Picture this 鈥� Elizabeth (Lizzy) Wallen, class of 2020, will have her work featured in this year鈥檚 nationally recognized Photo Stories Exhibition in Rhode Island. Wallen is one of just 10 artists selected for the distinguished exhibit at the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts in Providence, Rhode Island, June 20-July 13.
Wallen, from Springfield and a graduate of Catholic Central, is an art major with a focus in photography. She is minoring in business and art history.
鈥淎fter completing my 鈥楶hobias鈥� series for my advanced photography class, I decided to apply it to a call for entries,鈥� said Wallen, who is also involved in Alpha Phi Omega here at Wittenberg. 鈥淚 mainly did this on a whim, not really thinking I would get accepted but just trying to get my name out there. It was such an awesome feeling when I got the email from Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts saying that I was invited to be in the Photo Stories exhibition. I love getting to show my art to other people, and I鈥檓 so grateful for this opportunity. Photography is definitely part of my future. After Wittenberg, I am hoping to go to grad school to receive my MFA in photography and to have my photography shown in many more galleries and possibly be a professor one day.鈥�
is a juried exhibition featuring 10 projects on display. The opening reception will be held on June 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. The projects were selected by Michael Itkoff, co-founder of Fabl and Daylight Books, both non-profit organizations dedicated to publishing art and photography books. The exhibition explores photography as a storytelling medium, presenting ideas and concepts that cannot easily be represented in a single image.
Wallen said that her series 鈥渋s meant to bring awareness to phobias. Many people do not realize that having a phobia can actually cause anxiety or panic attacks. Certain phobias are seen as ridiculous or petty, while the ones afraid are truly suffering.鈥�
Her goal is for viewers to examine these photos deeply and think about what someone with these fears might think or feel.
鈥淭o me, photography is an expression of the mind,鈥� Wallen said. 鈥淚 love abstract and surreal art, and I use surrealism in my photography. In my opinion, surrealism allows you to portray a thought or feeling instead of something you already see in front of you. Photography is truthful, as in you can take a picture and see exactly what is in front of you. Or you can take that picture and change it in order to make something new. For example, in my 鈥楶hobias鈥� series, I used long exposure or 鈥楶hotoshopped鈥� images in order to portray feelings of fear, being