CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Award-winning photographer and author Carl Corey will share insights into his career next week at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

For Corey, a 1976 graduate of SIUC’s Department of Cinema and Photography, the visit not only marks his first return to campus since then but an opportunity to give students a chance to have their work critiqued.

Corey will give a projected presentation of his new book, “Tavern League,” at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 14, in the John C. Guyon Auditorium in Morris Library.  Admission is free, and the public is welcome to attend.

Corey will also be in residence offering individual critiques of students’ work from 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 5 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 15, and participate in a digital printing seminar from 8 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 16.  The critiques and seminar will be in Communications Building, room 1101.

Reporters, photographers and camera crews are welcome to cover the visiting artist lecture and associated workshops and seminar by Carl Corey.  For more information, contact the Department of Cinema & Photography at 618/453-2365 or Professor Daniel Overturf by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Corey is visiting at the invitation of Gary P. Kolb, dean of the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts.

Corey is the recipient of more than 100 awards, including the New York Art Directors Club, Communication Arts, and Print Annual.  Kolb said he is “particularly taken with a number of his regional documentary projects such as ‘Wisconsin Tavern League’ and ‘On Ice’.”

“He has amassed an impressive body of work and our students will benefit from the opportunity to interact and learn form him,” Kolb said.

Corey said he is looking forward to returning and has fond memories of his time in the college.  Corey earned his associates degree in graphic design at Northern Illinois University and a former professor recommended he transfer to SIUC because of a belief that Corey showed promise as a photographer.

Corey said SIUC students “were given encouragement to think on our own and gain a command of the medium that became second nature allowing us to focus on content.”

“I adhere to that philosophy to this day,” he said.

Walter Metz, chair of the Department of Cinema  & Photography, said he’s pleased Corey is returning to meet with students and share his experiences and expertise.

“Mr. Corey’s far-ranging art work -- from local studies of Wisconsin culture to a project on national monuments -- will inspire our students, and I am delighted he will be joining us for a few days next week.”

Much of Corey’s work focuses on what many people would easily pass by, such as a roadside stand.  Corey said his work centers on “things and people that define our cultural identity.”

“I want people to be aware of this identity and think about who they are,” he said.

Corey also said he is very honest with students when working with them and offering critiques of their work.  He recalls a time in 1979 when he was first starting out and an art director in Chicago told him some of his pictures were okay, “but no better than many others he could get and not as good as some.”  While the assessment was depressing, Corey said the art director continued to encourage him to return with work that was unique.  Corey said it is the best critique he ever received.

“I feel there is no value to a critique if the truth is held back,” he said.  “I want to see the students’ best work; pictures that reflect their voice as an artist.  Bodies of work are always preferred to random work with no continuity.  I want to see pictures they feel a need to make.”

Corey said he enjoys working with students and gives him an opportunity to “give back” to the profession.

“If I reach one person and give them the motivation to persevere in the arts then it is worth it,” he said.

Corey’s visit is possible through the SIUC Student Fine Arts Activity Fee.

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Sometimes the treasures found in Southern Illinois are easily recognizable, while at times, it takes a keen eye to ferret them out.

For a second year, students in two Southern Illinois University Carbondale classes are working to preserve not only the region’s well-known features, but also preserve images that highlight Southern Illinois’ rich history.

In what he describes as an “ambitious” undertaking, Daniel Overturf, a professor in the Department of Cinema and Photography, plans an exhibition that showcases students’ work featuring cultural and natural sites in Alexander, Johnson and Pulaski counties.

Sixteen students in Overturf’s Applied Photography II and Senior Portfolio classes have been shooting images since last month. The students are divided into three groups, one for each county, and each student will shoot three exhibition-quality prints that will be framed and available for sale. Proceeds will go to community-related projects in each of the three counties.

In addition, each student will also supply another 20 digital photographs for various website and tourism needs for the three counties. Students in Overturf’s classes in spring 2010 did a similar project involving Cairo.

The exhibition, “Land Between the Rivers,” is Saturday, April 30. Times and locations for the three separate exhibitions are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Thebes Courthouse in Thebes; noon to 3 p.m. at the Grand Chain Lodge in Grand Chain; and 2 to 5 p.m. at the Shawnee Winery in Vienna.

Admission to all of the exhibitions is free, and the public is invited.

The project not only benefits the three counties but also students who learn more about the region and become involved in community outreach, Overturf said. Students will also use their work to build their individual portfolios and resumes, along with learning about working in a photographer-client relationship, he said.

“This is volunteerism of a very specific and skilled kind,” Overturf said. “This is a way you start showing students how to do various volunteer activities and lending an expert hand with their craft.”

Students may shoot whatever they find interesting, but each of the agencies involved came up with a list of places significant to their individual counties for a “starting point,” Overturf said.

Overturf anticipates a mix of “recognizable and private discoveries” in the exhibition.

“The classroom is great but it’s when they have a chance to have inter-relationships of any kind, whether it’s to have their portfolios looked at off-campus, have a guest speaker come in and look at their work, or do some type of community outreach like this that it expands what happens in the classroom,” Overturf said. “It takes it from the theoretical into the practical.”

The students’ digital photography will be used in marketing, public relations, community needs, and on a website, www.landbetweentherivers.org. The website, which launches June 1, will showcase tourism, and community and economic development within the three counties.

The project is a “great example of a public-private partnership,” that encompasses several areas, said Amy Cox, executive director of the Southernmost Illinois Delta Empowerment Zone (SIDEZ).

Having SIUC students involved is a “great benefit” for the organization, Cox said. The students’ work means the website, which will promote tourism and business opportunities within the three counties, will not have to rely upon a limited number of stock photos, Cox said.

And monies from the sale of the exhibition prints will go to historic preservation projects in the three counties, Cox said.

“This is a great innovative idea and a way for us to get what we need and also provide students with an opportunity as well,” she said.

The funds generated from the sale of the exhibition prints in Alexander County go to Alexander County Tourism and Thebes Historical Society and Thebes Courthouse for county promotion and restoration and upkeep of the historic Thebes Courthouse. In Pulaski County, the funds go to the Grand Chain Development Association for work to expand the Tunnel Hill Bike Trail from Karnak to Grand Chain, along with arts and related activities in Grand Chain. In Johnson County, the funds will go to the Johnson County Redevelopment Association for efforts that include revitalization of the theater on the square in Vienna.

Traveling to all three exhibitions sites will be a daunting task, but Overturf anticipates a rewarding experience for the students. The Southern Most Area Rural Transit (S.M.A.R.T.) is donating a bus to take students to the various exhibitions, Overturf said. As with the Cairo exhibition of a year ago, students can expect to learn more about the region from visitors who stop in to view their work, Overturf said.

“ Each photograph becomes a prospective talking point for conversations they are going to have with people who probably know considerably more about the area than they do,” Overturf said. “It’s the kind of experience they will hold with them forever.”

Several groups, organizations, and businesses are involved with the project. That includes Canon USA, which through efforts of SIUC Cinema and Photography alumnus Brian Matsumoto, a Canon technical representative, is donating printing paper and ink.

Matsumoto, a 1981 graduate, said Canon “has a wonderful program that donates photographic equipment to colleges and universities across the country.” Canon has donated cameras, lenses, and printers to both the cinema and photography department and the School of Journalism for its photojournalism work. In addition, Canon also provides support for student-related projects and exhibitions, including recent weekend shooting events in Murphysboro and Cobden and Alto Pass.

“Canon understands that the students are the future of the industry,” Matsumoto said.

Others involved with the project include the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts, the Department of Cinema and Photography, Alexander County Tourism, Grand Chain Development Association, Johnson County Redevelopment Association, Pulaski County Development Association, the Southernmost Illinois Delta Empowerment Zone (SIDEZ), Southern Most Area Rural Transit (S.M.A.R.T.) and the Thebes Historical Society.

Permalink: http://news.siuc.edu/news/April11/042211par11085.html

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A photography exhibit featuring the works of Southern Illinois University Carbondale students, faculty and staff opens this week at the Cedarhurst Center for the Arts in Mount Vernon.

The 2011 exhibition opens Friday, Feb. 25, and runs through May 1, and will be located in the Beal Grand Corridor Gallery. An opening reception will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday. Admission is free, and the public is welcome to attend.

The annual exhibit will feature about 30 pieces, mostly from students, said Daniel Overturf, a professor in the Department of Cinema and Photography. The annual exhibition began in 1992.

The exhibit “is an excellent sampler of the diversity of our program and student body,” Overturf said. Students who are participating the exhibition, along with students who will likely be showing in next year’s event, will be present at the opening reception, Overturf said.

“In many cases, this is the first time our students will have a show in a public, independent, off-campus facility and it’s a way to have them think about showing their work,” he said.

“Working with Cedarhurst Center for the Arts in this annual exhibition continues the relationship between a rather phenomenal facility in Southern Illinois and our campus,” Overturf said. “It’s important to have that link between SIUC and Cedarhurst and we look forward to continuing to foster that connection as much as we possibly can.”

Rusty Freeman, visual arts director at Cedarhurst, said the annual exhibit “is a good collaboration between the two institutions.”

Cedarhurst Center for the Arts is at 2600 Richview Road, Mount Vernon. The facility is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and 1-5 p.m. on Sunday. It is closed on Mondays and national holidays.

Article by Linda Rush as it appeared in The Southern Illinoisan

After spending an entire semester immersing themselves in their subjects, 14 students in Daniel Overturf's Small Town Documentary photography class at Southern Illinois University Carbondale were busy Sunday. Each was putting up a photo exhibit showcasing his or her chosen town.

They have invited folks in those towns to attend the opening reception, from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday in the north wing of the Communications Building; many residents of towns like Olive Branch said they plan to be there. The reception is open to the public; light refreshments will be served.

The class, offered only every other year in the Department of Cinema and Photography, pairs each student with a community in Southern Illinois. Some students, like Laura Partain, carefully drove around the region before choosing to document life in Orient. Friends had suggested that she pick a Franklin County town, she said.

Josh Reuck said he had no master plan but opted for Zeigler because "it wasn't taken."

"I quickly learned there's a rich history there," he added. Allen Patton introduced him to numerous people. And so did two SIUC building service employees who live in the town and recognized him from campus. He was surprised, he said, at the number of children and family activities in Zeigler. "Editing down my content" was the worst part of the assignment, Reuck said.

Born in Chester and raised in Ava, Aaron Kleidon wanted to document a river town. From visiting Randolph County, he knew a bit about Kaskaskia, the first Illinois capital. "I chose it for the history," he said. Once a bustling peninsula community on the Mississippi, Kaskaskia found itself isolated on an island when the river changed course. Now Kaskaskia is reachable only from Missouri. The village had nine residents when Kleidon began his project; a young family moved in and now there are "maybe 12," he said, "and another 40 or 50 on the island."

"I shot relatively few photos," Kleidon said, partly because he used an old, time-consuming process to print most of them, making the images "very fitting" for the historic settlement.

Kleidon has one photo of a native species called the Maximilian sunflower, that has survived centuries of devastating floods and other harsh conditions. Another depicts the pecan trees that have endured on the island. "The residents have survived like that," he observed.

Darren Schroeder chose to document Olive Branch. "I was in Cairo this summer and took a road trip one day, visiting Tamms, Sandusky and Olive Branch. Nobody in the class had done Olive Branch before," he said.

He loves the little café that opens up at 3 a.m. during hunting season. And he couldn't resist taking a photo of a pickup truck carrying a homemade kennel with a sticker reading "Coonhunters for Christ."

Schroeder and Partain said the only downside to the class was "the driving" to the more distant towns. Schroeder said he spent every weekend in Olive Branch; Partain said she visited Orient "sometimes three times a week."

Overturf, who has been teaching at SIUC since 1990, said "the opportunity to teach the class is one of the most rewarding endeavors I have undertaken. The students are very engaged and learn so much about the towns and, most importantly, the people in their towns. They also learn about the region and a whole, about their discipline and about themselves. While they are learning they are actually becoming more expert in the art of appreciating life beyond themselves."

The four-month immersion - longer than many romances - "will be the longest-running project many students will have throughout their career," Overturf said. "Such long-term assignments are very rare in photography."

After he dispenses initial advice to the students, he said, "I have the best job in the world. I go to class and listen to stories and look at photographs and give out advice on editing and organization. In return I hear some really amusing stories, some very touching and others that are rather frightening, to be truthful." Hearing about a week's worth of adventures in each town "is quite an experience," Overturf said.

Partain agreed. "It's been an awesome experience," she said. "It's profound what you can do in a couple of months."

Permalink: http://www.thesouthern.com/news/local/article_a28d3cc2-fb76-11df-bb48-001cc4c03286.html

Opening Reception for Small Town Documentary

Professor Dan Overturf teaches a semester-long class at SIUC in the Department of Cinema and Photography entitled "Small Town Documentary".   He has taught the class every two years, starting in 1996.

There is a Flickr site at the following address.  We started the site in 2008 and have tried to reach back to previous years earlier work, so there is more sporadic participation for the years previous to that class.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/smalltowndocumentary/

As with past versions of the course, for four months photography students work in a community that they research and select. They must introduce themselves to the village council and other officials, make their own way into the town's workings and activities. They functionally become involved in the town in every aspect, small and large, individual and communal. The town-gown relationship is advanced in the region and the students learn interpersonal skills that could only be learned by experience, not in a classroom.

SMALL TOWN DOCUMENTARY:  2010
1. Meghan Egan - McClure
2. Joan Madden - Schuline
3. Laura Partain - Orient
4. Josh Reuck - Zeigler
5. Sam Copeland - Tamaroa
6. Blossom Hock Roberts - Cambria
7. Marcie Brewer - Rosiclare
8. Aaron Kleidon - Kaskaskia
9. Ginnie Gartin - Colp
10. Darren Schroeder - Olive Branch
11. Ian McComas - Brookport
12. Hannah Russell - Mounds
13. Mary Johnson – Dowell
14. Wes Timm – Elizabethtown

We host a year-end cumulative exhibition.  The ultimate conjoining, so to speak, of not only the students' work, but also the members of the communities.  Students invite their communities to campus and we have a little get-together in the hallway in the SIUC Communications Building, north wing.  Informal and fun, it is really a positive opportunity to connect SIU to the surrounding communities and people.

The students are currently finishing the exhibit and will hopefully be done today/Monday, November 29.  The opening reception is Wednesday, Dec 1, from 4-6.

Dylan Murphy from Effingham - Photography

A joint project is using photography to both preserve and develop one Southern Illinois town. The Cairo Chamber of Commerce and students from the Cinema and Photography department at Southern Illinois University Carbondale have joined efforts to produce photographs that document Cairo as it is now.

The project also produced photographs that can be used in the future for Cairo's website.

An image database will be created so the community can access images of the historic town.

Daniel Overturf and Antonio Martinez, professors in the cinema and photography department, assigned 25 students from the department to spend the semester documenting Cairo.

For the project, they shot the town's historic features such as Custom House Museum, Magnolia Manor, The Gem Theater and the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

The culmination of the project is the exhibition "Cairo: The Confluence of Photography, Film and Town." The exhibition will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Custom House Museum. The exhibition will feature 25 photographs produced by SIU students during the project, with all the images for sale as part of a fundraiser. The money raised will be donated to Cairo Public Library, Custom House Museum and other community-based projects.

Andy Sisulak, project coordinator, said the genesis of the project was born out of a need for photography and the creation of an image database for Cairo.

"The whole idea is to create this image databank that the community can use for future needs," Sisulak said. "As well as catalog Cairo as it is historically today, have this fundraiser to create some money and also just have a positive event that tells the world there are some positive things that happen in Cairo."

Daniel Overturf, associate professor in the Cinema and Photography department, said Cairo has a rich history. He was excited about the project because it would assist the local community as well as the students.

"It's a real educational opportunity for them because they have a chance to work with somebody who needs photographs for different purposes," Overturf said.

Sisulak said it is vital to preserve the history of Cairo.

"Cairo is important to preserve, not only because of its history, but also when we look at the decay of communities in Southern Illinois there's not one that is as architecturally rich as Cairo," Sisulak said. "As it disappears, we don't know what it will be like in another couple of years, so it's important to preserve, or at least archive."

- SIUC University Communications contributed to this report.

Source: The Southern Illinoisan

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees, meeting in Edwardsville, today (April 8) ratified academic promotions and granted tenure for SIUC faculty members. Promotions take effect July 1, while tenure awards are effective Aug. 16.

Following is list of those promoted (grouped by rank, with academic units and places of residence, where available, noted). Those receiving tenure have a "t" in parentheses after their names.

Here is the short list of College of Mass Communication and Media Arts promotions.

• From associate professor to professor: Walter C. Metz, cinema and photography (Makanda);
• Daniel V. Overturf, cinema and photography (Murphysboro);
• From assistant professor to associate professor: David R. Burns (t), radio-television;

Full List of University promotions

From associate professor to professor:

Cheryl L. Anderson, law (Carbondale); Andrew D. Carver, forestry (Carbondale); Peter M. Chametzky, art and design (Carbondale); Frank M. Chipasula (t), black American studies (Makanda); Eric Ferre, geology (Carbondale); Timothy J. Fink, music (Carbondale); James E. Garvey, zoology (Makanda); Qingfeng Ge, chemistry and biochemistry (Murphysboro); Scott E. Ishman, geology (Carbondale); Karen L. Jones, animal science, food and nutrition (Carbondale); Patricia R. McCubbin, law; Walter C. Metz, cinema and photography (Makanda); Daniel V. Overturf, cinema and photography (Murphysboro); Stephen C. Shih, information systems and applied technologies; S. Alan Walters, plant, soil and agricultural systems (Carbondale); John T. Warren (t), speech communication (Murphysboro).

From assistant professor to associate professor:

Shaikh S. Ahmed (t), electrical and computer engineering; Craig K. Anz (t), architecture; Xiaoxin W. Beardsley (t), finance; Lowell W. Berentsen (t), aviation technologies (Carterville); Douglas L. Berger (t), philosophy (Carbondale); David R. Burns (t), radio-television; George W. Burruss (t) criminology and criminal justice (Makanda); Sandra K. Collins (t), allied health (Carterville);

Saran Donahoo (t), educational administration and higher education (Carbondale); Asghar Esmaeeli (t), mechanical engineering and energy processes (Carbondale); Matthew J. Giblin (t), criminology and criminal justice (Carterville); Andrea Imre (t), library affairs; Michelle Y. Kibby-Faglier (t), psychology; J. Thomas Kidd (t), theater; Andrei A. Kolmakov (t), physics (Carbondale); Rhonda K. Kowalchuk (t), educational psychology and special education; Junghwa Lee (t), music;

Eric Lenz (t), music (Carbondale); C. Sebastian Loh (t), curriculum and instruction; Kanchan Mondal (t), mechanical engineering and energy processes; AKM M. Morshed (t), economics (Carbondale); Frackson Mumba (t), curriculum and instruction (Carbondale); Olusegun A. Ojewuyi (t), theater (Carbondale); Julie Partridge (t), kinesiology (Carbondale); David A. Rakowski (t), finance; Ulrich H. Reichard (t), anthropology (Carbondale);

Patrick J. Rottinghaus (t), psychology; Laurie R. Ryznyk (t), allied health (De Soto); Yanyan Sheng (t), educational psychology and special education; Stacy D. Thompson (t), curriculum and instruction (Carbondale); Mesfin Tsige (t), physics (Carbondale); John K. Voges (t), aviation management and flight (Goreville); Catherine Wagner (t), library affairs (Carbondale); Juliane P. Wallace (t), kinesiology (Cambria); Anthony K. Webster (t), anthropology; Belle S. Woodard (t), information systems and applied technologies; Shai Yeshayahu (t), architecture (Carbondale).

In addition, Judith A. Green, an associate professor of educational administration and higher education (Carbondale), and Benjamin Komnick, an assistant professor of automotive technology (Herrin), received tenure.

Also, Melissa Marlow and Sheila Simon (Carbondale), clinical associate professors in the School of Law, earned promotion to clinical professor.

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Photographs capture a moment that can easily fade from memory.

Students in two Southern Illinois University Carbondale photography classes are working to preserve Cairo's past and present with a project that organizers hope assists Cairo's Web presence and economic development.

Twenty-five students have fanned out across the community over the past month, shooting not only the town's more historical venues, including the Custom House Museum, Magnolia Manor, and the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, but also the seemingly commonplace, everyday features that people and time could easily overlook.

"Cairo has such a rich history and distinctive look like all river towns, that I felt we were really losing something of the visual component of the town," said Daniel Overturf, an associate professor in the Department of Cinema and Photography.

Carbondale resident Andy Sisulak was working with the Cairo Chamber of Commerce to build a Web presence, and approached Overturf and Assistant Professor Antonio Martinez about using students from two upper-level photography classes for the project.

Overturf said he was excited about the possibilities because the project assists a local community and also helps students, many of whom will graduate in May, on a variety of different levels.

"It's a real educational opportunity for them because they have a chance to work with somebody who needs photographs for different purposes," Overturf said. Students can build up their individual portfolios and also create photographs for use on the Web site and various other projects, Overturf said.

Students may shoot whatever sparks their interest. Content will include historic buildings, parks, businesses, churches and other parts of the town.

The exhibition, "Cairo: The Confluence of Photography, Film and Town," is from 2 to 4 p.m., Saturday, April 24, at the Custom House Museum. Proceeds from the sale of 25 framed images included in the exhibit will go to continuing preservation and restoration efforts in the town.

Building up an image bank is important for communities, particularly in this digital age, Overturf said. A photograph taken in 1973 of an ordinary street scene along Commercial Avenue in Cairo might not seem awe-inspiring. However, 37 years later, the same photograph allows people to reflect on the businesses, automobiles and events of the era.

The project is also a reflection of current trends in photography with digital cameras, Overturf said.

"A lot of people making these very kinds of unspectacular photographs with a digital camera these days may hit the delete button and it is gone forever," he said. "Not only will it not be in the bottom of a box, it will just not be there, ever. This is a way to celebrate the ordinary as you look forward to its use in the future as not being thought of nearly as ordinary, but rather a document of the time."

Monica Smith, president of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, expects the students' work will be a positive public relations tool for the city.

"It's going to give us a tool to work with that will enable us to do a past, present and future synopsis of what there was and what there is now," she said. The Web site, at www.cairoillinois.org, gives people access to old photographs "and enjoy the history that is here."

"We are very excited about it, " she said. "We are excited about working with SIUC and all of the students, and are wondering what they have come up with. We have seen them all over town."

Several groups, organizations and businesses are involved with the project, including SIUC's College of Mass Communication and Media Arts, the Department of Cinema and Photography, Cairo Public Library, Cairo Custom House Museum, Capaha Bank, SMART (Shawnee Mass Area Rapid Transit) and the Ace of Cups in Cairo. SMART is donating its bus service to take students and members of the University to Cairo for the reception, Overturf said. In addition, Canon USA donated the printing paper and ink for the project. Brian Matsumoto, an SIUC Cinema & Photography alumnus, is a Canon technical representative and spearheaded the donation, Overturf said.