Artist Statement
My interest in photography began at age sixteen in the basement of my West Texas home, where my father showed me the magic of developing photographic prints. He also bought me my very first camera, a Nikkormat, which I still have. I went on to study art and photography at the University of New Mexico. It was a wonderful place to study photography. In fact, I return to New Mexico each summer to spend time soaking up its beautiful light and spirituality, each of which helps me to see more clearly through the camera lens.
While I am grateful for my father’s influence, and I am aware that even my own images capture memories as did his, photography also reveals to me the oddities that life presents - a kind of balance versus unbalance. Balance is peaceful, unbalance scary and disruptive, and the space in between can be somewhat illuminating and ironic at times. I had a friend once ask me why I didn’t just put down the camera so I could see life better. I do not think he understood that photography actually helps me see better.
Awards and Honors
2024, Second Place, “Colorscapes," Exhibition, Photo Artfolio online gallery, Julia Cumes, Founder
2023, Honorable Mention, New York Center for Photographic Art, One, Juror: Paula Tognarelli
2021, Honorable Mention, Dallas Center for Photography, Light 2021, Juror: John Langmore
2019, First Place, Texas Photographic Society, (TPS) 28: The International Competition 2019, Juror: Arthur Meyerson
2018, 8th Place out of 1900 entries, The 2018 Photo Review International Photography Competition, Juror: Sarah Meister
2017, Juror’s Honorable Mention, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Portraits 2017, Juror: Karen Marks
2016, Honorable Mention, New York Center for Photographic Art, Primary Colors 2016, Juror: Ann M. Jastrab
2016, Honorable Mention, New York Center for Photographic Art, Interiors 2016, Juror: Stephen Perloff
2015, Juror’s Selection, New York Center for Photographic Art, Wandering Curves 2015, Juror: Debra Klomp Ching
2014, Runner-up in the Go Indie 2014, Emerging Photographer Spring Issue 2014 Jurors: PND and Sony
2013, Best Two Dimensional Prize, The Mitchell Gallery, St. Johns College, Less is More: Small Works in a Great Space Jurors: Joanne G. Moser and Jack Rasmussen
2013, First Place, MPLS Photo Center, Picture This: What We Photograph 2013, Juror: Cig Harvey
2011, Honorable Mention on 3 pieces, Texas National 2011, Stephen F. Austin State University, Cole Art Center Juror: James Drake
2011, Semi-Finalist in categories, Relationship and Goals, Project Imagin8ion, 2011 Jurors: Ron Howard and Canon
Selected Exhibitions
2024
“Colorscapes," Exhibition, Photo Artfolio, online gallery, Julia Cumes, Founder, Boston, MA
2023
"Texas Photographic Society's 35th Annual Member Only Show", Juror: Keith Carter, Center for Contemporary Arts, Abilene, TX
"One 2023", Juror: Paula Tognarelli, New York Center for Photographic Art, New York, NY
"TPS 31:The International Exhibition", Juror: Charlotte Cotton, Texas Photographic Society, The University Permian Basin, Nancy Fyfe Cardozier Gallery, Odessa, TX
2022
"3rd Annual Members' Exhibition", Juror: Michael Mulvey, Dallas Center for Photography, Dallas, TX
2021
"Liminal", Juror: Jennifer Gillia Cutshall, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR
"Femalia", Juror: Elizabeth Finsch, Praxis Gallery, Mineapolis, MN
"Light", Juror: John Langmore, Dallas Center for Photography, Dallas, TX
2020
"Picturing Home", Juror: Nancy Borowick, Dallas Center for Photography, Dallas,TX
"Contrast", Juror: Executive Director Peter Poulides, Dallas Center for Photography, Dallas, TX
"small works", Juror: Kevin Tully, A Smith Gallery, Johnson City, TX
2019
"The Found Object", International Juried Exhibition, Juror: Aline Smithson, Praxis Gallery and Photographic Arts Center, Minneapolis, MN
"Urban Landscape", Juror: Jamey Stillings, Texas Photographic Society, The Silos at Sawyers Yard, Houston, TX
"Dia de los Muertos, Catrina and Other Memorable Ladies", Juror: Enrique Fernández Cervantes, Bath House Cultural Center, Dallas, TX
"Texas Photographic Society (TPS) 28: The International Competition 2019," Juror: Arthur Meyerson, Art League of Baytown Gallery, Baytown, Texas, also traveling to Center for Contemporary Art, Abilene, TX., and Odessa College, Odessa, Texas
2018
"The 2018 Photo Review International Photography Competition", Juror: Sarah Meister, Photography Curator, Museum of Modern Art, University of the Arts Photography Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
“FotoTexas II, 2018: People, Places & Culture”, Texas Photographic Society, Juror: Laura Wilson, Museum of the Big Bend, Alpine, TX
2017
“Wandering Curves 2017”, Juror: Ellen Denuto, New York Center for Photographic Art, New York, NY
"Portraits 2017", Juror: Karen Marks, The Center For Fine Art Photography, Ft. Collins, CO
2016
“Primary Colors 2016", Juror: Ann M. Jastrab, New York Center For Photographic Art, New York, NY
"Portraiture: Photography Now", 2016, Juror: Kelli Pennington, Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR
"Texas National 2016", Juror: Abelardo Morell, Stephen F. Austin State University, Cole Art Cntr., Nacogdoches, TX
"Black and White: 2016", Juror: Todd Johnson, Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR
"Seities and Selves", 2016, Juror: Aline Smithson, Darkroom Gallery, Essex Junction, VT
“Interiors”, 2016, Juror: Stephen Perloff, New York Center For Photographic Art, New York, NY
2015
"2015 Photo Review International Competition", online web show, Stephen Perloff, Langhorne, PA
"Wandering Curves", 2015, Juror: Debra Klomp Ching, New York Center For Photographic Art, New York, NY
“Texas National 2015”, Juror: Zhi Lin, Stephen F. Austin State University, Cole Art Center, Nacogdoches, TX
"Portraits 2015", Juror: Debra Klomp Ching, The Center For Fine Art Photography, Ft. Collins, CO
2014
"The Dark Side: Night Photography Exhibition 2014", online annex, Juror: Andrew Overtoom, 1650 Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
"Industrial", 2014, Juror: Jason Landry, Kadoya Gallery, Pueblo, CO
“Texas National 2014”, Juror: Jerome Witkin, two works accepted, Stephen F. Austin State University, Cole Art Center, Nacogdoches, TX
2013
"Faces" 2013 Photo Review Competition online web show, Juror: Paul Roth, Senior Curator and Director, Photography and Media Arts, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
"Identity”, Juror: Barbara Tannenbaum, 2 works accepted, The Cntr. for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO
“Alter Ego” 2013, online gallery, Juror: Stephen Sheffield, The Kiernan Gallery, Lexington, VA
“Less is More: Small Works in a Great Space”, 2013, Jurors: Joann G. Moser and Jack Rasmussen, The Mitchell Gallery, St. John’s College, Annapolis, MD
“Chair”, 2013, Juror: O Rufus Lovett, A. Smith Gallery, Johnson City, TX
“Picture This: What We Photograph”, 2013, Juror: Cig Harvey, MPLS Photo Center, Minneapolis, MN
2012
“Human Condition: A Survey of Humanity”, 2012, Juror: Annie Griffith-Belt, MPLS Photographic Cntr, Minneapolis, MN
“Personal Portraits”, 2012, Juror: Frank Goodyear, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT
“New Texas Talent XIX”, 2012, Juror: Lollie Tompkins, Craighead Green Gallery, Dallas, TX
“After Dark-2012 National Juried Gallery Exhibition”, Jurors: Jina Brenneman and Guy Cross, Greg Moon Art Gallery, Taos, NM
“500XPO 2012”, Juror: Aron Parazette, 500X Gallery, Dallas, TX
2011
"You Are Here", 2011 Photo Review Competition, online web show, Stephen Perloff, Langhorne, PA
“Texas National 2011”, Juror: James Drake, three works accepted, Stephen F. Austin State University, Cole Art Center, Nacogdoches, TX
“High and Dry”, 2011, eleventh annual exhibition, Juror: O. Rufus Lovett, Texas Tech University’s International Cultural Center, Lubbock, TX
“Project Imagin8ion”, 2011, Ron Howard and Canon, Received Semi-finalist placement in Themes: Relationship and Goal Categories out of 100,000 entries
“PhotoPlace Open 2011”, Juror: Alison Nordstrom, two works selected, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT
2010
“Wide-Awake Dreaming”, 2010, Juror: Joslin Russell, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT
“Texas National 2010”, Juror: Judy Pfaff, two works accepted, Stephen F. Austin State University, Cole Art Center, Nacogdoches, TX
2009
“The New Normal”, 2009, Juror: Edward Robinson, Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO
“Dia de los Muertos”, 2009, Juror: Enrique Fernández Cervantes, Bath House Cultural Center, Dallas, TX
“Fictional”, 2009, Juror: Enrique Fernández Cervantes, Bath House Cultural Center, Dallas, TX
“Texas National 2009”, Juror: Mel Chin, Stephen F. Austin State University, Cole Art Center, Nacogdoches, TX
“2009 20”x20”x20”, 2009, A National Compact Competition and Exhibition, LSU, Baton Rouge, LA
Publications
The Photo Review Journal, 2018 International Photography Competition Issue, Juror: Sarah Meister, Photography Curator, Museum of Modern Art
The Photo Review Journal, 2012 International Photography Competition Issue, Juror: Peter Barberie, Curator of Photographs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Emerging Photographer, Spring 2014 Issue/PDN and Sony - runner-up in the GO INDIE 2014 photo contest
Education:
Studied Art/Photography at The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM