€¦ · Web view2020/01/20  · 1126 words For Immediate Release, December 19, 2019 Contact: Janeen Mason, Curator (772) 708-3293 mobile [email protected] Lighthouse ArtCenter

1126 wordsFor Immediate Release, December 19, 2019Contact: Janeen Mason, Curator(772) 708-3293 [email protected] ArtCenter373 Tequesta DriveTequesta, Florida. 334679www.LighthouseArts.org

H2O Trickle DownPhotography Exhibition

Follow the flow from the aquifer to the ocean's deep.

Tequesta, Florida – January 16 – February 12, 2020. A hundred years ago our countrymen fell in love with the West's majestic landscapes because of the awe-inspiring paintings traveling artists brought back. According to Theodore Roosevelt, Americans, as a result, created the National Park System.

Today, seven of Florida’s greatest devotees to our wild places use film and photos that enchant visitors at this new exhibition in the Lighthouse ArtCenter galleries. These professionals see their works as a part of the solution that deepens the understanding of our need to protect our wilderness and by extension connect us with water – that all important life-giving property without which we would all perish.

“Using photography, a medium we all know, this astonishing group of photographers and filmmakers leads us into realms we might otherwise never experience,” said Janeen Mason, Curator. “Like the artists of yore who brought the West to life, these modern-day explorers use technology coupled with the full strength of their talent to effect social change, and their message is clear. What do they want? Clean water."

Tom Fitz, six-time Emmy award-winner, has filmed all over the world for the BBC, PBS, National Geographic, and the Smithsonian. He is responsible for portions of the beloved Blue Planet series with Sir David Attenborough. During a dive into Ginnie Springs in North Florida, Mr. Fitz explored deep underwater caves and caverns, where he filmed some of the Floridan aquifer, the little-understood freshwater source that serves over 20,000,000 people in the southeastern United States. His resulting documentary has been seen around the world, and it is running in the gallery along, with some of his other meaningful films. Mr. Fitz established Schoolyard Films, a series of environmental documentaries that are freely shared with educators and students worldwide.

Clyde Butcher, considered Florida’s Ansel Adams, hauls his large format camera out into the Everglades to capture the endless river of grass and towering cloud formations in breathtaking

black and white photos. His beloved photography evokes a deep sense of respect for our wild and scenic places.

Carlton Ward, Jr., a conservation photographer and National Geographic Explorer, with a passion for nature that was born from the Florida landscape, is showing his stunning stills and films. Mr. Ward’s mission is to inspire appreciation and protection of Florida’s original nature and culture – the endangered wilderness that is often hidden in plain sight, but very much needs our attention to be saved. He is the recipient of the 2019 Photojournalism Story Award from the Natural History Museum in London, for his film The Path of the Panther.

Edie Widder, PhD, received the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship for her work with Ocean Research and Conservation Association, where she serves as the Sr. Scientist and CEO. Dr. Widder was invited to participate in the esteemed TED Mission Blue Voyage to the Galapagos Islands, along with other leading thinkers and advocates of ocean conservation, including Sylvia Earle, Jean-Michel Cousteau, and Mike DeGruy, to name a few. Dr. Widder’s TED presentation was recorded from the deck of the ship Endeavor. She is responsible for the first film footage of live giant squid in their natural habitat, the first one off the coast of Japan, and most recently in the Gulf of Mexico. Her unique photography and films use technology she developed specifically for deep water marine life. Her work enables us the opportunity to see the astonishing range of previously undiscovered creatures who thrive in the darkest underwater zones once deemed unable to support life.

Mac Stone, a native of Gainesville, grew up on the swamp, wandered the hammocks, and explored the springs where his love blossomed for all creatures that swoop and swirl, slither and slide. Mr. Stone's photos invite the viewers to look up through branches heavy with Spanish moss, where they can focus on a bird delicately preening in the late afternoon sun. A patient conservationist, Mac Stone has spent untold hours camouflaged in blinds, whether a hundred feet in the air or standing up to his chin in the swamp, quietly waiting for the perfect shot. His perseverance pays off.

These two national award-winning environmental photographers, Mac Stone and Carlton Ward, Jr., recently finished a film which is running in the gallery titled Ghost Orchid, in which they documented previously unknown pollinators of a rare botanical treasure, and their exciting discovery that rocked the world of Orchidaceae.

Ruth Petzold followed her passion for nature and photography to exotic and remote locations of the world, both above and below the ocean’s surface. Ms. Petzold is an avid supporter and spokesperson for the Wild Dolphin Project. Her photos of marine life have garnered awards from the Caribbean to the Red Sea.

“The Lighthouse ArtCenter continues to provide meaningful exhibitions that engage our hearts while we are bombarded with news that challenges our souls. This keeps the Lighthouse ArtCenter the cultural hub of our vibrant community,” said Nancy Politsch, CEO.

On display in the Pop Up Exhibition Space are three more artists. The first is an added bonus to this timely exhibition; the original artwork of Charles Walker, one of Florida’s surviving Highwaymen painters, is on display in the pop-up gallery. Mr. Walker brings rich memories of abundant wildlife to mind with his brush and leads the way for us to understand the meaning of shifting baselines. These highly collectible works tell of a time of plenty. If we are to set a course to inspire environmental stewardship then we must ensure today’s children see these memories of plenty, so they can imagine how their choices can affect the future. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Mr. Walker’s pieces benefit the Hobe Sound Nature Center.

Rene Gibson incorporates many small items in her work in order to create something large. After completing cancer treatment in 2018, the direction of Rene Gibson’s artwork changed. She focused her attention on one magnificent piece, a marlin that is ten feet long and weighs 41 pounds. It is encrusted with approximately one hundred thousand (100,000) genuine Swarovski crystals in 36 colors, 13 of which are special coatings. This piece of art took 535 hours and over two years for the artist to complete.

Carolyn Reed created a photographic response to nature's destruction in this series she titled Remnants from Irma. The work is a direct correlation between the intensity of the extreme weather event and the intensity of her determination to comprehend the results. Catharsis resulted from the transformation of the wreckage into the unexpected beauty of these digital kaleidoscopic symbols of hope.

The Lighthouse ArtCenter, a 501 c (3) nonprofit, was founded in 1964 by eight artists and Christopher Norton. In the last 56 years it has grown to include a gallery, school of art, gift shop, and art supply store. Supported by memberships, sponsors, and grants, the ArtCenter is bursting at the seams. It currently serves over 22,000 visitors, 2,500 adult students, 45 faculty members, 600 children, and a comprehensive outreach program to benefit underserved and disabled residents in the community. Phase II of a capital campaign is underway. It is designed to raise the roof in order to expand the gallery and provide much-needed additional classroom space. Sleek contemporary architectural plans by Scott Hughes have been approved by the Village of Tequesta, and a construction start date has yet to be established. For information on how you can help, please contact Susan Snyder, Development at (561) 746-3101

If you go:Lighthouse ArtCenter Gallery373 Tequesta DriveTequesta, Florida. 33469

Hours: Monday – Friday 10-4, Saturday 10-2 No charge for members, suggested donation for nonmembers $10First Saturday of the month is freeOpening reception, Thursday, January 16, 2020, 5:30 – 7:30

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Six photos to follow

Clyde Butcher by Woody Walters

Tom Fitz, Schoolyard Films

Mac Stone – Ghost Orchid 0821

Carlton Ward, 0462

Rene Gibson, 10' Marlin encrusted with 100,000 encrusted with 100,000 Swarovski crystals

Carolyn Reed, Remnants from Irma # 3

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