West Virginia University music professor David Bess, who has a second career as a professional photographer, has an exhibition of his work at the Fairfax Coffee House in Berkeley Springs, W.Va., through the end of June.
The exhibit features 17 nature and landscape photos, taken mostly in West Virginia.
“The photographs in this exhibit represent my inner journey from a world governed by fear, mandate, judgment and illusion, to a world of peace, love, beauty, and creativity,” Dr. Bess said.
Bess is associate professor of music education at WVU and served as chair of the Division of Music from July 2000 through June 2007, assistant chair of Undergraduate Studies in Music from July 1997 through June 2000, and coordinator of the Music Education Program from June 1995 through June 1997.
He joined the music education faculty in August 1987 after nine years of high school band directing experience in West Virginia and three years as a graduate assistant at WVU. During his tenure as a faculty member, he has earned three Division of Music Distinguished Service Awards, two West Virginia Music Educators Association Presidential Awards, and he has served as president of the association.
In addition to his 36-year career in music education, Bess has had a passion for photography since he was in high school, when he served as a yearbook photographer at Berea Community School in Kentucky, a publicity and group photographer for the West Virginia State Baptist Camp, and won first-place awards for his black-and-white portraits and landscapes at the Kentucky State Fair.
He estimates that he produced more than 10,000 8×10 photographs in his darkroom during his high school years.
More recently, he has taken student portraits for the popular Division of Music Recruitment Calendar and provided a number of photographs for College of Creative Arts publications and websites.
His photos have been displayed and sold in solo shows at Slight Indulgence II in Morgantown, the Mountain Laurel Gallery in Berkeley Springs and the Deep Creek Gourmet Shoppe in McHenry, Md.
He also teaches a popular class in digital photography at the Creative Arts Center, through the WVU Community Art Program, and is active as a wedding/event and portrait photographer.
Introduction to Digital Photography
July 12-28
Tuesdays & Thursdays
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Room 438, Creative Arts Center
Instructor: David Bess
Ages 13 to adult
Learn how to get the most out of your digital camera. In this informative class, students will learn how to most effectively and efficiently capture those once in a lifetime moments. This course will emphasize basic photographic skills including equipment, lenses, focusing, ISO, depth of field, shooting modes, using artificial light, composition, and basic editing on computer. Students must provide their own digital cameras. Students' cameras must have the capacity for shooting in the following exposure modes: aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and manual.
Info: 304-293-4077; e-mail: Patsy.Weaver@mail.wvu.edu.
He is the founder and current president of the Morgantown Photography Club.
Bess is thankful to the folks associated with the Fairfax Coffee House and the Mountain Laurel Gallery for giving him this wonderful opportunity to exhibit his work.
Registration for Bess’ summer class in Digital Photography, which starts the week of July 11, is going on now.
Students interested in registering for the class should call the WVU Community Art Program office at (304) 293-4077.
For more information about the exhibition, contact Bess at Davidbess4@gmail.com or 304-296-8265.
See more of Bess’ photos at www.flickr.com/photos/davidbess/
Info: www.fairfaxcoffeehouse.com/
-WVU-
CONTACT: Charlene Lattea, College of Creative Arts
304-293-4359, Charlene.Lattea@mail.wvu.edu
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