Students design local artist’s new exhibition

A new art exhibit in Beeghly Library titled “Waterscapes: Transforming the Landscape” showcases several photographs of nature captured by Columbus-based photographer Rick Buchanan.

            According to Buchanan’s artist statement, he is drawn to photographing water because it is always moving and changing the landscape. The photographs in the display were taken over the course of the past nine years in the United States, Canada and Taiwan.

“They represent water in its many forms and illustrate how water changes, influences and beautifies the landscapes of our world,” Buchanan wrote.

Buchanan is a commercial and portrait photographer with a studio in downtown Columbus who “enjoys working alone in nature” and travels regularly to capture “the natural world and the not-so-natural world.”

The students in Mr. Justin Kronewetter’s gallery management class were tasked with choosing, framing and hanging the photographs, and had the opportunity to talk with the artist beforehand.

“Meeting Mr. Buchanan was a pleasure,” freshman Cameron Stemler said. “We discussed many of his photographs and were able to get a chance to learn where these photographs were captured.”

Sophomore Leia Miza is also in Kronewetter’s class and said Buchanan gave them a stack of his photographs so they could chose which ones would be displayed.

“He suggested a few himself and agreed with our decisions for the exhibition,” Miza said. “It’s very important to meet the artist beforehand and see his point of view of his work.”

Library Director Cathi Cardwell said she appreciates the relationship OWU’s libraries have with the Ross Art Museum and all the exhibits it curates for Gallery 2001.

“ The exhibits add visual interest to Beeghly and draw the OWU community and Delaware community members into our space,” Cardwell said. “Waterscapes is a wonderful example of the way the exhibits tie into events or campus initiatives, like the Sagan National Colloquium. I always look forward to what’s coming next–it’s always different.”

The exhibit began on October 13 and will run until December 18. The photographs are located on the wall beside the front desk on the first floor of Beeghly Library.

Buchanan will also be giving a public artist talk in the Bayley Room in Beeghly Library on October 24 at 7:30 p.m.

To see more of Buchanan’s photography, go to rickbuchananphotography.com.