For an academician whose studies have centered on the geologic record, Richard Ashmore’s other avocation is beginning to rock a different world. Six of his photographic images were recently selected for display in Illuminance, a national competitive exhibition featuring photographic work from across the nation.
The competition and exhibition will be held Feb. 6 to April 21, 2007 at the Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock to promote the contemporary visual arts.
Four of Ashmore’s panoramic images were selected along with two images he took of Cameron, La., after Hurricane Rita.
“It would have been nice just to have one image selected,” Ashmore, an adjunct professor in geology at Lamar University said. “To have so many selected, it blew me away.”
The center will publish a catalog of the works shown in the exhibition for distribution to museum curators and gallery directors nationwide. “It is quite an honor to have your work published in an exhibition catalog,” Ashmore said.
After graduating from Lamar in 1998 as a Plummer Award recipient, Ashmore pursued his master’s of geology degree at Texas Tech University, from which he earned a degree in 2003. The next year he joined the faculty at Lamar as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences. Today, he is pursuing his doctoral degree in biology at Texas Tech.
As a student at Lamar, Ashmore was selected as one of only 20 college students nationwide to be named to USA Today’s All-USA College Academic Team. No stranger to academic success, the dual major in earth science and geology also received honors from the American Association of Community Colleges for his excellence in research and was named to the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.
Now, he is artfully pursuing a passion for photography and earning welcome accolades for his work. It was in his role as a photographer and videographer on a Lamar University geology research team at Big Bend that he realized a passion for capturing images. Later, on a Lamar geology trip to Yellowstone National Park, he began experimenting with panoramic photos.
“The scenery was so great and overpowering that I couldn’t capture the entire scene in a standard 35 mm photo,” he said.
“Nothing is small about these prints,” Ashmore said. As meticulous in his art as he is in his science, Ashmore spends considerable effort and time ensuring his limited edition prints are the best they can be. He also goes to considerable pains to ensure they arrive safely to their destination. He plans to deliver the prints personally, after safely sandwiching them between two inflatable mattresses in his car for the long drive from Beaumont.
Ashmore was particularly happy to learn that some of his panoramic images were selected. It is so expensive to produce these over-sized images that he seldom gets to see them beyond the computer screen.
“Getting to see it in print is like welcoming a child into the world,” he said. “It’s quite an experience.”
The Buddy Holly Center features 2,500 square feet of gallery space dedicated to the presentation of changing contemporary visual arts programs. Numerous professional artists and photographers have been selected to participate in the exhibits over its 18-year history.
The juror of this year’s show is Cliff Deal, director of Louisiana State Museum’s Baton Rouge division. With 15 years of experience in museums and a career as a professional photographer, Deal has show artwork in several juried art exhibits and has served as a curator for a number of photographic exhibits in Louisiana.
