You, Me, and Japan: Photo Exhibition Features Stevenson Student, Faculty Photography from Group Trip to Japan

Stevenson University will host a photo exhibition showcasing the work of Stevenson photography students and instructors who traveled to Japan in March 2013. The exhibition will run from February 3-May 16 in the St. Paul Companies Pavilion, located on the Greenspring Campus, 1525 Greenspring Valley Road, Stevenson, MD 21153.

A public reception will be held in the Pavilion on, Thursday, February 27, 6-8 p.m. The event is free and the community is invited to attend. The reception will include Japanese food and a performance by world-renowned performing artist Mark H. Rooney, who will excite the audience with a dynamic taiko performance, a form of full-body drumming based in Japanese tradition.

The exhibition captures the wide-ranging elements of Japanese culture that the group experienced and absorbed as they traveled throughout Japan, stopping in cities such as Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Hakone, Kamakura, and Tokyo. Featured photographers include students Mark Bridge, Ryan Pachillis, Corey Manly, Imai White, Megan Kaplon, Ariel DeGennaro, Evan Shisler, LeNae Sembly, Derrell Williams, Ebi Short, Kyler Camper, Jamie Gillis, and KC White; alumnus Ren Garczynski; and Stevenson professors Jefferson J. Steele, Carol Cornwell, and Amanda Hostalka.

The group was profoundly moved by the trip to Japan, and that sentiment is apparent in their work.

“As photography students, the group went to Japan with their eyes wide open, ready to be amazed by the landscapes, heritage sites, and popular culture,” said Hostalka, Chair and Professor of Visual Communication Design and Art. “What we didn’t anticipate was the unbelievable warm welcome we received from the Japanese people. We were all deeply affected by the hospitality of our gracious tour director, Yumiko, nicknamed Yumi, and in dedication to Yumiko, we decided to title the show ‘You, Me, and Japan.'”

For more information about Stevenson’s arts and cultural events, visit facebook.com/SUArtEffects; or contact Matthew Laumann, Manager of Cultural Programs at mlaumann@stevenson.edu or 443-352-4491 to request a copy of Art Effects, the biannual guide to arts and culture at Stevenson.