To submit your application, please contact Community Darkrooms at 315.443.2450.

Take advantage of the 2012 Book Collectors Offer and receive two books worth $65 each, plus a subscription to Contact Sheet for only $95. (Save $75!)

Leon Borensztein: American Portraits
Nazraeli Press, 2011
Signed book, limited edition of 2,000
96 pages, clothbound, 13 x 11″ with 60 duotone reproductions

Leon Borensztein’s American Portraits brings together ten years of portaits by the photographer. Visiting his subjects at home, Borensztein would set up a generic backdrop behind his sitters and then take a step back to reveal a glimpse into their personal spaces. The resulting collection of photographs is a playful and touching look into the lives of the everyday Americans he encountered.

Suzanne Opton: Soldier / Many Wars
DECODE Books, 2011
Signed book, limited edition of 1,500
104 pages, hardbound, 9.5 x 12″ with 39 four-color reproductions

Portrait photographer Suzanne Opton’s latest monograph Soldier / Many Wars reflects a curiosity about the military at a time of war. Focusing her lens on soldiers who recently returned from their tour of duty in Iraq, her images are both emotionally and politically poignant. “It is not sensationalism I am after. I am after the human being,” writes Opton.

Don’t miss our other signed books, including:

Christian Patterson: Redheaded Peckerwood
Carrie Mae Weems: Social Studies
Alessandra Sanguinetti: On the Sixth Day
Doug Dubois: …all the days and nights
Hank Willis Thomas: Pitch Blackness

+ many more!