Art Wolfe to Talk at Opening of Conservation Photography Exhibit at Burke Museum
Opening Day: International Conservation Photography Awards
Sat., June 19, 2010, 11 am – 4 pm
Seattle – A new summer exhibit at the Burke Museum opens on June 19 and will present the winning photographs and honorable mentions from the 2010 International Conservation Photography Awards (ICP Awards). The exhibit will remain on view until September 6, 2010.
On Opening Day, the Burke Museum will host renowned conservation photographer Art Wolfe for two afternoon talks titled “The Spirit of Conservation Photography.” Over the course of his 30-year career, Wolfe has captured stunning images of the world’s fast-disappearing wildlife, landscapes, and cultures. 1997, Wolfe established the The International Conservation Photography Awards competition and has served as its guiding force ever since.
Also on Opening Day, Cynthia Hall, ICP Awards juror, will lead informal tours of the exhibit and discuss her responses to the photographs and address the question, “what makes a photograph award winning?”
Opening Day schedule
11 am – Exhibit tour with Cynthia Hall
12:15 pm – Exhibit tour with Cynthia Hall
1 pm – “The Spirit of Conservation Photography” with Art Wolfe
2:30 pm – “The Spirit of Conservation Photography” with Art Wolfe
International Conservation Photography Awards features over 75 of the best in conservation photographs from around the world in the following categories: Landscape, Flora, Wildlife, Underwater, Environment at Risk, Student, Community at Risk, which focuses on environmental threats to urban areas, Documenting a Conservation Project, which features images from photographers who have personal involvement in an ongoing conservation project, and Puget Sound at Risk, a regional category sponsored by the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance.
Announcing the Results of the 2010 Independent Publisher Book Awards. Independent authors and publishers are passionate about getting their messages out, and they are changing the world, one book at a time.
Art is very pleased to be a contributing photographer to the iLCP’s Gold winner in the Environment/Ecology/Naturecategory, The Wealth of Nature: Ecosystem Services, Biodiversity, and Human Well-Being, by Cristina G. Mittermeier, Jeffrey A. McNeely, Russell A. Mittermeier, Thomas M. Brooks, Frederick Boltz, Neville Ash. (CEMEX)
Special congratulations go to Amy Gulick for winning a Silver in the Environment/Ecology/Nature category for Salmon in the Trees: Life in Alaska’s Tongass Rain Forest (Braided River)
And to photographer James Martin for his special award for the book “Most Likely to Save the Planet”: Planet Ice: A Climate for Change, with essays by Yvon Chouinard, Gino Casassa, Richard Alley, Ian Stirling, Nick Jans, Broughton Coburn, and Gretel Ehrlich (Braided River)
On May 27, 2010, Art presented his multimedia show “Between Heaven and Earth” at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall. This show would not have been possible without wonderful fan support and generous sponsorship by Donovan’s Kenmore Camera (www.kenmorecamera.com) and Canon USA (www.usa.canon.com). Even Tom Skerritt showed up to kindly introduce Art.
Wondering what the giant sea lion nose is on the screen behind the presenters? The International Conservation Photography Awards exhibit will be at Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture (www.burkemuseum.org) June 19-September 6, 2010. Art will be giving two talks on opening day, June 19. For more information: http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/event/icpa_openingday/
For 40 years the Washington Environmental Council (WEC) has been a strong voice for environmental protection in Washington. Their collaborative leadership and forward thinking reforms have helped protect the people and natural areas of Washington and created models for change now used around the nation.
Art is proud to support WEC and its important environmental mission.
Recently, I had the pleasure of attending Art Wolfe’s The Art of Composition seminar in New York. Mr. Wolfe is currently presenting in a number of cities across the US and Canada. Those living in the New York City area are fortunate, in that many photographers come through on the lecture circuit. Whenever I can make the time, I try to attend these seminars, as one always learns something from each speaker. I have been a fan of Mr. Wolfe’s work for years, and made sure I kept the day free for his seminar.
Mr. Wolfe’s six-hour seminar was very different from others that I have attended. Rather than spending time on the nuts and bolts of photography, Art focused on the artistry of the craft. Trained as a painter, and an educator, Mr. Wolfe tackled subjects that are very hard to teach, namely, inspiration, passion, vision, and ultimately, composition. The first lecture of the day was more art theory class than photography lecture. It made you really THINK about the images presented. What Mr. Wolfe spent the day doing, was giving his students a new set of tools to help SEE a photograph.
Mr. Wolfe is an engaging speaker, and with his background in television with “Travels to the Edge”, knows how to hold an audience and work with it. It made for a well paced day. Art drew on almost four decades of images, shot in literally every corner of the globe. The breadth of geography and subject matter was truly impressive. Although Mr. Wolfe made his name in wildlife and nature photography, his cultural photography, still lifes, and abstract compositions show his true breadth as an artist. Drawing on the sheer scale of this body of work allowed the seminar participant to see a concept illustrated across a number of photographic disciplines, allowing one to see how lessons were relevant to their own photography.
If you live near one of the cities where Art will be speaking next, I highly recommend taking the time to attend this seminar. Photographers of all skill levels can learn something from a true master of the craft.
Trevor Peterson is a passionate photographer, whose work focuses primarily on cultural photography. Unfortunately, his photography frequently has to take a back seat to his primary career as a private equity professional.
