https://www.lightwork.org/uploads/thumbnail_IMG_8145.jpg481513Staff/uploads/LightWork.pngStaff2023-09-05 11:36:502023-09-05 11:36:51Jeffrey J. Hoone Gallery Dedication
https://www.lightwork.org/uploads/banksheadshot.jpg1095750Staff/uploads/LightWork.pngStaff2023-06-05 15:30:092023-06-05 15:30:12Light Work Welcomes Cali M. Banks As Communications Coordinator
https://www.lightwork.org/uploads/slide_one.jpg20002000Staff/uploads/LightWork.pngStaff2023-05-12 09:09:122023-05-26 10:19:02Light Work Announces 2023 Grants in Photography
This position will remain open until filled. However, we will prioritize applications received before February 28, 2023.
—
Housed in the Robert B. Menschel Media Center at Syracuse University, Light Work is one of the country’s most respected art institutions. Founded as an artist-run, non-profit organization in 1973, Light Work provides direct support through residencies, publications, exhibitions, a digital lab facility, and other related projects to emerging and under-represented artists working in photography and digital imaging.
We are seeking a dynamic, highly qualified, experienced individual for Communications Coordinator, and we strongly encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds. The Communications Coordinator works with a full spectrum of web, social media, mobile, and overall digital strategy for public relations as well as traditional print media outlets to promote the activities and programs of Light Work, Light Work Lab, and Urban Video Project (UVP). The CC will develop and implement marketing and advertising plans for Lab membership, classes, and digital services, as well as for Light Work’s international publication and subscription program.
Light Work is an equal-opportunity employer. Upon request, Light Work and Syracuse University will provide accommodation to applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment, assessment, and selection process.
With enormous pleasure, Light Work announces the 2023 Light Work Artists-in-Residence (AIRs). A total of thirteen artists working in photography and related media received residencies: Bruce Bennett (New Jersey), Marcus Xavier Chormicle (New Mexico), Devin Fenimore (Washington), Eric Gyamfi (Ghana), Kyoko Hamaguchi (New York), Katherine Hubbard (New York), Sayuri Ichida (United Kingdom), Clifford Prince King (California), Abdulhamid Kircher (California), Jim Mangan (California), Joiri Minaya (New York), Ahndraya Parlato (New York),and Agnieszka Sosnowska (Iceland).
Each year, Light Work supports emerging and under-represented artists working in photography and related media with funding totaling more than $60,000. Each receives a $5000 honorarium, housing, unrestricted 24-hour access to our digital imaging lab, wet darkroom, a library of photo-related publications, as well as critical and technical support.
In addition to a financial award, Light Work AIRs benefit from technical, professional, and creative support, have space on-site to develop new work, and have extraordinary freedom to determine the shape and timing of their residency. Residency program participants can use their month to pursue their projects: photographing in the area, scanning or printing for a specific project or book, or experimenting with a new photographic technique. A special edition of Contact Sheet: The Light Work Annual presents the work of each Artist-in-Residence with an accompanying commissioned essay. Each AIR also makes a donation of work that becomes a part of the Light Work Collection.
Light Work has three exciting collaborations with prominent organizations that support our artists this year. Autograph in London, UK, has sponsored the residency of Eric Gyamfi, the latest in a partnership that dates from 1996. The Darryl Chappell Foundation has sponsored two residencies. Finally, Canson Infinity is offering each artist-in-residence access to its collection of fine art inkjet papers.
Light Work’s highly competitive residency program dates from 1976 and now receives nearly 1,000 applications annually. Artists who earn this distinction carry forward Light Work’s mission of providing direct artist support to artists working in photography and digital imaging. The annual applications are of such high quality that the slimmest of margins usually determine the judges’ final choices, and this year has been no exception. Light Work extends a full-hearted thank you to all who applied.
Light Work has the greatest pleasure in announcing that Whitney Hubbs will be our new associate director. Hubbs begins on August 16, 2022. Hubbs joins Light Work from Alfred University in Western New York, where she served as associate professor of Photography in the School of Art and Design. In addition to her administrative and curatorial work, Hubbs will manage the Light Work artist-in-residence program as well as a range of program initiatives.
“The Board and Light Work’s staff are very excited to welcome Whitney,” said Dan Boardman, director of Light Work. “Whitney brings enormous enthusiasm for photography and deeply understands our mission to support emerging and underrepresented artists. Whitney’s leadership and substantive knowledge of photography will be an invaluable asset as the organization prepares to celebrate its fifty-year anniversary and works to imagine and realize the next fifty years of practice-centered support for artists working in photography and digital imaging.”
Hubbs noted, “I am honored and excited to join the Light Work team as the new associate director. Through this role, I will integrate my knowledge, experience, network, and commitment, alongside my new colleagues, to support Light Work’s mission. I look forward to getting to know and collaborating with local, national, and international communities that Light Work has supported for decades while building future collaborations with artists from all over the globe.”
Whitney Hubbs was born in Los Angeles, CA, and lives in Syracuse, NY. Hubbs received her BFA in Photography from the California College of the Arts in 2005 and an MFA in Photography from University of California in Los Angeles in 2009. She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in commercial galleries, artist-run spaces, non-profits, and institutions. These include Arturo Bandini (Los Angeles), California Museum of Photography (Riverside), Fahrenheit Madrid (Madrid, Spain), Karl Marx Studio (Paris, France), M+B Gallery (Los Angeles), No Gallery (New York City), P. Bibeau (New York City), Silver Eye Center for Photography (Pittsburgh), Situations Gallery (New York City), and The J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles).Public collections holding Hubbs’ work include the California Museum of Photography, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and The J. Paul Getty Museum. Hesse Press published her first book, Woman in Motion, in 2017 and she published her second book, Say So, with Self Publish Be Happy Editions in 2021. Publications featuring her work include Artforum, Bomb Magazine, Frieze, The New Yorker, and most recently in Charlotte Cotton’s seminal book, The Photograph as Contemporary Art. Hubbs is represented by M+B Gallery in Los Angeles and Situations Gallery in New York City.
Hubbs was an associate professor of Photography at Alfred University, Faculty Fellow with Image Text Ithaca’s MFA Program, and Visiting Critic and Lecturer at University of California in San Diego, University of Oregon, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Yale.
https://www.lightwork.org/uploads/Whitney_Hubbs_1-e1660698918362.jpg634944Staff/uploads/LightWork.pngStaff2022-08-16 21:10:542022-08-16 21:17:34Whitney Hubbs Named Associate Director of Light Work
image: Robert B. Menschel, family, and friends celebrate the dedication of the Robert B. Menschel Media Center at Syracuse University in 2001. From left: Ed Bleier, William Safire, Joyce Menschel, Jeffrey Hoone, Robert B. Menschel, Martin Zausner, Dr. Mort Lacher, and Carrie Mae Weems.
—
ROBERT B. MENSCHEL (1929-2022) — With profound sadness, we share the news of the passing of our good friend and long-time supporter, Robert B. Menschel, on Thursday, May 27, 2022, at the age of 92.
His generosity and support over a lifetime enabled Light Work to flourish as a photography organization that supported emerging artists as it became a leader in the field and a model for artists’ support across the country. Bob was there every step of the way with advice, encouragement, and generosity. He was passionate about photography. His enthusiasm for the work of individual artists was clear as he beamed about their work when he saw it in an exhibition or a publication. In many cases, his support made those projects possible, while his enthusiasm always gave us the encouragement to do our best. There would be no Light Work without Bob Menschel and we will dearly miss and long remember him.
Robert B. Menschel was an investment banker, avid art collector, and philanthropist. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Robert’s partner, Janet Wallach, his son, David, his daughter, Lauren, son-in-law Vance Jacobs, grandsons Adler Menschel Jacobs and Devin Menschel Jacobs, his former wife, Joyce Frank Menschel, his brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Ronay Menschel, and nieces Charis, Sabina and Celene.
Menschel was an alum of the College of Business Administration at Syracuse University (’51) and an Honorary Trustee (’91) of the institution for more than twenty-three years. He provided significant support and leadership to the University and was a major sustaining supporter of Light Work and the Urban Video Project.
Menschel joined Goldman Sachs in 1954. He became a partner in 1968 and continued at Goldman Sachs as a senior director until his retirement in 1988. Only Menschel’s passion for philanthropy and advocacy surpassed his brilliance for business and ingenuity. Light Work is honored to have benefited from his generosity and commitment to being a change agent through his Vital Projects Fund and numerous philanthropic initiatives.
A recipient of the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, along with his brother Richard L. Menschel in 2015, Bob believed in Carnegie’s philosophy that wealth carries an inherent responsibility to contribute to the world’s betterment and a more just society. Reflecting on this shared vision in his acceptance speech, Menschel said,
“In the pantheon of American philanthropy, Andrew Carnegie stands out for his generosity in both deeds and spirit. His motto of doing real and permanent good in the world underscores my own commitment to charitable giving. From the time I established my foundation some fifty years ago, my goal has been to support vital projects with primary emphasis on nurturing photography as an art form in museums around the nation, healthcare, and strengthening the justice system, particularly working to end mass incarceration.”
Syracuse University facility management crew install dedication signage to Robert B. Menschel Media Center in 2001. The newly renovated space houses gallery spaces, a digital services lab, residency studios, and collection storage.
Jeffrey Hoone, former executive director of Light Work and the Coalition of Museum and Art Centers, spoke to the significance of Menschel’s steadfast support and championing of Light Work’s mission.
“Bob Menschel was a friend and supporter of Light Work for more than thirty-five years,” said Hoone. “His love of photography and belief in Light Work’s focused mission to support artists working in photography has touched the lives of countless individuals and artists. We simply would not have been as successful as an organization without Bob’s encouragement, advice, and generosity. We thank him, and an entire generation of artists working in photography have him to thank as well.”
The news of Menschel’s passing prompts fond memories of his visit to Syracuse in May 2001 for the dedication of the Robert B. Menschel Media Center. Menschel, his brother Richard, and other friends and family traveled to Syracuse to open a newly renovated Light Work facility that included three galleries, state-of-the-art darkroom and digital imaging equipment, residency studios, collection storage, and administrative offices. Menschel’s gift of $3.2 million to support the Center set a new standard for naming gifts at the University as well as set a high standard for design excellence. Menschel persuaded noted architect Richard Meier and celebrated artist and SU alum Sol LeWitt to contribute design elements and artwork to the Center, which SU alum and architect Mike Wolniack designed. This renovation was a key moment in Light Work’s history that allowed us to offer unique access to photographic works through exhibitions, Contact Sheet periodicals, and support to countless emerging and under-represented artists from around the world.
The support that Robert B. Menschel provided to Light Work and a wide range of other arts organizations is humbling. His philanthropy enriched lives and significantly amplified underrecognized voices. It’s impossible to express our unending gratitude. On behalf of Light Work’s staff and board members, we express profound thanks to Robert B. Menschel and the Menschel family. He leaves behind a legacy of passionate lifelong advocacy, unwavering commitment to transformative change, and an immeasurable generosity that will benefit the world for years to come.
Robert B. Menschel exchanges a mini photo slide viewer with an image of the newly renovated Media Center with dedication event guest, Jane Hodgens.
https://www.lightwork.org/uploads/RM_LWDedication_2001-e1654011146917.jpg10372256Staff/uploads/LightWork.pngStaff2022-05-27 10:36:002022-06-15 09:04:24Robert B. Menschel (1929-2022): In Memoriam
Light Work announces the 48th annual Light Work Grants in Photography. The 2022 award recipients are Carlton Daniel, Jr., Lacey McKinney, and Sarah Phyllis Smith. Additionally, judges awarded Honorable Mentions to Bridget Badore, Christine Chin, and Joshua Ives. The Light Work Grants in Photography are part of Light Work’s ongoing effort to provide support and encouragement to Central New York artists working in photography within a fifty-mile radius of Syracuse. Daniel and McKinney hail from Syracuse in Onondaga County and Smith from Utica in Oneida County.
Established in 1975, the Light Work Grants program is one of the longest-running photography fellowships in the country. Each recipient receives a $3,000 stipend and appears in Contact Sheet: The Light Work Annual. A group exhibition of grant recipients’ work will be on view in the Hallway Gallery as part of the opening exhibition for the Fall 2022 season. This year’s judges were Ryan Arthurs (visual artist, curator, and founder of Rivalry Projects) and Tara Johnson (Visuals Director at Vanity Fair).
Light Work is pleased to announce this year’s grant recipients:
Carlton Daniel, Jr.(Syracuse, Onondaga County)
Carlton Daniel, Jr.imagines Black futurity through his lens as a queer storyteller. Daniel’s multidisciplinary approach engages, interrogates, and is grounded in Afro-diasporic identity, sexuality, and Black love. He navigates storytelling through film, photography, and innovative technologies, using the camera to document the lived experiences of Black Americans. By using the past to inform our present, and the present to inform our future, he envisions worlds that center joy, healing, and care.
Lacey McKinney (Syracuse, Onondaga County)
Lacey McKinney’ssolo and duo exhibitions includethe Everson Museum of Art (Syracuse), Mana Contemporary (Jersey City, NJ), and The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has shown her work throughout New York State, Virginia, and Washington, notably at NARS Foundation (Brooklyn), Novado Gallery (Jersey City, NJ), Pen & Brush (New York City), Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center (Auburn, NY), and Urban Zen (New York City). Numerous private collections hold her work, which has also appeared in ARTnews, Art Zealous, Cultured Magazine, and Huffington Post. Her residencies include Fremantle Arts Centre (Fremantle, Western Australia), McColl Center for Art + Innovation (Charlotte, NC), and Post Contemporary (Troy, NY). In 2020 the New York Foundation for the Arts awarded her a Keep NYS Creating grant.
Sarah Phyllis Smith (Utica, Oneida County)
Sarah Phyllis Smith is a photographer, educator, and assistant professor of photography at PrattMWP in Utica. Recent notable solo exhibitions include Respite at Whitespace in Atlanta, GA, and Where the GreatLakes Leap to the Sea at The Shed Space in Brooklyn, NY. She has also recently shown her work at Ground Floor Gallery (Nashville), Perspectives Gallery at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Roman Susan Gallery (Chicago), Space 204 at Vanderbilt University (Nashville), Wedge Projects (Chicago), and Whitespace Gallery (Atlanta). Online and print publications featuring her work include Don’t Take Pictures Magazine, From Here On Out, Incandescent Magazine, Lenscratch, Light Leaked, Musée Magazine, Silver Eye Center for Photography, and Vulgaris Magazine. The Iranian literary magazine, Dastan, featured her work on their cover. Smith also curates Study Hall, a pedagogical project and contemporary photography gallery at PrattMWP, where she recently presented at the national conference for the Society for Photographic Education. Smith has been invited to give a workshop at the Tasmeem 2022: Radical Futures conference in Doha Qatar.
https://www.lightwork.org/uploads/2021-Grants-Collage.png16002000Staff/uploads/LightWork.pngStaff2022-05-01 22:01:002023-01-03 11:06:18Light Work Announces 2022 Grants in Photography
Announcing Light Work’s 2024 Artists-in-Residence
/in NewsJeffrey J. Hoone Gallery Dedication
/in NewsWe’re Hiring: Digital Services Coordinator
/in NewsLight Work Welcomes Cali M. Banks As Communications Coordinator
/in NewsLight Work Welcomes Cali M. Banks As Communications Coordinator
Light Work Announces 2023 Grants in Photography
/in NewsWe’re Hiring: Communications Coordinator
/in NewsCommunications Coordinator (Full-time) Bachelor’s degree preferred. Experience with non-profits a plus preferred
Priority Deadline: February 28, 2023 — APPY HERE
This position will remain open until filled. However, we will prioritize applications received before February 28, 2023.
—
Housed in the Robert B. Menschel Media Center at Syracuse University, Light Work is one of the country’s most respected art institutions. Founded as an artist-run, non-profit organization in 1973, Light Work provides direct support through residencies, publications, exhibitions, a digital lab facility, and other related projects to emerging and under-represented artists working in photography and digital imaging.
We are seeking a dynamic, highly qualified, experienced individual for Communications Coordinator, and we strongly encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds. The Communications Coordinator works with a full spectrum of web, social media, mobile, and overall digital strategy for public relations as well as traditional print media outlets to promote the activities and programs of Light Work, Light Work Lab, and Urban Video Project (UVP). The CC will develop and implement marketing and advertising plans for Lab membership, classes, and digital services, as well as for Light Work’s international publication and subscription program.
Light Work is an equal-opportunity employer. Upon request, Light Work and Syracuse University will provide accommodation to applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment, assessment, and selection process.
Announcing Light Work’s 2023 Artists-in-Residence
/in NewsWith enormous pleasure, Light Work announces the 2023 Light Work Artists-in-Residence (AIRs). A total of thirteen artists working in photography and related media received residencies: Bruce Bennett (New Jersey), Marcus Xavier Chormicle (New Mexico), Devin Fenimore (Washington), Eric Gyamfi (Ghana), Kyoko Hamaguchi (New York), Katherine Hubbard (New York), Sayuri Ichida (United Kingdom), Clifford Prince King (California), Abdulhamid Kircher (California), Jim Mangan (California), Joiri Minaya (New York), Ahndraya Parlato (New York), and Agnieszka Sosnowska (Iceland).
Each year, Light Work supports emerging and under-represented artists working in photography and related media with funding totaling more than $60,000. Each receives a $5000 honorarium, housing, unrestricted 24-hour access to our digital imaging lab, wet darkroom, a library of photo-related publications, as well as critical and technical support.
In addition to a financial award, Light Work AIRs benefit from technical, professional, and creative support, have space on-site to develop new work, and have extraordinary freedom to determine the shape and timing of their residency. Residency program participants can use their month to pursue their projects: photographing in the area, scanning or printing for a specific project or book, or experimenting with a new photographic technique. A special edition of Contact Sheet: The Light Work Annual presents the work of each Artist-in-Residence with an accompanying commissioned essay. Each AIR also makes a donation of work that becomes a part of the Light Work Collection.
Light Work has three exciting collaborations with prominent organizations that support our artists this year. Autograph in London, UK, has sponsored the residency of Eric Gyamfi, the latest in a partnership that dates from 1996. The Darryl Chappell Foundation has sponsored two residencies. Finally, Canson Infinity is offering each artist-in-residence access to its collection of fine art inkjet papers.
Light Work’s highly competitive residency program dates from 1976 and now receives nearly 1,000 applications annually. Artists who earn this distinction carry forward Light Work’s mission of providing direct artist support to artists working in photography and digital imaging. The annual applications are of such high quality that the slimmest of margins usually determine the judges’ final choices, and this year has been no exception. Light Work extends a full-hearted thank you to all who applied.
Bruce Bennett (New Jersey)
Marcus Xavier Chormicle (New Mexico)
Devin Fenimore (Washington)
Eric Gyamfi (Ghana)
Kyoko Hamaguchi (New York)
Katherine Hubbard (New York)
Sayuri Ichida (United Kingdom)
Clifford Prince King (California)
Abdulhamid Kircher (California)
Jim Mangan (California)
Joiri Minaya (New York)
Ahndraya Parlato (New York)
Agnieszka Sosnowska (Iceland)
See past Artists-in-Residence at www.lightwork.org/air
Applications are now open for 2024. Apply at lightwork.slideroom.com
Whitney Hubbs Named Associate Director of Light Work
/in NewsLight Work has the greatest pleasure in announcing that Whitney Hubbs will be our new associate director. Hubbs begins on August 16, 2022. Hubbs joins Light Work from Alfred University in Western New York, where she served as associate professor of Photography in the School of Art and Design. In addition to her administrative and curatorial work, Hubbs will manage the Light Work artist-in-residence program as well as a range of program initiatives.
“The Board and Light Work’s staff are very excited to welcome Whitney,” said Dan Boardman, director of Light Work. “Whitney brings enormous enthusiasm for photography and deeply understands our mission to support emerging and underrepresented artists. Whitney’s leadership and substantive knowledge of photography will be an invaluable asset as the organization prepares to celebrate its fifty-year anniversary and works to imagine and realize the next fifty years of practice-centered support for artists working in photography and digital imaging.”
Hubbs noted, “I am honored and excited to join the Light Work team as the new associate director. Through this role, I will integrate my knowledge, experience, network, and commitment, alongside my new colleagues, to support Light Work’s mission. I look forward to getting to know and collaborating with local, national, and international communities that Light Work has supported for decades while building future collaborations with artists from all over the globe.”
Whitney Hubbs was born in Los Angeles, CA, and lives in Syracuse, NY. Hubbs received her BFA in Photography from the California College of the Arts in 2005 and an MFA in Photography from University of California in Los Angeles in 2009. She has exhibited both nationally and internationally in commercial galleries, artist-run spaces, non-profits, and institutions. These include Arturo Bandini (Los Angeles), California Museum of Photography (Riverside), Fahrenheit Madrid (Madrid, Spain), Karl Marx Studio (Paris, France), M+B Gallery (Los Angeles), No Gallery (New York City), P. Bibeau (New York City), Silver Eye Center for Photography (Pittsburgh), Situations Gallery (New York City), and The J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles). Public collections holding Hubbs’ work include the California Museum of Photography, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and The J. Paul Getty Museum. Hesse Press published her first book, Woman in Motion, in 2017 and she published her second book, Say So, with Self Publish Be Happy Editions in 2021. Publications featuring her work include Artforum, Bomb Magazine, Frieze, The New Yorker, and most recently in Charlotte Cotton’s seminal book, The Photograph as Contemporary Art. Hubbs is represented by M+B Gallery in Los Angeles and Situations Gallery in New York City.
Hubbs was an associate professor of Photography at Alfred University, Faculty Fellow with Image Text Ithaca’s MFA Program, and Visiting Critic and Lecturer at University of California in San Diego, University of Oregon, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Yale.
Robert B. Menschel (1929-2022): In Memoriam
/in Newsimage: Robert B. Menschel, family, and friends celebrate the dedication of the Robert B. Menschel Media Center at Syracuse University in 2001. From left: Ed Bleier, William Safire, Joyce Menschel, Jeffrey Hoone, Robert B. Menschel, Martin Zausner, Dr. Mort Lacher, and Carrie Mae Weems.
—
ROBERT B. MENSCHEL (1929-2022) — With profound sadness, we share the news of the passing of our good friend and long-time supporter, Robert B. Menschel, on Thursday, May 27, 2022, at the age of 92.
His generosity and support over a lifetime enabled Light Work to flourish as a photography organization that supported emerging artists as it became a leader in the field and a model for artists’ support across the country. Bob was there every step of the way with advice, encouragement, and generosity. He was passionate about photography. His enthusiasm for the work of individual artists was clear as he beamed about their work when he saw it in an exhibition or a publication. In many cases, his support made those projects possible, while his enthusiasm always gave us the encouragement to do our best. There would be no Light Work without Bob Menschel and we will dearly miss and long remember him.
Robert B. Menschel was an investment banker, avid art collector, and philanthropist. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Robert’s partner, Janet Wallach, his son, David, his daughter, Lauren, son-in-law Vance Jacobs, grandsons Adler Menschel Jacobs and Devin Menschel Jacobs, his former wife, Joyce Frank Menschel, his brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Ronay Menschel, and nieces Charis, Sabina and Celene.
Menschel was an alum of the College of Business Administration at Syracuse University (’51) and an Honorary Trustee (’91) of the institution for more than twenty-three years. He provided significant support and leadership to the University and was a major sustaining supporter of Light Work and the Urban Video Project.
Menschel joined Goldman Sachs in 1954. He became a partner in 1968 and continued at Goldman Sachs as a senior director until his retirement in 1988. Only Menschel’s passion for philanthropy and advocacy surpassed his brilliance for business and ingenuity. Light Work is honored to have benefited from his generosity and commitment to being a change agent through his Vital Projects Fund and numerous philanthropic initiatives.
A recipient of the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, along with his brother Richard L. Menschel in 2015, Bob believed in Carnegie’s philosophy that wealth carries an inherent responsibility to contribute to the world’s betterment and a more just society. Reflecting on this shared vision in his acceptance speech, Menschel said,
Jeffrey Hoone, former executive director of Light Work and the Coalition of Museum and Art Centers, spoke to the significance of Menschel’s steadfast support and championing of Light Work’s mission.
The news of Menschel’s passing prompts fond memories of his visit to Syracuse in May 2001 for the dedication of the Robert B. Menschel Media Center. Menschel, his brother Richard, and other friends and family traveled to Syracuse to open a newly renovated Light Work facility that included three galleries, state-of-the-art darkroom and digital imaging equipment, residency studios, collection storage, and administrative offices. Menschel’s gift of $3.2 million to support the Center set a new standard for naming gifts at the University as well as set a high standard for design excellence. Menschel persuaded noted architect Richard Meier and celebrated artist and SU alum Sol LeWitt to contribute design elements and artwork to the Center, which SU alum and architect Mike Wolniack designed. This renovation was a key moment in Light Work’s history that allowed us to offer unique access to photographic works through exhibitions, Contact Sheet periodicals, and support to countless emerging and under-represented artists from around the world.
The support that Robert B. Menschel provided to Light Work and a wide range of other arts organizations is humbling. His philanthropy enriched lives and significantly amplified underrecognized voices. It’s impossible to express our unending gratitude. On behalf of Light Work’s staff and board members, we express profound thanks to Robert B. Menschel and the Menschel family. He leaves behind a legacy of passionate lifelong advocacy, unwavering commitment to transformative change, and an immeasurable generosity that will benefit the world for years to come.
Light Work Announces 2022 Grants in Photography
/in NewsLight Work announces the 48th annual Light Work Grants in Photography. The 2022 award recipients are Carlton Daniel, Jr., Lacey McKinney, and Sarah Phyllis Smith. Additionally, judges awarded Honorable Mentions to Bridget Badore, Christine Chin, and Joshua Ives. The Light Work Grants in Photography are part of Light Work’s ongoing effort to provide support and encouragement to Central New York artists working in photography within a fifty-mile radius of Syracuse. Daniel and McKinney hail from Syracuse in Onondaga County and Smith from Utica in Oneida County.
Established in 1975, the Light Work Grants program is one of the longest-running photography fellowships in the country. Each recipient receives a $3,000 stipend and appears in Contact Sheet: The Light Work Annual. A group exhibition of grant recipients’ work will be on view in the Hallway Gallery as part of the opening exhibition for the Fall 2022 season. This year’s judges were Ryan Arthurs (visual artist, curator, and founder of Rivalry Projects) and Tara Johnson (Visuals Director at Vanity Fair).
Light Work is pleased to announce this year’s grant recipients: