This Is My World: Juried Student Exhibition 2024
June 6 to 30, 2024
Art Hop Reception: June 6, 2024 • 5 – 8 PM
Friday Photography Live Presentation: June 21, 2024 • 7 PM
Closing Reception: June 30, 2024 • 1 – 5 PM
Photography encourages self-expression and creativity and can build confidence as well as a sense of individual identity. It can also help to develop critical thinking and the ability to interpret the world around us. Images for the student exhibition should be personal, meaningful, and indicative of identity. The process of photographic image making — from choosing subject matter to discovering new ways of manipulating light — requires “focus.” This very process of observing and creating, is, by nature, a meditative task that draws you into a mindful, peaceful state. In this sense, students can use their photography practice as a tool to curate and reframe the world around them.
It is with immense pride and joy that we extend a heartfelt congratulations to each and every one of these students on the success of this photo exhibition. Their creativity, passion, and dedication have culminated in a remarkable showcase of talent that not only captures the beauty of the world around us but also tells compelling stories through the lens of their cameras.
This exhibition is more than just a display of photographs; it is a testament of their hard work, artistic vision, and the courage to express themselves in unique and powerful ways. Each image reflects their individual perspectives and the collective spirit of their groups, highlighting the diversity and richness of our Central Valley community.
As you all continue to pursue your artistic endeavors, remember that you are not only creating art but also carrying on the important legacy of the photographic arts. Art has the power to inspire, to challenge, to provoke thought, and to evoke emotions. It bridges gaps between cultures, speaks truths that words cannot, and leaves an indelible mark on society.
By embracing your roles as artists, you are contributing to a tradition that spans centuries and transcends boundaries. You are the torchbearers of creativity and innovation, and your work will undoubtedly inspire future generations to see the world through fresh eyes and with open hearts.
Thank you for sharing your talents with us and for reminding us of the beauty and power of artistic expression. Congratulations on this outstanding achievement, and may this be the first of many successes in your artistic journeys.
Jurors:
Sandee Scott
Sandee expresses her passion for creativity through pastel painting, alcohol ink, cold wax and oil, mixed media projects, and photography. Her artwork has received recognition and won awards in local exhibits and she has been a participating artist in Sierra Art Trails since 2014. Additionally, she has felt honored to have her mixed media pieces accepted in recent Yosemite Renaissance exhibits. Her work can be seen intermittently at various venues sponsored by Yosemite Sierra Artists.
Dean Taylor
Over the last forty-five years his passion for photography has led him on
numerous photographic adventures. The majority of his photographic knowledge has come from participating in numerous workshops and seminars, and attending local camera club meetings, listening to and learning from guest judge’s critiques of his own and other’s images. He feels that whatever insight and photographic artistry he has accrued is a direct result of those sharing experiences. His experience as a photography judge includes judging for numerous camera clubs, camera club councils, county fairs, local photography shows, fine-arts organization’s gallery shows, and various Photographic Society of America sponsored international salons.
Steve Dzerigian
Weaving history, philosophy, and the natural world with artmaking, Steve Dzerigian adopted photography as his primary investigative and contemplative tool. The activities of photography and teaching it became his life’s work. He instructed field workshops for the University of California, Santa Cruz Extension from 1977 through 2007. For the Ansel Adams Gallery Photography Workshop in Yosemite, from 1984 to 1990, he was an assistant instructor and served as director one of those years. In 2002, he was co-coordinator for the “Ansel Adams Centennial Symposium in Yosemite, Edges and Intersections: The Evolution of Change”. Devoted to facilitating art and education in Central California for more than forty-five years, he has served as curator, juror, and consultant for many exhibitions, competitions, and media events, in addition to teaching photography full-time at Fresno City College.