What an adventure it would be to spend nearly two weeks this summer exploring and photographing the stunning beauty of northwestern Wyoming, including Yellowstone Park, the Grand Tetons and the National Elk Refuge.
The West Virginia University College of Creative Arts is once again offering its summer program in photography, led by Michael Sherwin, assistant professor of photography and intermedia, from June 16-26.
The Jackson Hole Photography Workshop is a ten-day intensive field course that explores the diverse and remote region of northwestern Wyoming. The workshop partners with the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts in the heart of downtown Jackson, Wyo., as its home base. Daily photo excursions exploring this stunning region will be complemented by darkroom and digital work sessions, critiques of work in progress, gallery visits, and evening presentations.
The size of the workshop is limited and the registration deadline is April 15. To view pictures and stories from the 2010 Jackson Hole Workshop, go to: http://jhphotoworkshop.blogspot.com.
The workshop covers a broad range of photographic practices and principles, with an emphasis on instruction targeted to the individual level of the student. Primary instruction includes the use of digital and 35mm film cameras, along with color inkjet or black-and-white darkroom processes. However, students also have the opportunity to explore work in medium and large format cameras, as well as alternative processes.
“Throughout the workshop, students will be encouraged to experiment with various forms of image making,” Sherwin said. “Subject matter may vary from interpretation of the landscape, to nature studies, to social documentary and portraiture.”
Among the locations to be visited are: Grand Teton National Park; Yellowstone National Park; the National Elk Refuge; the towns of Jackson and Kelly, Wyoming; the historic Mormon Row homestead site; a working ranch and an authentic western rodeo.
Surrounded by pristine wilderness and iconic American landscapes such as Grand Teton and Yellowstone National parks, along with a definitive Western identity, the Jackson Hole area has attracted photographers from around the world. A number of well-known landscape and wildlife photographers have successfully established galleries in downtown Jackson, and in recent years the contemporary art world has taken notice.
Due to its thriving art scene and strong support for the arts, the town opened the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts in 2004. Participants in the workshop have access to the center’s state-of-the-art photography facility. The 820-square-foot studio is fully equipped with the latest traditional and digital darkroom tools and technology.
Sherwin received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography from The Ohio State University in 1999 and a Master of Fine Arts in photography from the University of Oregon in Eugene in 2004. After eight years in the Northwest, he returned to the East in 2007 to teach at WVU. In his own work, Sherwin combines still images with video and installation pieces that investigate the tenuous relationship between humans and the natural world. He has won numerous grants and awards for his work, and has been exhibited widely. He has taught a variety of photography and digital imaging courses at community art centers and institutions across the country, including the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts, The University of Oregon and Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash. He is also an active and participating member of the Society for Photographic Education and the College Art Association.
The Jackson Hole Photography Workshop is offered through the Extended Learning office at WVU, which enables students from other universities and the general public to enroll in the course and receive college credit. No prior photographic experience is necessary for students participating in the workshop. Cameras and tripods are available for student use, including several new Canon digital SLR’s. Some paper, film and other darkroom equipment is also provided. The workshop is offered for three credits and is graded optionally.
Enrollment is strictly limited to 12 students to ensure a significant amount of one-on-one instruction and attention. To be considered for the 2011 workshop, an application and $500 deposit is required prior to the April 15 registration deadline.
For more information, or to download an application form, visit: http://art.ccarts.wvu.edu/jhpw. Students may also contact Sherwin at (304) 293-3839, or email Michael.Sherwin@mail.wvu.edu.
-WVU-
CONTACT: Michael Sherwin, College of Creative Arts
304-293-3839; Michael.Sherwin@mail.wvu.edu
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