Corning, NY (May 23, 2024) — The Rockwell Museum and Arnot Art Museum are thrilled to collaborate on a captivating exhibition featuring the work of acclaimed artist and photographer William Wegman. The exhibition, titled “Representation & Experimentation: The Photography of William Wegman,” showcases a selection of Wegman’s iconic photographs, renowned for their whimsical and thought-provoking depictions of his Weimaraner dogs.

At the Arnot Art Museum, visitors can explore the whimsical side of Wegman’s dog portraiture (Representation), while The Rockwell Museum features photos of dogs as art (Experimentation).

The Rockwell Museum | 111 Cedar Street, Corning, NY
On view: May 24 – September 3, 2024
Summer Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
KIDS ROCKWELL Art Lab open daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Arnot Art Museum | 235 Lake Street, Elmira, NY
                On View: May 17 – August 20, 2024
                Summer Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday, Noon – 5 p.m.

William Wegman, a pioneering figure in contemporary art, began photographing his Weimaraner dogs in the 1970s. His imaginative use of props, costumes and settings has elevated his work beyond traditional pet photography, transforming it into an exploration of the human condition, identity and playfulness. With a formalist’s eye and an affinity for bold color, the photographs of multi-media artist William Wegman allow his viewers the opportunity to think, laugh, and uncover the world around us with his Weimaraner models. Wegman’s large format photographs are disarming and fun even as they shift into landscapes, portraits, still lifes and object studies.

The artist describes his work as a collaboration with his models, each having their own temperament and agency during the photographic process. Wegman has been working with Weimaraners since the 1970s, and many of his dogs, including Man Ray, Fay Ray and Flo, have become pop culture stars in their own right.

“Art lovers and dog enthusiasts alike are going to love this summer exhibition,” says Curator of Exhibitions and Collections at The Rockwell, Dr. Amanda Lett. “These are not just dog photos! Line, composition, color and form take center stage in the photographs on display.”

The Rockwell encourages every visitor to not just view, but experience American art. Visitors will find multiple interactive stations throughout the exhibition designed for art explorers of all ages to connect more deeply with the exhibition. On Floor 1M, tinker and play at the “Design Your Own Weimaraner Dog Portrait” station.

In addition to photography, William Wegman makes detailed paintings using postcards as a jumping off point. One of his “postcard paintings” will be on display amongst The Rockwell’s permanent collection. As a nod to this line of Wegman’s work, visitors are also invited to spend some time at the “Complete The Scene” station where you can create your own postcard-inspired artwork using cards generously donated by staff and community members.

Plus, visitors to both the Arnot and Rockwell can also pick up an “Art Hunt” at Admission Desk that when completed at both locations can be submitted for a fun and fuzzy prize.

To learn more about the exhibition, visit www.RockwellMuseum.org

Experimentation at The Rockwell in Corning is made possible by Elise Johnson-Schmidt and Family. Representation at The Arnot Art Museum in Elmira is made possible through the support of Corning Community Impact and Investment.

About The Rockwell Museum: A Smithsonian Affiliate

The Rockwell Museum, in association with the Smithsonian Institution, tells the story of the evolving American experience through a display of stunning art about America. Founded in 1976, The Rockwell is an evolving community center which showcases the best of America through compelling exhibitions and imaginative programs. The diverse collection includes a mix of contemporary Native American art with traditional bronze sculptures, landscape paintings and other works that embody America. Housed in the beautifully restored 19th century Old City Hall building, The Rockwell is active in the local community and holds special events and educational programming with area public schools. The Rockwell provokes curiosity, engagement and reflection about art and the American experience. The Rockwell Museum’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

The Rockwell Museum | 111 Cedar Street | Corning, New York 14830 | www.rockwellmuseum.org
Facebook, Instagram: @RockwellMuseum
 

Press-Approved Images: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/5ehwqkucvpw6gzg96t4zj/h?rlkey=v4ltoe1uid9ya1k44xam7ai01&st=ms8eaqgt&dl=0

Media Contact:  Willa Vogel ▪ 607-438-0321 ▪ vogelw@rockwellmuseum.org

When the Nikon Z50 landed on the scene, there was polite applause. A golf clap. “Well done, old chap.”  

I remember first being shown the Nikon Z50 at the Big N’s headquarters. I thought it was a cool little camera – the 20.9MP sensor seemed a little stingy by 2019 standards, but otherwise it was compact and capable and perfectly respectable.

The general photo public, however, was pretty indifferent – and the Z50 hardly set cash registers on fire at camera stores. 

Fast-forward a couple of years, to the arrival of the Nikon Z fc. Another cool little camera – the 20.9MP sensor seemed a little stingy by 2021 standards, because it was the same sensor – and the same everything else – as the one in the Nikon Z50.

However, despite their internals being technically identical, the Z fc was styled like an old film camera and looked far more like a Fujifilm or Olympus body. Instead of golf claps came thunderous, Beyonce-level ovations – and instead of lukewarm cash registers, cameras flew off the shelves.

It blows my mind. The Nikon Z50 is – aside from having a pop-up flash and lacking a fully articulating screen – the exact same camera as the Z fc, it just doesn’t look retro. So what it tells us is that photographers don’t care about kit – or maybe they do, but they don’t care about what it does as much as how it looks. 

Why is this relevant in 2024? Because we’ve just seen the launch of the Panasonic Lumix S9 – a camera unashamedly aimed at content creators, Instagrammers, and dare I say it hipsters (or whatever hipsters have evolved to). It’s basically a Panasonic Lumix S5II but instead of looking like a boring boxy camera, it looks like an old film camera and it comes in fancy colors. 

And it’s probably going to sell like hot cakes. Because if there’s one thing the mirrorless revolution has told us, from Fujifilm to the Nikon Z fc and Zf, it’s that photographers are just hipsters. 

If you enjoyed this article, you might be interested in reading more about the best Nikon cameras and the best Nikon lenses – including the best Nikon Z lenses, designed exclusively for its mirrorless cameras.

One man’s trash was another’s treasure at Western Washington University’s “Pinhole” photography exhibit. The exhibition highlighted student work from Western’s black and white photography and photography alternative processes classes. Photos and materials were on display from April 29 to May 15. 

“I think you can make something out of anything,” Talia Podrachik said, a student exhibitor. “It’s nice to see [the students in the class] as a team, and all we’ve done and how it all varies. It looks great and I just love it.” 

Garth Amundson, the professor of both classes featured in the exhibition, has made an effort to feature student work wherever he can.

“I’ve made a huge effort to exhibit student work in as many different locations as possible,” Amundson said. “This includes exhibitions in the WWU library, Carver Gym, biology building, downtown Bellingham and several exhibitions in Seattle. After all, what is the point of making art if there’s not an audience to enjoy it? Making art is only the first step, getting people to look at it completes the work.”

Pinhole photography is linked to the creation of the camera obscura and the common camera used today, according to Amundson.

“Pinhole photography has a long rich history and is a great way to introduce students to analog photography,” Amundson said. “In this context, the introductory class was able to understand the construction of an image while the advanced class was able to push conceptual research surrounding the relationships between camera and image.”

To create a pinhole for this project, students used containers such as Pringles cans and old boxes and covered them in black tape on the inside and outside. A photo could then be taken through a small hole, said Podrachik.

“It’s so cool that we could take random recycled materials and make images out of them,” said Podrachik. “All of these are cool, they have a haunting look to them in some way.”

According to Podrachik, the hardest part of this project was what made it unique: the recycled materials. Developing film through recycled material was a learning process that proved frustrating. 

Students are passionate about what they do, said Dr. Christopher Bianco, the dean of the Fine and Performing Arts College. “It is not as easy to get work out there, we are lucky here as musicians, artists and photographers that those outward displays of art are worked into the curriculum.” 

“We often get trapped in our fields of study and silos, so to have students, staff, faculty and the community visit the art department is the ultimate goal,” Amundson said.

If students don’t know about the art on campus, the hope is that they’re surprised about the amount of talent that exists here. The goal is to promote a level of equality for all students because they are talented and deserve to be seen, said Bianco. 

“It’s hard to get out there, there’s such a variety of things that people are good at and so much talent and they’re more niche,” said Podrachik. “There’s so many cool things that no one would see otherwise, and even if it is for a project, you can see their individual style. It’s all a creating and learning process for everyone.”

More about the recent “Pinhole” exhibit and upcoming showings can be found here.