Members’ Preview Reception | Saturday, February 23 | 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Preview Reception Admission: $5.00 | Cedarhurst Members – free

 CLICK TO VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY ON FACEBOOK

“Family Is” 

by Antonio Martinez, Daniel Overturf, and Alison Smith | Photography Faculty, Department of Cinema and Photography
Southern Illinois University – Carbondale 

The annual exhibition by the Department of Cinema and Photography at Cedarhurst Center for the Arts represents a continuing relationship between the two institutions that began in 1993. We have altered the format for the show over the 27 years for many reasons, but the foundational elements of the collaboration still exist. Each year we are honored and welcome the opportunity to share our work in the beautiful exhibition spaces at Cedarhurst.

This year’s exhibition continues to reveal the diverse photographic ambitions of the artists in the department, at the undergraduate (Bachelor of Arts program), graduate (Master of Fine Arts) and faculty level. The Department of Cinema and Photography, located in the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts at SIU, has long been known for encouraging original thought and concept while maintaining high standards for craft and technique. 

The “Family Is” themed exhibition was initiated by a challenge put forth by Cedarhurst Visual Arts Director Rusty Freeman. The topic has evoked a wide range of interpretation. Rusty issued the following ideas and posed the following questions:

What defines a Family? How can photography convey what our families mean to you? The theme of this exhibition is what defines a family and the meaning expressed in your work. 

One way is with humor. The companion exhibit to this one is “Awkward Family Photos” exhibition which presents those funny, yet awkward and sometimes poignant photos that we’ve all seen, even in our own families.
1. Does your photograph concern your family or another family or maybe how any group of people you have known best exemplifies the theme?
2. Your approach can be humorous, warm, affable, dignified, obscure, outrageous or any theme or mood that best defines what your family is all about. What is the context for your photograph?
3. Per the examples found in the “Awkward Family Photos” exhibit, be sure to consider the importance of the associated text (your statement) and the title card information for the photograph.

Thanks to the good people at Cedarhurst and the support of the patrons, we continue to share our personal and visual discoveries each spring. We are delighted to show the work done by our department with the Cedarhurst artistic community and look forward to fostering our connections further in the future.