June | July | August 2008 Volume 32, Number 3 - Boston ...

the prc mission
The Photographic Resource Center (PRC) at Boston
University is an independent non-profit organization
that serves as a vital forum for the exploration
and interpretation of new work, ideas, and methods
in photography and related media. The PRC
presents exhibitions, fosters education, develops
resources, and facilitates community interaction for
local, regional, and national audiences.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Cathy England, President Arlette Kayafas
Eric Almquist
Nancy King
Marc Elliott
Jason Landry
Andrew Epstein
Susan Lewinnek
Roger Farrington
Walt Meissner
Peter Fiedler
Les Nanberg
Lou Jones
Neal Rantoul
Emily Kahn
Kim Sichel
David Karp
Bob Watts
Staff
Jim Fitts, Executive Director/Editor
Leslie Brown, Curator
Michael Christiano, Education Manager
Cate Brennan, Programs Coordinator
Alice Hall, Librarian
Vincent Marasa, Preparator
Work-study and Interns
Ariana Alisjahbana (BU)
Caleb Cole (NESOP)
Kristyn Collins (Emmanuel)
Sara Elizabeth Connors (Simmons)
Tom Gamelli (Lasell)
Leise Jones (NESOP)
Kassia Karr (BU)
Carolyn Kelly (Fitchburg State)
Meg O’Hearn (AIB)
Bonnie Opyoke (AIB alum)
Beth Pickard (BU alum)
Jamie Spear (Mass Art)
General Information
Photographic Resource Center at Boston University
832 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
Tel 617-975-0600 prc@bu.edu
Fax 617-975-0606 prcboston.org
Hours
Tuesday–Friday: 10–6pm, Saturday–Sunday: 12–5pm
Thursday: 10–8pm, Closed Mondays
Admission
Adults: $3 Students (with valid ID) and Seniors: $2
Members, children under 18, and school groups are
admitted free. Admission is free on Thursdays and
on the last weekend of every month.
Public Transportation
Take the Green Line “B” train to the BU West,
four stops west of Kenmore Square.
Cover image
Claire Beckett, detail of Private Dan Floyd at Basic
Training, Fort Knox, KY, from the series “Simulating Iraq,”
2007, Digital C-Print, 29 ½ x 36 ½ inches, courtesy of
the artist and the Bernard Toale Gallery. For a full
uncropped version of this image, please see page 14.
Design Credits
This issue of the in the loupe was designed
by James Weinberg > weinbergdesign.com
and printed by Millennium Graphics.
from the PRESIDENT
At the end of my first year as President, I’d like to update the readers of in
the loupe with a report on a wide range of new and exciting PRC initiatives.
Our Board of Directors has increased in size and strength, adding ten highly
engaged new members. One of our new board members, Eric Almquist, has
chaired our strategic planning committee. His goal has been to assess how
the PRC will maintain relevance in the rapidly changing world of photography.
The committee has been collating information from a multitude of
sources including interviews with PRC board members and key donors, an
online survey of our membership, and researching peer institutions across
the country.
From our discussions, it has become clear that there is a strong desire on
the part of our membership to have increased opportunities to present their
work. In response, we have doubled the capacity of our annual Portfolio
Review Day. We have initiated a new program, the PRC Portfolio Project,
to provide an intensive, hands-on workshop for portfolio development. In
this issue of in the loupe, we have issued an invitation to our membership
to submit images for consideration for inclusion in the PRC Benefit Auction.
The board and staff are currently researching and working on an online
members’ gallery. We are also considering the possibility of a juried print
supplement in our newsletter/magazine, in the loupe. Satellite venues are
being investigated as a way to expand our current exhibition space. We
already have one such space at MIT, where the PRC is presenting the work
of John Chervinsky in this gallery’s inaugural year.
We have also decided to strengthen member networking opportunities. The
PRC has launched a new blog, www.bostonphotographyfocus.org, where
members can engage in a discussion about current issues and events in
photography. Also, we have expanded our Flickr site at www.flickr.com/
photos/prcboston where the PRC community can view photos of all PRC
events and exhibitions. Our curator Leslie K. Brown introduced a Flickr
group in conjunction with the PRC exhibition New England Survey, where
participants showed their work online and engaged in discussions about
issues related to landscape photography in New England. We introduced
a new series, “Behind the Scenes,” which is yet another opportunity for
networking as well as experiencing unique photography events.
We succeeded in having our most successful PRC Benefit Auction ever last
fall. Nonetheless, we realize that the PRC needs to develop new sources
of income in order to continue to be financially healthy. We are thrilled to
present our new PRC Print Program, with individual prints by outstanding
photographers. In addition, we are especially proud of the upcoming PRC
Portfolio, with prints by 14 renowned photographers. This is the first portfolio
produced by the PRC since 1981 and it is a fitting tribute to the PRC at the
conclusion of its 30-year anniversary celebration.
I’d like to close by asking those of you who would like to share your ideas
with me to call or write me at the PRC. I’d love to hear from you!
Cathy England,
President of the PRC Board of Directors