MELINDA FINN & AMANDA DAHLGREN: Stories They Tell
"Minding Hope" & "Transitions" Photographs by Melinda Finn
"Allegiance" Videos by Amanda Dahlgren
May 9th - May 30th, 2020
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT:
Melinda Finn’s portraits of people in her Minding Hope series are designed to convey the “resilience of the human spirit and the ways individuals are able not only to face their own challenges with courage, but to bring a sense of hope to others through their actions”. In a second body of work on exhibit, Transitions, Finn explores individuals and the stories of changes in their lives. She writes; “Inspired by my mother as she gracefully made her final transition into death, I began to ponder meanings related to specific passages in people's lives…The series was made to honor the individual struggles each of us faces, and to bring to light both the diversity and commonality of the human experience.”
Amanda Dahlgren’s video work concentrates on the ideas of “patriotism, allegiance, immigration and about what it means to be an American.” An immigrant herself, Dahlgren focuses on the ritual of the Pledge of Allegiance and interviews with those who have had experiences similar to her. “Other adults who are currently living in the US, most of them as American citizens, who had been born in another country and were often times also wrestling with never quite feeling American enough.” It is important to this artist to work collaboratively with her subjects and to “open up a dialog about what we value as a society.”
Both of these artists are educators and live locally. Dahlgren is currently Director of the Athenaeum’s School of the Arts, a Gallery Educator at the Museum of Photographic Arts, Lead Producer for Open Show San Diego, and Chairperson for the West Chapter of the Society for Photographic Education. She is also a contributing Writer for Lenscratch.
Finn has worked as a professional photographer in photojournalism, architecture, portrait and commercial photography. For more than twenty years Finn was the official photographer of Palomar Community College. Her personal work concentrates on environmental portraiture.
Donna Cosentino - Director
________________________________________________________________________________
Please contact Donna Cosentino for private tours.
Gallery hours are Friday and Saturday, 11am-5pm OR you may make an appointment to view our exhibitions.
+Gallery visits for individuals or classes are also available by appointment.
+There is no charge to visit and there is free parking in front and behind the gallery space.
ALWAYS ON VIEW ARE WORKS BY OUR COLLECTIVE OF FIFTEEN PHOTOGRAPHERS.
OUR COLLECTIVE IS:
TERRY SCOTT ALLEN ï ROBERT BARRY ï BARBARA BECK ï GRANT BRITTAIN ï JOHN CLARKïDONNA COSENTINO ï STEPHEN DAVIS ï CARLA De DOMINICIS ï DEB HELLMAN ï JODIE HULDEN ï EMILY KIM ï WAYNE SWANSON ï TOM VANCISIN ï KEIKO YAMASAKI ï BOB YOUNGER
CLICK ON IMAGES TO VIEW INDIVIDUAL IMAGE GALLERY
"Minding Hope" & "Transitions" Photographs by Melinda Finn
"Allegiance" Videos by Amanda Dahlgren
May 9th - May 30th, 2020
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT:
Melinda Finn’s portraits of people in her Minding Hope series are designed to convey the “resilience of the human spirit and the ways individuals are able not only to face their own challenges with courage, but to bring a sense of hope to others through their actions”. In a second body of work on exhibit, Transitions, Finn explores individuals and the stories of changes in their lives. She writes; “Inspired by my mother as she gracefully made her final transition into death, I began to ponder meanings related to specific passages in people's lives…The series was made to honor the individual struggles each of us faces, and to bring to light both the diversity and commonality of the human experience.”
Amanda Dahlgren’s video work concentrates on the ideas of “patriotism, allegiance, immigration and about what it means to be an American.” An immigrant herself, Dahlgren focuses on the ritual of the Pledge of Allegiance and interviews with those who have had experiences similar to her. “Other adults who are currently living in the US, most of them as American citizens, who had been born in another country and were often times also wrestling with never quite feeling American enough.” It is important to this artist to work collaboratively with her subjects and to “open up a dialog about what we value as a society.”
Both of these artists are educators and live locally. Dahlgren is currently Director of the Athenaeum’s School of the Arts, a Gallery Educator at the Museum of Photographic Arts, Lead Producer for Open Show San Diego, and Chairperson for the West Chapter of the Society for Photographic Education. She is also a contributing Writer for Lenscratch.
Finn has worked as a professional photographer in photojournalism, architecture, portrait and commercial photography. For more than twenty years Finn was the official photographer of Palomar Community College. Her personal work concentrates on environmental portraiture.
Donna Cosentino - Director
________________________________________________________________________________
Please contact Donna Cosentino for private tours.
Gallery hours are Friday and Saturday, 11am-5pm OR you may make an appointment to view our exhibitions.
+Gallery visits for individuals or classes are also available by appointment.
+There is no charge to visit and there is free parking in front and behind the gallery space.
ALWAYS ON VIEW ARE WORKS BY OUR COLLECTIVE OF FIFTEEN PHOTOGRAPHERS.
OUR COLLECTIVE IS:
TERRY SCOTT ALLEN ï ROBERT BARRY ï BARBARA BECK ï GRANT BRITTAIN ï JOHN CLARKïDONNA COSENTINO ï STEPHEN DAVIS ï CARLA De DOMINICIS ï DEB HELLMAN ï JODIE HULDEN ï EMILY KIM ï WAYNE SWANSON ï TOM VANCISIN ï KEIKO YAMASAKI ï BOB YOUNGER
CLICK ON IMAGES TO VIEW INDIVIDUAL IMAGE GALLERY
© The Photographer's Eye: A Creative Collective