Director's Statement
The Susquehanna Art Museum proudly presents our second juried exhibition of photography by artists working and living in Pennsylvania, Photography As Fine Art II. This exhibition was the vision of Clyde Mills McGeary, artist, educator and author – and founder of the Susquehanna Art Museum. In doing so, he hoped to create a critical dialogue about photography as an art.
Nearly a hundred years ago, Alfred Stieglitz did much to elevate photography from an “industrial art” to a “fine art.” Today, with changes in technology having a great impact on the photographic process, we continue to debate the role of photography as an artistic medium, the implications of print versus digital, and the challenges in distinguishing between the hobby and the art form. Another important question was raised in the essay by Tom Beck, the Photography As Fine Art II exhibition juror, who details the search for beauty in it all. The Artistic Statements of the thirty-three photographers featured in this exhibition reveal the differing quests and conclusions of their search.
The enthusiastic response of the photographic community to the Susquehanna Art Museum’s call for entries (with over 200 works submitted for consideration) speaks to the broad interest in the theme and media. The diversity of those submissions in medium, matter and geography shows the universality of the interest. It also made the work of exhibition juror Tom Beck a true challenge as he narrowed the exhibited works to fifty-four.
The Susquehanna Art Museum would like to thank Tom Beck for his thoughtful deliberations. The Museum would also like to thank the other symposium panelists: Paula Chamlee, Michael Smith, Gary Dwight Miller, and Bryson Leidich for helping us all engage in this critical debate.
The Museum would also like to recognize the work of the organizing committee: Al Holliday, Ellen Siddons, and Andrew Hoff and the catalogue design work of Jeremy Lyon.
The Susquehanna Art Museum is able to present this exhibition with the underwriting support of the Glatfelter Family Foundation. All 2007 exhibitions at the Susquehanna Art Museum are supported by the Museum’s members, the McCormick Family Foundation, Cultural Enrichment Fund, and the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts. The Museum would also like to thank the prize sponsors: Gannett Fleming, the Harrisburg Camera Club, and the West Shore Camera Club and all of the donors to the exhibition.
Most importantly, the Museum thanks you for sharing in the debate.
Corinne Topper
Executive Director
May 2007