Rarefied Light 2022, produced by the Alaska Photographic Center, is Alaska’s largest annual fine art photography exhibition. It runs at the Valdez Museum & Historical Archive from April 21 to September 24, 2023. The opening celebration will be held on Friday, April 28, 5:30-6:30.

The Alaska Photographic Center (APC) is a statewide organization formed in 1983, with a mission to promote fine art photography in Alaska. The exhibition is highly competitive. This year they received 460 entries by artists. Guest juror Dan Burkholder, Palenville, New York, selected 53 photographs by 40 artists for inclusion in this year’s exhibition. Burkholder described his process: “As Photography grows — becoming more inclusive and making individual creative expression an easier pursuit than ever — it can be daunting to separate inspired work from the predictable and routine.” He continues, “This isn’t a Landscape show, or a Street Shooter show or a Still Life show, but rather a varied collection of photographic approaches, subjects and styles.”

The talents and imaginations of Alaskan photographers are on full display. Paintings range from 30×30 down to 9×14. The media are extensive, from archival pigment photography (“Urban Birch”, Richard Murphy) to Cyanolumen printing with horse tail, willow branches, daisies, turmeric, and salt (“Summer Celebration” by Susan Andrews). Other media include Epson pigment ink on polar metallic paper, dye sublimination on aluminum, and wet cyanotype print. Titles such as “Backyard Fireweed”, “Stardusted Dandelions”, and “Desolation”, suggest a wide variety of subjects from the environmental to surreal to poignant.

Rarefied Light 2022 is funded in part by grants from the Alaska State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, and the CVEA Community Foundation.

Contact: Executive Director Patricia Relay

Tel. 907-835-2764

Email: prelay@valdezmuseum.org