Contact: Maridith Geuder
Stephen Marc
Last September's visit to Mississippi by nationally recognized photographer Stephen Marc resulted in more than 2,000 digital images to go with the countless interviews and research files he completed throughout the Golden Triangle area.
Early next month, he will return during a Mississippi State University exhibition of his works featuring locales in Starkville, Columbus and the surrounding area. Titled "Collaborative Communities," the Jan. 21-Feb. 20 exhibit will be featured in the Art Department Gallery in McComas Hall.
Marc, who teaches at Arizona State University, has earned acclaim for his focus on African-American culture and history, including his own experiences and family history. He will share some of his observations during a Feb. 4-8 stay in Starkville, coinciding with Black History Month.
"In visits to locations as diverse as Jamaica, Ghana and England, Marc has looked for cultural practices that are similar," said Alex Stelioes-Wills, MSU art department lecturer and gallery director. "He sought out those similarities in Starkville, too."
Ten large montages created from the thousands of local images are the results of Marc's efforts, Stelioes-Wills added.
Beyond his national exhibitions, Marc also has published two photography monographs, "Urban Notions" and "The Black Transatlantic Experience." The former is an investigation of Midwestern African-American life; the latter, a contemporary documentation of the African Diaspora focusing on four countries in the British slave trade route.
His projects have been funded by an Eli Weingart Chicago Grant and Arts Midwest and Aaron Siskind Foundation fellowships, among others. His artistic residencies have included the CEPA Gallery of Buffalo and the Woodstock Center for Photography, both in New York.
While at MSU, Marc's schedule will include a public symposium, visits to local elementary schools and student critiques.
"Although Mr. Marc's schedule is rapidly filling, interested individuals or organizations are encouraged to inquire about the possibility of scheduling additional events," Stelioes-Wills said.
Among the already scheduled public events are (by date):
--Feb. 4 symposium titled "Public Identity and Personal Past Intersections." In addition to Marc, the 2 p.m. event at MSU's new Hunter Henry Center will feature Anna Chupa, MSU associate art professor; Renee Paul Barilleaux, Mississippi Museum of Art chief curator; and Joshua Mosely, a digital and animation artist and University of Pennsylvania faculty member. Mosely will give a separate public lecture at 7 p.m. that same day in 100 Stafford Hall on campus.
--Feb. 5 visit to Henderson and Armstrong elementary schools and Starkville High School, followed by a 7 p.m. presentation to civic and community leaders on the role of art and public art in community development. While not a general public event, the program can accommodate a limited number of interested individuals who have contacted the MSU art department in advance.
--Feb. 6 public lecture titled "Collaborative Communities." The 4 p.m. event in the McComas Hall theater will be followed at 5:30 by an opening reception in the art gallery, whose entrance is located on the building's ground-level east side.
--Feb. 8 public forum on issues of historic preservation and how they relate to the exhibition. (Location to be announced later.)
The exhibition and related events are supported by a grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission, with assistance from Jackson art patron Gretchen Gulmon and the Starkville Area Arts Council, along with the University Honors Program and the College of Arts and Sciences at MSU.
For more information about the exhibition or events surrounding Marc's visit, telephone the MSU art department at (662) 325-2970.