Brittani Mattke, Director of Marketing l Public Relations
bmattke@wisconsinart.org, 262.247.2266
RE: Museum of Wisconsin Art Presents Two Outstanding Exhibitions of Photography
MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART PRESENTS TWO OUTSTANDING
EXHIBITIONS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Carl Corey: For Love and Money and
Coalition of Photographic Arts: The People in Your Neighborhood
Opening Celebration Thursday, April 24, 5:00-8:00
(WEST BEND, WI) The Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) is proud to present two outstanding exhibitions of photography this spring and summer, Carl Corey: For Love and Money, April 25–July 27, 2014 and Coalition of Photographic Arts: The People in Your Neighborhood, April 25–July 20, 2014. An opening celebration will take place for both exhibitions on Thursday, April 24, 5:00–8:00.
Equipped with his camera and an acute sensitivity to the world around him, Hudson photographer Carl Corey has traveled the state taking pictures of family-owned businesses that have been in operation for over 50 years. Featuring 24 photographs, For Love and Money honors the generations-old traditions of family and work in these Wisconsin businesses. From pharmacies, jewelry and furniture stores, to diners, funeral homes, and breweries, this exhibition captures the persistence of skill, pride, and endurance in the face of a rapidly-changing global economy. Corey’s images are at once humbling and hopeful.
The exhibition is in conjunction with the launch of Corey’s new book, For Love and Money: Portraits of Wisconsin Family Businesses. Published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, the book includes 75 pictures selected by Corey that portray the small business way of life that has been so integral to local economies and Wisconsin’s social fabric. Other books by Corey include Tavern League: A Portrait of the Wisconsin Tavern (Wisconsin Historical Society Press, 2011) and Rancher (Bunker Hill, 2007). His photographs have also been featured in New York: A Photographer’s City (Rizzoli, 2011).
Corey has exhibited widely in solo and group shows throughout the US and abroad. He has been the recipient of more than 100 awards including the Midwest Book Publishers Association’s Crystal Award for Best Photography Book, the USA National Best Photography Book, and the Addy Gold, among many others. His work has also been featured in some of photography’s most prestigious periodicals, including Camera Work Bicentennial Edition, Communications Arts, Columbia Journalism Review, and Visual Communication Quarterly.
In conjunction with Corey’s work, MOWA is pleased to exhibit The People in Your Neighborhood by members of the Milwaukee-based Coalition of Photographic Arts (CoPA). In an age when many people are more familiar with their online communities than their physical neighborhoods, MOWA asked the members of CoPA to turn their lenses inward and narrow in on who and what make their own neighborhoods or communities noteworthy. The result is this exhibition.
The People in Your Neighborhood showcases 19 photographers and 25 artworks that focus on the intimacy of close relationships and the interactions within communities. Christina DeSpears in Dia de los Muertos (Walker’s Point, Milwaukee) depicts participants preparing for a traditional Mexican event. The American yellow school bus in the background underscores the struggle of maintaining cultural values and traditions in what is essentially a foreign land. Bruce Ambuel in Ruth and Butterfly captures the intimate connection between a young girl and her barnyard pet as well as the pride and tradition of the Wisconsin State Fair’s farming community.
Founded in 2004 by a group of Milwaukee area photographers, CoPA’s mission is to develop appreciation, promote growth and support the creation of photographic arts in the Greater Milwaukee Region. With 200 current members, including artists, students, professionals, amateurs, enthusiasts, and collectors, CoPA carries out its mission through educational programs, lectures, panel discussions, and exhibitions.
“Both Corey and CoPA turn their cameras on what is sometimes overlooked or dismissed as “mundane” but is actually the world in which we live,” said Graeme Reid, MOWA Director of Collections | Exhibitions. “If we choose to look elsewhere, we will neglect that which has a direct effect on our daily lives.”
“It is wonderful to be able to collaborate with Carl Corey, the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, and CoPA to create a meaningful exhibition pairing,” said Laurie Winters, MOWA Executive Director | CEO. “As a museum we want to engage with the artistic community in the state as well as the general public.”
