They submitted more than a thousand prints from across the nation. There were quite a few international entries. But when the selection process was complete, only 59 photos made the cut. The finalists of the annual Texas Photographic Society Members’ Only show will be displayed at the Dishman Art Museum on the campus of Lamar University until Feb. 20, 2009.
The Texas Photographic Society is a nonprofit organization that supports contemporary photography. With more than 1,400 active members from 49 states and 12 countries, TPS is dedicated to furthering the artistic development of its members and promoting contemporary photography to the public.
Keith Carter, Lamar University art professor, had the difficult task of choosing finalists for the juried art show.
“It was so hard to do,” Carter says. “All the pictures were so good, and photography can be very subjective. Ultimately, I was looking for well-crafted photographs that explored social, human or popular culture contexts.”
The first place winner was submitted by Deborah Bay of Houston. “Jacob’s Ladder” depicts a young girl thoughtfully contemplating a ladder leading up to a swirling night sky.
“The winning photograph was digitally based art that appeared to deal with the interaction of the ever-expanding technical world with that of the human world,” Carter explains.
The second place finalist was “Boy and Dog,” by Ashton Thornhill of Lubbock, and third place went to “Meadow Play” by Bob Smith of Waco.
“Jacob’s Ladder,” as well as all the other show finalists, is on display at the Dishman. A free reception for the exhibit will be held from 7 – 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30, and will feature a “Gallery Talk” by Carter at 7:45 p.m. He will also sign copies of his latest photography book, “A Certain Alchemy” at the reception.
Keith Carter is an internationally recognized photographer and educator. This year, Carter will receive the Texas Medal of Arts Award, as well as the Artist of the Year Award from both the Southeast Texas Arts Council and the Cultural Arts Council of Houston. He is the recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts Regional Survey Grants and was the subject of an arts profile on the CBS program Sunday Morning in 1997. A year later, he received Lamar’s highest teaching honor, the University Professor Award, and was named the Lamar University Distinguished Lecturer.
The Dishman Art Museum is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free of charge. For more information, please call (409) 880-8959, or visit the museum online at www.lamar.edu/dishman.
