SALEM, Ore. – The Hallie Ford Museum of Art (HFMA) is pleased to present Depth of Field: Selections from the Bill Rhoades Collection of Northwest Photography, which is currently on view and continues through April 23 in the Study Gallery and Print Study Center. Organized by curator Jonathan Bucci in collaboration with the collector, the exhibition presents a range of Northwest photographs donated to the HFMA by Bill Rhoades of Madras, Oregon.
The photography focus within the museum’s Bill Rhoades Collection has grown extensively in recent years and explores the history of Northwest photography through some of the most significant regional photographers and photo groups of the past one hundred years. The early art photography movement had important contributors in the Pacific Northwest, including Edward Curtis and Imogen Cunningham in Washington, both represented in this exhibition, and Myra Wiggins and Lily White in Oregon.
The exhibition also includes work by photographers from the Farm Services Administration (a 1930s WPA-era federal project that included Dorothea Lange, Russell Lee and Minor White, among others), the Advanced Interim Workshop (a Portland based group led by Minor White that began in 1959), Blue Sky Gallery (founded in 1975 as a venue for the newest ideas in contemporary photography), and the Portland Photographic Workshop (a group formed in 1982 by Stu Levy and Stewart Harvey to improve craft and aesthetics).
In addition to photographers who fit into this historical framework, the collection holds work by other influential photographers such as Mary Randlett, Michael Kenna and Robert Adams, as well as a range of contemporary photographers from the Northwest.
Al Monner, ‘Manuel Izquierdo in His Studio,’ 1967. Gelatin silver print, 8in by 10 in, Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University, Salem, Ore., The Bill Rhoades Collection, a gift in memory of Murna and Vay Rhoades, 2010.008.020
During the past 24 years Rhoades has donated close to 900 artworks by artists from, or affiliated with, the Northwest. With his first donation to the museum in 1998, the year the museum opened, Rhoades has been instrumental in helping the museum build the strong foundation of Northwest art for which it is well known. The collection includes not only the photography as seen in this exhibition but also paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, as well as traditional Native American basketry and beadwork.
Mick Briscoe, ‘Seedpod and Feather with Lightdance,’ 1995. Gelatin silver print, 13.25in by 10.25in, Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University, Salem, Ore., The Bill Rhoades Collection, donated by Mick Briscoe and Bill Rhoades, 2019.035.009
As a special feature, the exhibition will be accompanied by a brochure with an essay on Rhoades and the collection by professor emeritus of art history Roger Hull. An online panel discussion is planned to be held in February with the date yet to be announced. The event will be moderated by Jonathan Bucci, and will include Bill Rhoades and several photographers from the exhibition.
Depth of Field: Selections from the Bill Rhoades Collection of Northwest Photography is supported in part by funds from the HFMA Exhibition Fund; by advertising support from The Oregonian/Oregon Live; and by general operating support grants from the City of Salem’s Transient Occupancy Tax funds and the Oregon Arts Commission.
About the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University
As one of the finest academic art museums in the Northwest, the museum features works by Pacific Northwest and Native American artists and includes a diverse collection of traditional European, American and Asian art, as well as artifacts that date from antiquity. Frequently changing exhibitions include lectures, special events, tours, artist demonstrations, educational opportunities for children and adults, as well as important publications.
The museum is located at 700 State St. in Salem. The galleries are closed on Sunday and Monday. Timed-entry tickets are highly recommended and can be purchased or reserved online at www.willamette.edu/go/hfma. People are encouraged to visit the website at willamette.edu/go/hfma for current COVID entry requirements and updates. General admission is $6, $4 for seniors and $3 for students 18 and older. Students 17 and under and children are admitted free. Admission is free for everyone on Tuesdays.
For more information call 503-370-6855 or visit willamette.edu/arts/hfma.
