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Elected Board Members Bios and Statements2009 Board Members: Ruth Adams All board members are elected for four-year terms. Nominations for board members are due by the end of April or early May to the national office. Elections take place in the fall. The election of board members is staggered, so each year some board members roll off the board while new members are elected. Roll off schedule | Board Nominations info + bios | Recent Years of Board of Directors BIOS AND STATEMENTSRUTH ADAMSRuth Adams is an artist and educator, and has been an assistant professor of Photography and Digital Art at the University of Kentucky since the fall of 2000. She has been involved in SPE since 1998 and has been the treasurer for the Midwest Region for the last three years. Her work deals with issues of intimacy and privacy, approaching these issues through both self-portraiture and still life. She is best known for startling portraits of organics and loves combining new imaging technologies with the traditional sensibilities of a photographer. Ruth has exhibited nationally and internationally, won numerous awards and grants, and her photographs hang in numerous private and public collections such as Centro Cultural Pablo de la Torriente Brau, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba, The Contemporary Art Museum of ZULIA, MACZUL, Maracaibo, Venezuela, the Robert A. Peck Arts Center, Riverton, Wyoming, the University of Kentucky, Truman State University, and the University of Miami. She holds an MFA in Photography and Digital Art from the University Of Miami, a BFA in Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology, and a BS in Computer Science from Syracuse University. An experienced photographer, digital artist, and educator, Ruth has developed a reputation as a dynamic instructor and an innovative artist, and has enjoyed introducing students and patrons of the arts to the world of digital applications and traditional photographic possibilities. I have been involved in SPE since my first year of graduate school.
Initially, as a new photography student, taking advantage of the incredible
learning experience of having my work reviewed by amazing photographers
who could give me fresh vision on where my work was headed. Then later,
by taking advantage of the wonderful opportunities to network, interview
and job-hunt. Right from the start I found the organization and the
conferences invaluable. Since graduating in 1999 I have continually
increased my involvement in SPE. I have served in the Mentor program
for graduating MFAs, have presented at the last two Midwest Regional
conferences and been a portfolio reviewer for the last two National
conferences. In addition, I have served as the Midwest Regional Treasurer
for the last three years. Having degrees in Computer Science, Photojournalism
and Fine Art Photography gives me multiple perspectives and this will
help me bring to the board concerns from many of SPE’s diverse
constituents. Also, being only 6 years out of graduate school allows
me to be cognizant of both student and faculty issues and therefore
will allow me to make sure we are addressing and servicing both groups.
SPE is an invaluable, living organization that has grown and changed
dramatically over its lifetime. I would like to be a part of the group
that helps it to remain stable through the inevitable growing pains
of this new digital age and helps plan for its diversification and exponential
growth with the welcome addition of new media and video artists. It
is my wish to take my involvement with SPE to another level through
contributing my ideas and perspectives as a member of the national board. SAMA ALSHAIBISama Alshaibi is assistant professor of photography at the University of Arizona, Tucson. Born in Basra, Iraq to an Iraqi father and Palestinian mother, and now a naturalized US citizen, Alshaibi’s recent works investigates “borderlands”, including her own hyphenated identity, as critical sites in both physical and psychological terms. A multi-media artist, Alshaibi’s works are widely exhibited internationally including South Africa, Palestine, Ireland, China, Jordan, Guatemala, Mexico, Colombia and the USA. Alshaibi received her MFA at University of Colorado (Boulder) in Photography, Video and Media Arts (2005). As I face my yearly dues renewals for the various organizations I belong to, now more than ever I must take into account what the value of such a membership provides. What does SPE do for me? What does it do for the field, my students and for our collective future? I am running for this board to join an organization that already provides the much needed nucleus of photography education, with tremendous conferences held both regionally and nationally. What I hope to contribute is to increase the value of our membership throughout the year. My ideas include year-round member exhibitions juried by notable guest curators/artists, student scholarships to attend established artist-residency and workshop programs, and unique exchange and partner programs with other national and international organizations. I will work to increase our online presence that taps into the power and reach of the internet while having the ability to draw in new members, especially underrepresented groups and more students. CHRISTINA Z. ANDERSONChristina Z. Anderson is an Assistant Professor of Photography at Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana. She earned a BA in French at the University of Minnesota, and two degrees-painting and photography--at Montana State University. Her MFA is from Clemson University, South Carolina, where she studied under alternative process mentor, Sam Wang. She teaches experimental, alternative process, and documentary photography classes at MSU. She has written three books: Tutti Nudi: Reflections on the Reemergence of the Nude During the Italian Renaissance, The Experimental Photography Workbook, and Alternative Processes, Condensed. In the works is a book on the gum bichromate process. Christina's work, which has been in exhibitions nationally as well as Europe, China, and New Zealand, centers on themes of the social and/or spiritual landscape expressed in alternative and experimental methods of image making. I came to photography by way of a painting degree in 1996 and was instantly hooked. This freshness of perspective toward the
medium is an asset to my serving on the SPE board. I am enthusiastic about photography, both historical and contemporary,
and about conveying that enthusiasm in an academic setting. I have organizational and discernment skills, or so I am told,
that would serve SPE well as a board member. I don't have any particular agendas at this time, preferring to sit back and
listen for a while in order to represent a larger constituency. SPE is an incredible networking organization. If I were to
express one hope, it would be that SPE remains ecumenical in its approach, reaching out to photo educators in all walks. In
that regard, I would love to see SPE conferences grow in pedagogical sharing so that attendees can bring back to their
workplaces more practical methods of sharing the art. I would love to see more heated, informal, theoretical discussions
carried out at the hotel wine bar! Forget the analog vs. digital debate-that is so "24 hours ago". I say that somewhat
tongue-in-cheek as a professor who teaches historical processes with state of the art digital negative techniques. SPE
has been and should continue to be a breeding ground for future trends, with a motto of "You heard it from us first". A bit
of humor, of course, always helps. JOANN BRENNANJoann Brennan is Chair of the Visual Arts Department and Associate Professor of Photography at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center. For the past fifteen years Joann’s photographic work has explored the complex relationship between wildlife and human concerns. In the spring of 2003 Brennan was named a Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Before arriving in Denver Joann taught photography and digital imaging at The School of Art and Design/Alfred University in Alfred, New York and Princeton University in New Jersey. She is an active member of the Society for Photographic Education, serving on committees for the national board and participating in regional conferences. Joann was co-founder of Progetto Perugia, a studio art program in Perugia Italy. She received her BFA and MFA from the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, MA. Selected exhibitions and publications include, International Fototage, Contemporary American Photography, Mannheim/Ludwigshafen, Germany, Paradise Paved, Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia, PA, Princeton University Art Museum, Center for Photography at Woodstock New York, European Photography Magazine and Photo Review. During the keynote address at the 2005 SPE conference in Portland Oregon, Barry Lopez asked us all to consider the meaning of citizenship, charity and devotion to ones work in our roles as artists, scholars educators and professionals in artistic fields. As I sat at the edge of my seat breathing in every word of that keynote address I was reminded again of what a terrific and vital organization SPE is. SPE has helped to define and expand the role of photography and media arts in contemporary culture while inspiring critical dialogue that has shaped artistic education both nationally and internationally. I first joined SPE over 15 years ago when I was in graduate school studying photography and since that time I have attended national and regional conferences across the country. I have served as the chair, secretary and treasurer of the northeast and southwest region. I have served as a committee member on the conference committee and portfolio review committee for the Las Vegas national conference. I have given panel presentations and imagemaker talks for many national and regional SPE conferences. In the fall of 2004 I co-chaired a very successful and exciting regional conference titled “The Educated Eye” for the southwest region. I am an enthusiastic supporter of the goals and mission of SPE and believe that as an organization SPE inspires citizenship, charity and devotion to one’s work. I would welcome an opportunity to be elected to the National Board and would work with great enthusiasm to ensure an exciting future for the organization and help to create fantastic opportunities and experiences for SPE members. JEFF CURTOJeff Curto is Coordinator and Professor of Photography at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, where he has taught since 1984. He earned a BFA from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1981 and an MFA from Bennington College in 1983. A collected and published fine art photographer, Curto’s history also includes commercial photography and jobs as a custom color and B&W printer. He also produces two popular photography podcasts, Camera Position and History of Photography. Photography is changing before our eyes, and so are photographers, photo students and photo educators. I believe SPE must change as well. DORNITH DOHERTYDornith Doherty is Professor of Photography at the University of North Texas. She is an active member of the Society for Photographic Education, serving on committees and participating in national and regional conferences. Her photographs exploring the complex relationship between the natural environment and human agency have been featured in over 65 national and international exhibitions and are included in the collections of institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Milwaukee Museum of Art; and the Museet Fotokunst, Denmark. A recipient of grants from the Fulbright Foundation, the Japan Foundation, the United States Department of the Interior, the Indiana Arts Commission, and the Society for Contemporary Photography, Doherty received a B.A. cum laude in Spanish and French language and literature at Rice University, and a M. F. A. in photography from Yale University. Her work is represented by Holly Johnson Gallery in Dallas, Texas, and McMurtrey Gallery in Houston, Texas. I've been an active member of the Society for Photographic Education since 1996, and particularly value its role in fostering discussions about both theory and practice. For so many of us who photograph and teach, the society has been an excellent resource, and I believe its influence will only increase as our visual and technological culture continues to expand in new ways. In the last twelve years, I have served SPE in various capacities and would appreciate the opportunity to contribute further as a member of the National Board. I was on the Peer Review committee for the 2008 national conference and am currently serving on the Local Committee for the 2009 national conference. I’ve co-chaired or presented at three national conferences and five regional conferences as well as speaking in the Academic Practicum (dossier) workshop in 2005. I participated as a portfolio reviewer and mentor at the 2002 and 2003 national conferences; served on the Peer Review committee in 2001; and chaired the Silent Auction Committee in 1996. Those activities, as well as my involvement in the Dallas art community, have made me a strong believer in collaboration and in the importance of SPE. I have hands-on experience designing projects, developing programs in contemporary and traditional practice and theory, generating publicity and cultivating donors. If elected, I would like to devote my time and energy to fundraising as well as the expansion of SPE’s national and international reach through its conference activities and website. CASS FEYCass Fey has been curator of education at the Center for Creative Photography, located at the University of Arizona, for the past ten years. Her love of photography started in the darkroom as an undergraduate studio and art history major at the University of New Hampshire and, while in graduate school, she relished passing that enthusiasm on to middle and high school students. Today, as a museum educator, she uses the center’s galleries and print viewing area as classrooms to encourages, faculty, students and the general public to explore the infinitely enriching ways in which artists communicate their ideas through photography. This experience continues to broaden her understanding of the history, applications and possibilities of photography as a medium of creative expression. She mentors students in the fields of photography, art history and museum
education and recently facilitated a showing of advanced photography
student work at the center. She has been an active member of SPE, serving
on the Publications Committee from 1998-2002. She has presented talks
and moderated panels at every national conference since 1999 and has
offered additional sessions at Southwest regional conferences. At SPE
2002 - Las Vegas she moderated a panel discussion on the Garry Winogrand
Game of Photography and at SPE 2003 - Austin she gave an overview
of Lauren Greenfield’s Girl Culture, an exhibition and
book project for which she created a comprehensive electronic faculty
guide. This educational resource is part of her series of online faculty
guides that invite educators across the curriculum to introduce their
students to the work of Lisette Model, Aaron Siskind, Max Yavno, Ansel
Adams, Hansel Mieth, Otto Hagel, Danny Lyon, Lynn Davis, Tseng Kwong
Chi and Debby Fleming Caffery, among others. She served on the organization
committee for the 1999 national conference in Tucson and also co-presented
a session on Writing and Photography with her frequent collaborator,
the head of the Honors College Composition Program at the University
of Arizona. She is a member of the National Art Education Association,
has presented several sessions at their national conferences and published
the instructional resource, Examining the Art of Photography,
in their professional journal in 2002. She is interested in serving
on the SPE board because she greatly values the organization’s
resources and network of talented individuals throughout the field and
she would like to contribute her experience as a teacher, museum educator,
program facilitator and student mentor. If elected, she would bring
the unique perspective of using museums and original photographic works
as educational tools to her active participation in the leadership of
SPE. TOM FISCHERSince earning his MFA at Stanford University in 1987, Tom Fischer has been a teacher and an artist. He is currently a professor of photography and department chair at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Tom has also served as dean of the school of media arts where he managed the academic operations of eight departments with more than 70 professors and 2200 students. His work is held in numerous public and private collections and has been shown in more than 60 exhibitions in galleries and museums in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Tom has received numerous honors for his work, but he is most proud of the collaborative educational, environmental, and community projects that he has organized in recent years. They include historic preservation and documentary projects in the U.S. and Europe, photo management for the Olympic Games, and photo documentation of environmental issues in the western states. His creative teaching and collaborative educational projects have resulted in three nominations for the CASE, US Professor of the Year. Tom has been a member of SPE since 1985. The Society for Photographic Education is my favorite organization.
It has provided my students and me with information, resources and inspiration.
I now find myself in a position to contribute time and energy to the
institution that I have enjoyed so much in the past 20 years. If given
the privilege to serve on the board I can only promise a positive attitude
and a willingness to work as many hours as it takes to achieve the goals
of the membership. I do have significant skills in administration that
will be valuable as the SPE enters what I see as a period of refinement
and growth. I envision opportunities for enhanced intra- and interorganizational
communication, expansion of the SPE’s advocacy for education and
the arts, redefinition of the nature of student membership, and development
of new programs. I commend the current leadership of the SPE for the
positive direction of the organization. The society functions well as
a gathering place for the exchange of ideas on the various significant
topics of teaching, history, theory, and practice. We are on the right
track and I would like to be elected to the board to put my creative
organizational skills to good use. HANNAH FRIESERHannah Frieser is the director of Light Work, a non-profit organization in Syracuse, NY, dedicated to the support of emerging and underrepresented artists working in photography and related media. Hannah has worked with SPE for over twelve years. Having held many responsibilities within the organization, including onsite conference coordinator at SPE’s national conferences and membership registrar, she continues to bring her expertise to SPE's newsletters and website. She was recently chosen to co-chair an SPE national conference with Miriam Romais, executive director of En Foco. The conference, tentatively scheduled for 2010, will focus on diversity and multiculturalism. Hannah is a photographer and book artist, who draws her inspiration from her mixed cultural heritage of being German-Hispanic. Her work can be found on her website at www.hannahfrieser.com. Statement What I bring to SPE is great enthusiasm, organizational skills, administrative experience, and familiarity with just about every aspect of SPE from the national office to the conferences, publications, and the website. As member of the board I will work to create a strategic plan, explore grant writing, expand the website’s functionality, and address our members’ changing needs. I will participate in shaping SPE, so that it can remain vital to the next generation of photographers, many of whom are working entirely within the digital realm. I will support SPE in its commitment to diversity and explore possibilities of collaborations with other organizations, and I will continue to support SPE as one of the most important organizations in art photography and education.
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Board members are elected for four-year terms. They may hold their office for two terms, pending reelection. Each year some board members roll off the board while new board members join the board. The term officially ends in March at the National Conference. |
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| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| R. Cummins C. Diaz M. Klett V. Mendoza |
S. Bliss C. Fey L. McFarland T. Mulligan |
M. Van Parys R. Gray E. Greenberg T. Warpinski |
R. Adams |
H. Frieser |
C. Anderson |
S. Alshaibi |
SPE National Board |
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| SPE National Board Related Pages | |
| current board contact information (listing of the current SPE board members and their contact information) |
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