Photographic Society

The University of Memphis Photographic Society is an organization founded by and composed of undergraduate and graduate students in the art department, as well as the Memphis photographic community. The main purpose of this organization is to promote the understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of photography as a fine art. It is also committed to developing greater communication among the greater Memphis photographic community. We encourage anyone with an interest in photography to participate: all majors are welcome.

Each year, the Photographic Society sponsors a lecture series here on campus. We invite local, regional, national and international artists and photographers to present slide lectures of their work, and to conduct workshops in which the students can work one-on-one with the artist. These events provide students and faculty alike with the opportunity to meet and work with a diverse group of artists with widely different perspectives of photography.

The list of past guest artists reads like a Who's Who of contemporary photographers – Lee Friedlander, Ray Metzker, Barbara Crane, Mary Ellen Mark, Arno Minkkinen, Jerry Uelsmann, Duane Michals, Judy Dater, Bruce Davidson and Barbara Kruger, Bea Nettles, Todd Hido and Shen Wei. The list goes on and on. Each photographer has contributed greatly to the medium and has been enthusiastic about working with students.

The Photographic Society is also active in organizing exhibitions, both on campus and in the surrounding community. We have organized projects that were community-related such as "Views From the Toxic Tour," in which students and faculty documented toxic waste producers in the Memphis and Shelby County area. These photographs were organized into a group show that was exhibited here at the Art Museum of The University of Memphis. It then traveled to the Art Studio Gallery at The State University of New York at New Paltz. Other group exhibitions have been held at The Fogelman Executive Center, Plan B Gallery and Jack Kenner Studios.

Considering all that is available through the Photo Society, the dues are small – only $10 per year. If you are interested in joining the Photographic Society, please contact the Society's faculty advisor, David Horan at 678-2925 (dhoran@memphis.edu).