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Ways of Making: Photography Exhibit at GSU


D.N. Chicago - 2009 by Myra Green
“D.N. Chicago”, 2009 by Myra Green of Chicago, from the series "My White Friends." 20×20 archival ink jet print. (SUPPLIED)

University Park, IL-(ENEWSPF)- The Visual Arts Gallery at Governors State University will present “Ways of Making: Photography,” featuring the work of artists Myra Green and Cecil McDonald, Jr., from January 9 to February 3, 2012. A closing reception celebrating the exhibition will be held on Thursday, February 2, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The exhibit and the reception are free and open to the public.

Independent curator and photographer Susan Aurinko worked with Gallery Director Jeff Stevenson to identify photographers who are using the medium in a variety of ways, and exploring techniques, narratives, and subjects that would resonate with GSU students and the community.

“We are seeking to infuse the classroom experience with creative energy by presenting our students and the community with work by professional artists who are innovators in their field” said Stevenson.

Myra Greene received her BFA from Washington University in St. Louis and her MFA in photography from the University of New Mexico. Her work uses photographic processes to engage issues about the body, memory, the absorption of culture, and the ever-shifting identity of African-Americans. Her work has been exhibited nationally in galleries and museums including Museum of the African Diaspora, in San Francisco; Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, in Atlanta; and Sculpture Center, in New York. Greene is the recipient of the 2009 Illinois Arts Council Fellowship in Photography. She lives in Chicago and is an Assistant Professor of Photography at Columbia College Chicago.

Cecil McDonald Jr. grew up on the South side of Chicago where an appreciation of art was encouraged by a creative mother and influenced by the burgeoning DJ culture, House music, and the dance club scene. These influences led McDonald to study fashion and merchandising at Columbia College Chicago, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. In his studies, he discovered the camera’s creative capabilities and capacity to expand his artistic vision. He continued his studies at Columbia College and earned a Master of Fine Arts in Photography in 2006.

“Ways of Making: Photography” is the second in a series of exhibitions that highlighting the art making practices taught in GSU’s art program. The series began with an exhibit on the “Ways of Making Paper.” Additional exhibits exploring the intricacies, methods, and some of the secrets of artistic creativity are planned. This series is made possible in part by a grant from the GSU intellectual Life Committee.

Governors State University is located at 1 University Parkway in University Park. The Visual Arts Gallery is open Mondays and Wednesdays, from 5 to 7 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 1 to 9 p.m.; Fridays, from 5 to 9 p.m.; and by appointment.

For more information, call (708) 534-4021or visit www.govst.edu/gallery.


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