Artist Showcase: Images by Jane Walker

Artist Showcase: Images by Jane Walker
March 16–April 16, 2009
Spoken-Word Poetry Performance and Gallery Reception: April 9, 2009, 5:30–8:00pm

Light Work is pleased to announce the exhibition Artist Showcase: Images by Jane Walker on view in the Community Darkrooms Gallery. The images in this exhibition capture portraits of people with their animals. Walker grew up in Corning and has lived in the Finger Lakes region of New York most of her life. Her deep connection with the people and the land inform her environmental portraits of people and their pets.

According to Walker, there are three elements central to each of the images in this exhibition—the place, the person, and the animal. She states, “The most enjoyable aspect of this portrait process has been the time spent with the people. I slow down, think about who they are and see them. All my human subjects have been open and cooperative, patiently waiting as I attempt to get the image I want. Animals are not quite as accommodating, but they do help the person relax by sharing the spotlight. When I see my subject in a print, a persona I had not seen before will often emerge. It is that essence of the person I try to capture.”

Jane Walker lives in Freeville, NY with her husband, two daughters, five dogs, six canaries, toad, flock of chickens, herd of goats, a cat and, during the summer, turkeys, pigs, and a vegetable garden, all of which contribute to her passion for photographing people with their animals.

Light Work will feature an evening with the artists on April 9 from 5:30 to 8:00pm. The evening will begin with a spoken-word poetry performance by Verbal Blend, followed by a question and answer session with Admas Habteslasie, whose Limbo series is on view in Light Work’s main gallery. This event will be followed by a gallery reception. Verbal Blend is a spoken-word poetry program sponsored by Syracuse University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, designed to enhance participants’ confidence in writing and performing original poems. For this event, a group of SU students, high school students, and community members have prepared spoken-word performances in response to Habteslasie’s images.

Also on view at this time is As it Happens: Artists-in-Residence at Light Work. This exhibition, curated by Syracuse University Museum Studies graduate student Josh Brilliant, features work by participants in Light Work’s Artist-in-Residence program. The exhibition celebrates Light Work’s commitment to supporting emerging and under-recognized artists by featuring work that has been donated to the Light Work Collection by participants in the program. Artists included in this exhibition include Kelli Connell, Cristina Fraire, Tony Gleaton, Suzanne Mejean, Peggy Nolan, Christine Osinski, and Amy Stein.

Gallery hours for these exhibitions are Sunday to Friday, 10am–6pm, and by appointment. To schedule an appointment, please call 315-443-1300. Both the exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. Paid parking is available in the Marion Parking Lot and Booth Garage.

Light Work invites groups and individuals to schedule tours and gallery talks of the exhibition and facility. Light Work is a non-profit, artist-run organization dedicated to the support of artists working in photography and electronic media. Light Work is a member of CMAC, the Coalition of Museum and Art Centers at Syracuse University.

For more information about any of these exhibitions, please contact Jessica Heckman at Light Work, 315-443-1300 or jhheckma@syr.edu.

**Digital press images and image information from both exhibitions are available upon request.