As the former lottery slogan goes: Hey, you never know!
That’s exactly what Maura Van Woert ’27 thought when she learned about a call for entries for an upcoming exhibit at Albany Center Gallery. They were seeking artwork for their 47th annual Photography Regional Exhibition, which featured a juried select show.
Van Woert, a visual art and design major, works in several different media, and says that charcoal drawing and photography are favorites. The untitled piece she submitted was created as a self-directed project for her Digital Photography II class, using the darkroom in Roger Bacon Hall.
“I had done the piece for class as a final project, and when I saw the open call for entries for the fall exhibit, I decided to submit,” she said.
“Her large-scale experimental piece showcases a bold and courageous approach to both materials and final design,” said Gigi Gatewood, M.F.A., department chair and associate professor of visual art and design.
Van Woert’s process blended analog photography with modern digital manipulation. She applied cyanotype emulsion and dyes directly to fabric, scanned the textiles at high resolution, and arranged them into a striking final digital collage.
The Regional, as it’s known, brings together emerging and established photographers “to highlight photography as both an art form and a powerful way to document people, places, and moments in time,” according to the Gallery. The show ran throughout September and October.
After graduating from Siena in May, Van Woert plans to pursue a master’s degree in fine arts along with teacher certification to become an art teacher.
You can check out her portfolio on her website or on Instagram @mauravanwoert_studio.