Photography Atelier is a 12-session portfolio and project building course for emerging to advanced photographers offered through the Griffin Museum of Photography. Now in its 24th year, the Atelier class 33 was led by photographer Meg Birnbaum with assistance from photographer  Sue D’Arcy Fuller.

Exhibiting photographers of Photography Atelier 33 are: Julia Arstorp, Peter Balentine, Terry Bleser, Sally Bousquet, Lisa Cassell-Arms, Diana Cheren Nygren, Edie Clifford, Sue D’Arcy Fuller, Kathy DeCarlo-Plano, Angela Douglas-Ramsey, Amy Eilertsen, Marc Goldring, Sandy Gotlib, Sandy Hill, Roselle McConnell, Judith Montminy, Bonnie Newman, Karyn Novakowski, Diane Shohet, Anne Smith Duncan, Jim Turner, Amir Viskin and Jeanne Widmer.

Julia Arstorp – Invisible Threads
Invisible Threads is a visual narrative about connections and identity found through family stories and childhood memories.

Peter Balentine – Home Markets
In Home Markets, Peter Balentine discovers an interesting variety of markets in houses in Lynn, MA reflecting the ethnic diversity of this gateway immigrant city.

Terry Bleser –Searching for a Sense of Home
Searching for a Sense of Home in a new place.

Sally Bousquet – All the Fish in the Sea
All the Fish in the Sea explores the troubling consequences of our worldwide reliance on plastic.

Lisa Cassell-Arms – Aide-Memoire (An aid to memory)
A contemplation of gardens: where tended space meets the tangled edges beyond.

Diana Cheren Nygren – Just Another Alice
“In the series “Just Another Alice“, I explore the ways that I have coped with the confinement of the pandemic, and the memories of past travels in which I have taken solace.”

Edie Clifford – The Architect called Light
“My project is to explore the idea of Light as the architect of the forms and spaces of the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts at Harvard University.”

Sue D’Arcy Fuller – The Stars of Our Days
“During the Covid 19 Pandemic, I taught children about nature at a farm. In those extraordinary times, the chickens were often The Stars of Our Days.”

Kathy DeCarlo-Plano – Revitalize
Seeing how these historic autos have withstood the hardships of the world’s harsh elements has enlightened and revitalized me that the present stress we jointly face, shall soon pass.

Angela Douglas-Ramsey – Carbon Copy
“My daughter Rose: she is of me, like me, and more than me. The ways in which we resemble one another outwardly are echoed in the ways we resemble each other inwardly.”

Amy Eilertsen –Memento Vivere: A study of life
“Retaining underlying intent of momento mori painting in Dutch Realism of the 17^th century, I work with live animals in still-life scenes which remind us that life is now, here and in this moment.”

Marc Goldring – Visions of Trees
In his project Visions of Trees, Marc focuses on the stories trees tell: about their own lives, their interactions one another and with humans. His aim to highlight the grace and tenacity of these living beings with which we share the planet.

Sandy Gotlib – Framingham Farms
Framingham Farms captures visual impressions of some of the few remaining farms in Framingham.

Sandy Hill – American Decor
“After a tumultuous year filled with isolation and conflict, I felt the need to search for a connection to people who share my country, regardless of beliefs, views or background they chose to celebrate life during a pandemic.”

Roselle McConnell – In His Shoes
A sequential journey of one boy’s life from infancy to adulthood in his father’s shoes.

Judith Montminy – Dancing Alone
Dancing Alone focuses on the playful performance of unchoreographed dances when water interacts with a variety of elements – air, glass, acrylic ink, food coloring, and oil.

Bonnie Newman – Morning Impressions: Cape Cod
A Personal Vision of Cape Cod Landscapes: Fleeting and Fragile; Serene and Inviting.

Karyn Novakowski – Some Things Remain the Same
“Some Things Remain the Same is an ongoing project documenting how our home became the center of our lives – for safety, for connection, and for entertainment – during Covid-19 pandemic.”

Diane Shohet – An Enduring Place
“An Enduring Place is a collection of portraits that capture my 20 summers in the “Little House” in Wellfleet, MA.”

Anne Smith Duncan – Illusions (Landscape)
The series Illusions (Landscape) plays with our visual perception; photographs of two-dimensional flat concrete surfaces can be perceived as three-dimensional landscapes.

Jim Turner – Seeing in Threes
This collection of botanical triptychs provides a glimpse into the sometimes unseen beauty of the natural world.

Amir Viskin – Ephemeral Abstractions
“In this project I experimented with ephemeral elements in nature to create abstract images meant to ask myself questions regarding the perception of time and place.”

Jeanne Widmer – Dejaview
This series depicts the consequences when a modern office park despoils an adjacent grass and tree-filled wetland.

In addition to guidance and support in the creation of a body of work, the class helps prepare artists to market, exhibit and present their work to industry professionals. Participants engage in supportive critical discussions of each other’s work and leave with a better understanding of how to edit and sequence their own work as well as help others do the same. Instruction in the Atelier includes visual presentations based around 4-5 assignments which are designed to encourage experimentation in both subject matter and approach. Students learn how to prepare for a national or regional portfolio review. Students learn the critical importance of writing an effective artist statement and bio. Any method or medium of image making is welcome although digital photography is recommended for the first half of the class when work is assigned each week. For information about the exhibiting artists of Atelier 33 and to see more of their images visit www.photographyatelier.org.

For information about upcoming classes: www.griffinmuseum.org, under Programs then Education or email crista at griffinmuseum dot org. The Photography Atelier has its own website. You may see all of the ateliers here including Atelier 33.

The Atelier was conceived by Holly Smith Pedlosky around 1996 and later taught by Karen Davis and then Meg Birnbaum. The workshop was previously offered at Radcliffe Seminars, Harvard University and Lesley Seminars and in the Seminar Series in the Arts, The Art Institute of Boston (AIB), both at Lesley University.

Gallery hours by appointment: Tuesday – Sunday: Noon – 4PM