Statement and Bio
My first formal introduction to photography came after college. That first summer I enrolled in a class at the New England School of Photography, aka NESOP. My instructor, Barry Kiperman, who had spent time with Walker Evans while at Yale, insisted that I take a weekend workshop with a guy named Gary Winogrand. By Monday I was looking to sell my car so that I could buy a Leica. By the time I had (almost) completed the two year program at NESOP I was assisting numerous Boston photographers, starting my own commercial studio, and shooting on the street whenever possible with yes, a Leica. Forty-five years later, after the commercial work, after the teaching, I still prefer the street.

Since 1973, I have been returning to Rome, Italy. There was the summer school and fall semester at Trinity College; the travel passes from my wife, a Delta flight attendant; and the 2004 high school semester with my youngest daughter, after the fire that destroyed my studio. Now, that same daughter has been living in Rome for over a decade. Not that I ever needed an excuse, but it is a delight to visit family (often with family) and spend multiple weeks photographing my favorite city. The ever present dogs in Rome have always found their way into my photographs, but in the last few years the dogs have become principle actors. One year ago, Paula reviewed a book I produced of Roman photographs: “Roman Haikus: I-III”. Knowing of her love of dogs, I also brought along a small box of dog photographs from Rome. After viewing the Haikus, she looked through the box of 5×7 dog prints and said, “I want to show these next year, this size, no frames, and in this room.” And here we are. Thank you Paula! – RA

CV
HONORS & GRANTS

2016 – The Outwin: American Portraiture Today – The National Portrait Gallery, DC

2014 – Critical Mass 200 2014 – Invitation to host portfolios at ArtPhotoIndex.com 2014 – Juried entrant at Review Santa Fe 2014 – Invitation to host portfolios at LensCulture.com

2013 – New England Photography Biennial

2013 – Photography Fellowship Grant – Massachusetts Cultural Council

2011 – New England Museum Association | Second Place Book Awards Jeremiah Lee Mansion: A Photographic Tour by Rick Ashley 2009 – Juried entrant at Review Santa Fe

1995 – Massachusetts Local Cultural Council Arts Grant 1990 – Massachusetts Local Cultural Council Arts Grant

1986 – New York Art Directors, Gold Pencil Award for “AIDS, It takes all kinds”, TV PSA

EXHIBITIONS

2020 – Marblehead Museum & Historic Society, “From the Ashes”, Surviving photographs from the 2003 School Street Fire: The Marblehead Portrait Project and Marblehead Celebrates, Marblehead’s Annual Parades and Public Events. February 1 – April 30

2018 – Ackland Museum of Art, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, “The Outwin: American Portraiture Today” June 1, 2018 – August 26, 2018

2018 – Artis―Naples, The Baker Museum, Naples,Florida, “The Outwin: American Portraiture Today” January 31, 2018 – May 6, 2018

2017 – Marblehead Museum & Historic Society, “Off Season” – The Jeremiah Lee Mansion October 1 – November 15

2017 – Virginia Carten Gallery, “Bartlett’s Garage”, Marblehead MA, November 1 – 30

2017 – Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO “The Outwin: American Portraiture Today” October 6, 2017 – January 7, 2018

2017 – The Gallery UPSTAIRS, Orleans, MA, Neal Rantoul & Rick Ashley, June 8 – July 10

2017 – Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, TX “The Outwin: American Portraiture Today” June 8 – September 10

2017 – Griffin Museum of Photography, Lafayette Gallery, “Aviary” group exhibit, March 21 – July 21

2017 – Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, Washington “The Outwin: American Portraiture Today” February 4 – May 14

2016 – National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian, Washington, DC “The Outwin: American Portraiture Today”. March 12, 2016 – January 8, 2017

2016 – Marblehead Arts Association – Ballroom Gallery “Marblehead’s Horrible Parade and the Kids that Love it”, October 1 – November 13

2016 – Laura’s Center for the Arts, “Perspectives on Inclusion”, Hanover, MA, March 29 – April 30

2015 – Virginia Carten Gallery, “Open Spaces”, Marblehead MA

2015 – The Gallery at The School of Design at Mount Ida College “New Visionaries”

2014 – Griffin Museum of Photography Virtual Gallery, 20th Juried Exhibition, Juror: Aline Smithson

2014 – Flash Forward Festival/Boston, Fall Back, Spring Forward at the Photographic Resource Center curated by Francine Weiss, PHD

2014 – New Art Center, 2013 MCC Fellowship Recipients Exhibition, Newtonville, MA

2013 – Danforth Museum of Art, Photography Biennial, Framingham MA, Juror: Francine Weiss

2013 – Panopticon Gallery, “Michael” in Dress Up, Boston MA

2012 – Virginia Carten Gallery, “94 Pleasant Street”, Marblehead MA

2011 – Panopticon Gallery, Instant Connections curated by Jim Fitts, Boston MA

2011 – Chase Young Gallery, “Studio Diptychs” photographs with Bernd Haussmann, painter, Boston

2010 – Gallery Kayafas, “Prom Couples” Special Edition Books with Original Prints, Boston

2010 – RayKo Gallery, “Prom Couples” (Por)trait Revealed, San Francisco CA

2010 – Griffin Museum of Photography, “94 Pleasant Street” 16th Juried Exhibition Juror: Jorg Colberg ,Winchester MA

2010 – Gallery Kayafas, “Prom Couples”, Boston MA

2009 – Photographic Resource Center, “Prom Couples” Exposure 2009 Juror: Russell Hart, editor of American Photo

ONLINE & PRINT PUBLICATIONS

2020 – Marblehead Magazine, Winter “Rick Ashley captures a town’s history”

2017 – IlPost.it Con chi vai al ballo di fine anno? (Prom Couples)

2016 – What Will You Remember, Elin Spring Photography Blog, O Superman

2014 – FeatureShoot.com Conceptual Portraits of a Man with Down Syndrome Reference Art History and Superman 

2014 – VisualNews.com This Super Man With Down Syndrome Is Not Camera Shy

2014 – TheMighty.com Photo Series Challenges Preconceived Notions About People With Down Syndrome

2014 – ufunk.com

Michael – Magnifiques portraits d’un homme atteint du syndrome de Down

2014 – aplus.com Artist Takes Photos Of His Brother-In-Law In The Superman Outfit We can all be superheroes if we want to be. 

2014 – Wonderzine – Moscow Arts & Culture Magazine: Prom Couples in America 

2014 – Huffington Post: Photographer Rick Ashley: Altering Perceptions Through Portraiture 

2013 – Elin Spring Photography Blog: Rick Ashley update: Elizabeth City, NC 

2013 – photoweenie.com: Rick Ashley Introduces Superman to Inges, Manet, Sargent, and Hopper

2013 – Wonders of Photography, by Dennis Curtin, gallery of photographs

2013 – Elin Spring Photography Blog: Agent Provocateur?

2012 – WickedLocalMarblehead.com (print & online) Arts & More: The Y gone by, exhibition review

2011 – Photo District News, July; “What Collectors Want” by Holly Hughes

2011 – Jeremiah Lee Mansion: A Photographic Tour by Rick Ashley, published and sold through The Marblehead Museum 

2010 – SalemNews.com (print & online) A New View of Lee Mansion, photography book by Rick Ashley

2010 – WickedLocalMarblehead.com (print & online) Arts & More, photography book by Rick Ashley

2009 – The Photo Review, online exhibition, 2009 Everyday People, “Prom Couples”

2009 – Flash Flood: 13 Favorites from 2009 Review Santa Fe , “Prom Couples”

2001 – Digital Desktop Studio Photography, co-author with Dennis Curtin, published by Shortcourses

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2013 – Kelby Worldwide Photowalk leader, Rome, Italy 2012 – Artist in Residence at Boston University’s Center for Digital Imaging Arts

2012 – Kelby Worldwide Photowalk leader, Marblehead, MA 2008 – Adobe Lightroom Expert Certification

2007 – Trained teaching assistants for Adobe Lightroom release at Photoshop World/Boston

2006 – 2010: Program Director, Photography Department, Boston University Center for Digital Imaging Arts

2005 – 2011: Instructor of photography at the Boston University Center for Digital Imaging Arts

2004 – present: Workshops and lectures on digital photography

1983 – 1986 Co-Owner, New Reelism Video Productions Writing, producing, and shooting, specializing in sports marketing and TV spots.

1986 recipient of New York Art Directors One Show Gold Pencil, Hatch and Clio awards, with AIDS PSA commercial airing on the Super Bowl

1979 – present: Commercial photographer

EDUCATION

1977-1979: New England School of Photography 1972-1976: Trinity College, BA Religion