An exhibition of photographs with stories that should be told.
By: José Betancourt
Exhibition Open: February 4 - March 9, 2022
Community Workshop: Saturday, February 12 - 9:00am-2:00pm
Reception: Saturday, February 12 - 3:00pm-5:00pm
St. Andrew's-Sewanee Gallery
On Saturday, February 12, SAS Gallery artist and photographer José Betancourt offers Memories Revisited, a hands-on workshop that will help participants make connections between their memories and family objects or photographs in order to create a meaningful, mixed-media collage. Through the processes of writing, scanning, combining images, and telling stories, participants will learn about José’s creative process as they explore their own process.
The workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the SAS Gallery in the Simmonds Building on the St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School campus. The workshop fee is $10 and includes lunch. Participants should bring photographs, family objects, and/or letters that they would like to include in their work. No experience is necessary. To register email sasgallery@sasweb.org by Friday, February 11.
God Bless Our Home (Dios Bendiga Nuestro Hogar), 2019
Digital Pigment Print, 16" x 19".
Betancourt’s exhibition, “Cuba: Memories Revisited: An exhibition of photographs with stories that should be told” is on view in the SAS Gallery until March 9. The public is invited to a reception for the artist on Saturday, February 12 from 3 p.m.-5 p.m.
Betancourt is Professor of Photography at the University of Alabama in Huntsville's Department of Art, Art History and Design. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Florida and his Master of Fine Arts degree in Photography from the City University of New York- Hunter College, where he studied with Roy DeCarava, Mark Feldstein, Juan Sanchez, and Robert Morris.
His personal art projects are inspired by the documentary possibilities in photography. From the traditional documentary project to the possibilities of using objects, stories, and alternative techniques to help the viewer process the information.
“There are three parts to my process: remembering, discovery and retelling,” explains Betancourt. “The exhibit not only builds on the collected stories, but also enables the viewer to understand how many of the memories were real. The use of multiple photographic techniques, along with visual storytelling, will hopefully bring a depth that transcends cultural differences, and provides a unique personal experience.”
Betancourt’s work has been exhibited regionally at the Tinney Contemporary art gallery in Nashville; the Tennessee Valley Museum in Tuscumbia, Alabama; the Asheville Museum of Art in North Carolina, and The Baldwin Photographic Gallery in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Internationally, he has exhibited at numerous art and photography fairs, including Art Basel in Switzerland and the Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle in Munich, Germany. Betancourt and artist Susan Weil have collaborated for over 20 years on variations of alternative photographic techniques, most importantly, the Cyanotype, or Blueprint.
The Revisit, 2012
Cyanotype and digital pigment on paper, 24” x 30”. The SAS Art Gallery is located at the center of the Simmonds Building on the St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School campus. The gallery is open during school hours, Monday-Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment. Email sasgallery@sasweb.org for more information about the exhibition, workshop, and/or reception.
St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School, an Episcopal boarding and day school in Sewanee, Tenn., is committed to arts education and creativity. In addition to offering a wide range of courses and afternoon programs in the visual and performing arts, SAS welcomes professional artists throughout the year for gallery exhibitions, performances, and workshops. The school is also home to Shakerag Workshops, a residential summer arts program for adults.
*COVID NOTE: At this time, St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School requires masks in all campus buildings.
