Jessica Somers is a photographer specializing in historic photographic techniques and self-portraiture.
Jessica has been in love with photography for most of her life. She was exposed to the act of picture making through her grandfather, an avid amateur photographer, and in the family bathroom-turned-darkroom after sunset. Here, her parents would allow her to witness actual magic as she stood over the chemical trays watching an image appear where only a simple white sheet of paper was before. As a kid she received a Kodak disc camera and became addicted to the act of expressing her individual view of the world from the 4 foot high perspective of a seven year old. Her height has since increased but her addiction continues.
Jessica's work has been exhibited nationally, has been published in various periodicals and the second edition of The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes, by Christopher James. Her photographs can be viewed and purchased through the John Cleary Gallery in Houston, TX and Galerie BMG in Woodstock, NY. She currently teaches photography throughout Connecticut and at the Art Institute of Boston.
Selected
Exhibitions:
2011:
Beginnings: Stories and Starting Points, Black Cloud Gallery, Chicago, IL
Hand+Eye, Through This Lens Gallery, Durham, NC
AIPAD Photography Show, John Cleary Gallery booth (#120), Park Avenue Armory,
New York City, NY
Group Show of Work by New Artists, Galerie BMG, Woodstock, NY (opens January
14th)
Photo LA, John Cleary Gallery Booth, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa
Monica, CA
Alternative Processes, Mills Pond House Gallery, St. James, NY (opens January
4th)
“Lo-fi”ography: A showcase of Vintage and Alternative Photographic Techniques,
Gallery 360, Vancouver, WA
2010:
Alternatives: Unconventional & Uncommon Processes, MPLS Photo Center,
Minneapolis, MN
Classical Methods, Contemporary Visions: Figurative Photography in the Alternative
Process, The Coburn Art Gallery,
Ashland, OH
Affordable Art Fair, New York, NY, John CLeary Gallery Booth
(Por)trait Revealed, Rayko Photo Center, San Francisco, CA
Found: Discoveries of FotoFest and PhotoNOLA, John Cleary Gallery, Houston,
TX
AIPAD Photography Show, John Cleary Gallery booth (#118), Park Avenue Armory,
New York City, NY
Uncommon Portraits, PhotoPlace Gallery, The Vermont Photography Workplace,
Middlebury, VT
Going
Forward Looking Back, Practicing Historic Photographic Processes in the 21st
Century, University Art Gallery,
UMASS/Dartmouth, New Bedford, MA
Going
Forward Looking Back, Practicing Historic Photographic Processes in the 21st
Century, Trustman Art Gallery,
Simmons College,Boston,
MA
Going Forward Looking Back, Practicing Historic Photographic Processes in
the 21st Century, Maine Media Workshop,
Rockport, ME
2009:
Going
Forward Looking Back, Practicing Historic Photographic Processes in the 21st
Century, University of New England Art
Gallery, Portland, ME
Body
Pulses, Plates to Pixels 3rd International Juried Exhibition, Honorable Mention
Alternative
Processes, PhotoPlace Gallery, The Vermont Photography Workplace, Middlebury,
VT
5th
Annual Alternative Processes Exhibition, Soho Photo, New York, NY (opens in
November)
Photography
Re-Imagined an Alternative & Historical Process, Tilt Gallery, Phoenix,
AZ
Dreams
and Fantasies, PhotoPlace Gallery, The Vermont Photography Workplace, Middlebury,
VT
Jessica
Somers ~ Selcted Works, Solo Exhibit, PhotoSynthesis, Manchester, CT
Its
Still Life, Rayko Photo Center, San Francisco, CA
Self
Portrait: Silver Eye at 30, Silver Eye Center for Photography, Pittsburgh,
PA
Be
A Doll, Estel Gallery, Nashville, TN
F/295
Symposium Exhibition, 707 Penn Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
Somers
& Simoes, Two person exhibit, Barnes-Franklin Gallery, Tunxis Community
College, Farmington, CT
Imagine,
Deborah Martin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
The
Human Canvas, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO
Alternative
Processes: A Traveling Exhibition, shown throughout Texas until 2010
2008:
Photography
Re-imagined, Tilt Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
Real
Party, Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT
Black+White,
ALL Gallery, New Haven, CT
2007:
Real
Party, Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT
Central
Connecticut State University Faculty Exhibition, New Britain, CT
2006:
Behind
the Mask,Caladan Gallery, Beverly, MA
Real
Party, Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT
Salon
Des Independents, Hygienic Gallery, New London, CT
2005:
Home
Is Where the Art Is, Cameron Gallery, Middletown, CT
Partners
For Hope, Ericson Davis Gallery, Ivoryton, CT
Real
Party, Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT
Step
Up Slide Slam, Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT
Hygienic
26, Hygienic Gallery, New London, CT
2004:
Annual
Fall Exhibit, New Britain Art League, Curator: Zina Davis, New Britain, CT
Inside
The Box, ALL Gallery, New Haven, CT
Herstory,
Virtual Exhibit, Manhattan Arts International, New York, NY
Women's
Art Exhibit Benefiting Domestic Violence Services of New Haven, ALL Gallery,
New Haven, CT
2003:
Remystification,
Solo Exhibit, Margaret L. Macdonough Gallery, New Haven, CT
2002:
Summer
Juried Exhibit, Juror: Ellen Traut, Artworks Gallery, Hartford, CT
Remystification,
Solo Exhibit, Charter Oak Cultural Center, Hartford, CT
Emerging
Women Photographers Exhibit, William Blizzard Gallery, Springfield, MA
Artworks
Gallery Winter Photography Exhibition, Juror: Ellen Carey, Hartford, CT
2001:
New
Britain Art League: Annual Fall Exhibit, Master's Division, New Britain, CT
Looking
Back … Looking Forward, Juror: Todd Bartell, Artworks Gallery, Hartford, CT
2000:
Hartford
Open Studios, Hartford, CT
Albertus
Magnus College Alumni Art Show, New Haven, CT
Discovery
Museum Annual Art Exhibit, Bridgeport, CT
Bibliography:
Diffusion
Magazine, Issue 3, 2011 (to be printed in April)
Visual
Overture, Featured Emerging Artists, Spring 2011
Art
New England, November / December 2010:Volume 31, Issue 6, Photographers
Drawn to Historic Processes By Carl Little
New
Orleans Photo Alliance Blog, Clarence
John Laughlin Award Finalists, October 11, 2010
John
Cleary Gallery Blog, ,Niniane
Kelley & Jessica Somers, June 10, 2010
The
Hartford Courant, Tunxis
Instructor Receives National Teaching Award, February 2010
Diffusion
Magazine, Issue 2, 2010
Filmwasters.com,
Guest
Gallery #51, January 2010
Review
Discoveries Featured on Filmwasters.com, PhotoNOLA Website, December 30,
2010
Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review, "Self
Portraits Celebrate Center for Photography's 30th Anniversary," August
2009
Shots
Magazine, No. 104, Summer 2009
Folio
Hunt, Online
Photography Showcase, June 2009
Subjectify
Photography Blog: The Subject of Contemporary Portraiture, "Subject
Echo: The Power of Images," June 2, 2009
F-Stop
Magazine, The
Portfolio Issue, June/July 2009
The
Hartford Courant, "Tunxis
Instructors' Works Showcased at Gallery Exhibition," March 2009
PRC
Benefit Auction Catalogue, 2008
The
Book of Alternative Photographic Processes, 2nd ed., by Christopher James,
2008
The
Connecticut Art Scene, "ALL
Gallery in Photo Finish," Hank Hoffman, February 6, 2008
New
Haven Advocate, "Selective Memory," Leigh Gomez, March 18, 2004
New
Britain Herald, "Art League Exhibit Opens, Winners Named," October
2001
Education:
2000
- 2002: M.F.A., Photography, Hartford Art School, University of Hartford,
West Hartford, CT
1994-1998:
B.F.A., Studio Art, Concentration: Photography, Minor: English, Albertus Magnus
College, New Haven, CT
Awards:
2010:
Finalist,
Clarence John Lauglin Award, a New Orleans Photo Alliance Grant
2009:
Excellence
in Teaching Award, Honorable Mention, Center
Honorable
Mention, Body Pulses, Plates to Pixels
2008:
Honorable
Mention, Photography Re-imagined, Tilt Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2004:
Award
of Excellence, Herstory Virtual Exhibit
2001:
Judith
Brown Memorial Award - New Britain Art League's Annual Fall Exhibit
Honorable
Mention - Looking Back…Looking Forward, Art Exhibit
Merit
Scholarship, Hartford Art School
2000:
Merit
Scholarship, Hartford Art School
Honorable
Mention: Best Photography, Discovery Museum Annual Art Exhibit
Related Experience:
2011-Present:
Art Institute of Boston, Adjunct Photography Instructor
2000-Present:
Tunxis Community College, Adjunct Photography Instructor
2009
- Present : Photosynthesis, Workshop Instructor
2006-Present:
Central Connecticut State University, Adjunct Photography Instructor
1999-2011:
Tunxis Community College, Academic Assistant – Photography Department
2006,
2008, 2010, 2011: Scholastic Art Awards Juror for Photography
2004-2008:
University of Hartford, Guest Lecturer
2005:
Co-Organizer for Home Is Where the Art Is, A Benefit Exhibition
for Gulf Coast Hurricane Victims
2005:
Wesleyan’s Green Street Art Center, Media Arts Instructor
