Jackson Hole Photography Workshop
June 16-26, 2011
General Description
West Virginia University’s Jackson Hole Photography Workshop is a 10-day intensive field course that explores the diverse and remote region of northwestern Wyoming. The workshop partners with the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts in the heart of downtown Jackson, Wyoming as its home base. Daily excursions exploring this stunning region are complemented by darkroom and digital work sessions, critiques of work in progress, gallery visits, and evening presentations. The program is limited in size to insure a close working relationship with the faculty and a significant amount of one-on-one attention.
To view pictures and stories from past Jackson Hole Photography Workshops please follow the link: http://jhphotoworkshop.blogspot.com/
Course Content
The workshop covers a broad range of photographic practices and principles with an emphasis on instruction targeted to the individual level of the student. Primary instruction is done with digital and 35mm film cameras, and color inkjet or black and white darkroom processes. Students will also have the potential to explore work in medium and large format cameras, and alternative processes.
Throughout the ten-day workshop, students will be encouraged to experiment with various forms of image making, developing creative approaches to the medium in order to create unique individual expressions in response to space and place. Subject matter can vary from concepts that pertain to interpretation of the landscape, to intimate nature studies, to social documentary and portraiture. Among the locations visited during the workshop are Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, the National Elk Refuge, the towns of Afton, Freedom, and Kelly, Wyoming, the historic Mormon Row homestead site, a working ranch, and a variety of neighboring locations.
Lectures and demonstrations will cover basic camera operations (both digital and film), beginning to advanced Adobe Photoshop techniques, black and white film processing and printing, custom inkjet printing, and more. In addition, there will be several presentations and technical demonstrations by professional artists working in the field and a tour of the galleries in town.
All levels of experience are encouraged to participate. No prior photographic experience is necessary. Some camera and darkroom equipment is provided.
The workshop is offered for 3 credits and is graded normally.
Workshop Location
Jackson, Wyoming has long been one of the epicenters for the photography world. Surrounded by pristine wilderness and iconic American landscapes such as Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park, along with a definitive Western identity, photographers from around the world have flocked to the area. A number of well-known landscape and wildlife photographers have successfully established galleries in downtown Jackson, and in recent years the contemporary art world has taken notice. In 2005 the Oswald Gallery opened, which features an extraordinary collection of historic photographs of the American West as well as a diverse showing of contemporary works by many renowned artists.
Due to its thriving art scene and strong support for the arts, in 2004 the town opened the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts. Workshop participants will have access to the state-of-the-art photography facility, which includes an 820 square foot studio with both a traditional and digital darkroom. The traditional darkroom has 8 enlargers that accept film formats up to 4×5 inches and separate film developing spaces. The digital darkroom is equipped with the latest Macintosh computers, Adobe Photoshop software, film scanners, and high-quality Epson printers.
Instructor’s Bio
Originally from Southwestern Ohio, Michael Sherwin received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from The Ohio State University in 1999, and in June of 2004 he received his Master of Fine Arts in Photography from the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. After eight-years in the Northwest, Michael returned to the East in 2007 to accept the position of Assistant Professor of Photography at West Virginia University. He has won numerous grants and awards for his work, and has been exhibited widely, including recent shows at the SPACES gallery in Cleveland, Ohio, PUNCH Gallery in Seattle, Washington, CEPA gallery in Buffalo, New York, Dinnerware Contemporary Arts in Tucson, Arizona, and Manifest Creative Research Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio. Reviews and reproductions of his work have been featured in the Photo Review, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, myartspace.com, and in the 2006 book, Plastic Cameras: Toying with Creativity by Michelle Bates. He has taught a variety of photography and digital imaging courses at community art centers and institutions including, the University of Oregon and Central Washington University. He is also an active and participating member of the Society for Photographic Education, and the College Art Association. For more information on Michael and his work visit his website at michaelsherwin.com .
Expenses
Students are responsible for the cost of tuition ($639/resident, $1,971/non-resident) and the additional workshop fee of $1,900. The fee covers all travel expenses (including airfare, van rental, and fuel costs), ten nights lodging at the Cowboy Village Resort, plus one night lodging in Yellowstone National Park, studio rental, some group meals, all of our daily excursions, presentations and demos by professional artists working in the field, a national park pass, and some photography supplies.
Deadlines and Application
The deadline for registration is April 15, 2011. To be considered for the workshop, an application and $500 deposit is required prior to the registration deadline. Enrollment is strictly limited to 12 students. For Summer 2011 registration priority deadlines visit: http://www.arc.wvu.edu/admissions/summer/registration.html , or contact the Division of Art and Design at 304-293-4841 ext. 3138.
To apply for the workshop, download the PDF application form by clicking on the following link, complete it and return it to the address printed on the application by April 15, 2011. Jackson Hole Photography Workshop Application
For additional information, please contact:
Michael Sherwin
Assistant Professor of Photography
304-293-3839
Michael.sherwin@mail.wvu.edu