Martin Museum of Art Will Feature Black-and-White Photographs of Renowned Photographer Ansel Adams In Exhibition Beginning Sept. 10

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Contact: Terry Goodrich,(254) 710-3321
WACO, Texas (Aug. 26, 2013) -- An exhibition of work by American photographer Ansel Adams, best known for his black-and-white images of nature, will be displayed at Martin Museum of Art at Baylor University from Sept. 10 to Nov. 14.
The exhibition, Ansel Adams: Distance and Detail, is composed of 29 photographs, with images that include dunes, lakes, trees, surf crashing on rocks, storms, sunsets and sunrises. Related events will include a reception and gallery talk, as well as a complimentary lunch and discussion by Baylor photography professors.
"Ansel Adams was integral in elevating photography from documentation to fine art," said Karin Gilliam, director of Martin Museum of Art. "We are very pleased to bring this extraordinary exhibition of some of Adams' most memorable images to Central Texas."
Adams (1902-1984) also was an environmentalist, writer and lecturer. He was known for his technical mastery of photography. He published eight portfolios from 1927 to 1976 of his original prints and 10 volumes of technical manuals. He also wrote more than 40 books.
Adams was born in San Francisco and from a very young age he was drawn to nature, although at one point he was focused on becoming a musician. But that changed when his father gave him a camera -- a Kodak Brownie box -- during a family vacation to Yosemite National Park in 1916. Adams' love for the environment eventually became the subject of his work and photographs.
At 17, he worked as a summer intern in Yosemite Park with the Sierra Club, which is dedicated to preserving the natural wonders of the world. Adams created iconic images of the Yosemite landscape and other parts of the American West, including national parks and Native American reservations.
While known for his black-and-white images, he also experimented with color with works ranging from portraits to landscapes to architecture. But experts on Adams say that he felt color could be distracting and divert an artist from achieving the full potential when taking a photograph.
His first solo museum exhibition -- at the Smithsonian Institute in 1931 and featuring 60 prints taken in the High Sierra -- elicited an excellent review from The Washington Post: "His photographs are like portraits of the giant peaks, which seem to be inhabited by mythical gods."
Related events which are free and open to the public:
' A reception and gallery talk by Rebecca Senf, curator of photography at the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona Ansel Adams Archive, will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 26 in Martin Museum of Art.
' Department of the Interiors Efforts on The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Lecture by Dr. Kevin Reynolds, Department of the Interior case manager at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, in lecture hall 149, adjacent to the museum.
' A Free Lunch Monday, a complimentary lunch and informal chat with Baylor photography professor, Susan Mullally, will be hosted by the museum from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 21. Seating is limited and reservations are required by Oct. 11. For reservations, call (254) 710-3503 or email adair_mcgregor@baylor.edu
' FREE FILM at 3 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. Historic film footage of Ansel Adams at work. 20 minutes.
LOCATION: Martin Museum of Art, Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center, 60 Baylor Ave., Baylor University campus in Waco.
HOURS: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. The museum is closed on Mondays and during university holidays. Admission is free.
CONTACT: (254) 710-1867 or visit the museum website at www.baylor.edu/martinmuseum
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.

ABOUT MARTIN MUSEUM OF ART
The museum's mission is one of education and service by bringing outstanding art exhibitions, speakers and guest artists to Baylor University and Central Texas. The museum serves as a valuable teaching tool for students and faculty. Exhibitions complement the courses of art history and studio art taught within Baylor's department of art. The permanent collection consists of approximately 1,300 objects representing a variety of art that has been donated to or purchased by Baylor. The collection contains art by such well-known artists as Robert Rauschenberg, Kathe Kollwitz, Francisco de Goya, and Edouard-Leon Cortes, as well as approximately 300 paintings by famous watercolor artists, among them George Post, Phil Dike, Edgar Whitney and John Marin.