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The Southeast Museum of Photography has expanded with a new exhibition space at the
Lyonia Environmental Center in Deltona, Florida

Rick Lang – FLORIDA VERNACULAR
April 15, 2010 – October 24, 2010

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Thursday, April 15, 2010 6:00-8:00pm at the Lyonia Gallery
Opening reception and Gallery Talk with Rick Lang

About the Exhibition
Rick Lang is a documentary photographer and educator whose photographic work reflects his interest in the history and culture of the American South. This exhibition presents a grouping of images of vernacular and often simple signs and buildings from many different parts of Florida, his home state. These images demonstrate his commitment to documenting the signs and symbols used by everyday citizens to make their voice and opinions public. The images also illustrate the role that personal and commercial written expression plays in creating public discourse. The expressions of love, hate, religion, bigotry and many other opinions and emotions present in these signs point to an important and often overlooked discourse that illuminates our hopes, dreams and disappointments.

About the Photographer
Rick Lang is well-known throughout Florida as a photographer, educator and exhibition curator. His photography has been exhibited throughout the state and in many parts of the southeast, including solo exhibitions at Middle Tennessee State University, the Civic Theater Gallery, Orlando, Orlando City Hall Gallery; Crealdé School of Art and at the Center for the Study of Southern Art and Culture at the University of Mississippi. Rick has been exploring his personal vision for the past 35 years.

Born in California in 1954; he moved to Winter Park, Florida with his family in 1959. He took up photography as a hobby in his senior year in high school, and it has played a major role in his life ever since. After studying at Crealdé School of Art in Winter Park from 1984 to 1986, Rick started at the Southeast Center for Photographic Studies at Daytona State College, where he graduated with honors in 1989. After graduation Rick worked as a commercial photographer and taught part time at Crealdé. In 1995, Rick was named the Director of Photography at Crealdé; a position he still holds. He has also taught photography at Valencia College and Daytona State College.

As part of his work at Crealdé he has curated some of the most important photographic exhibitions at the school including A Shared Legacy: Documentary Photography of Florida from the 1930’s and Today (2003); 150 Years of Photography (1989); Arnold Newman: Portraits of Artists (1991); 50 Years Apart (1996) and Southern Faces (1999). His work is in numerous public and private collections including the State of Florida Collection and the Southeast Museum of Photography. Rick Lang’s photography has also been published in two books: We the People ...of Orange County and Small Town Orange County. Lang’s awards and commissions include Art Services Council Individual Artist Awards in 1992 and 1993; United Arts of Central Florida Professional Development Awards in 2009, 2006 and 2003 and a 2008 State of Florida Artist Enhancement Grant.

CLICK HERE to download press release (pdf)

“While none of my photographs have any people in them, they do have a voice. In these signs scattered across the rural landscape, the presence of their makers is surely felt, as if they were there in person. In this project I have endeavored to explore the role that rural signs play in the social landscape of the American South.” —Rick Lang

The LYONIA GALLERY presents exhibitions and programs related to environmental, land-use, local history and regional culture in an exhibition space in Volusia County Government’s new LYONIA ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER.

The museum gallery occupies display space immediately adjacent to the environmental exhibits area of the Center. The LYONIA GALLERY will only be open to the public during the normal open hours and days of the Lyonia Environmental Center.

LOCATION
The Deltona Regional Library, Lyonia Environmental Center and Deltona Amphitheater are at
2150 Eustace Ave, Deltona, Florida.

OPEN HOURS
The Southeast Museum of Photography’s LYONIA GALLERY will only be open to the public during the normal open hours of the Lyonia Environmental Center:

Monday - Wednesday: 9:00 am-6:00 pm
Thursday: 9:00 am-7:30 pm
Friday and Saturday: 9:00 am-5 pm
Sunday: 1:00-5:00 pm

CONTACT
For all information about the LYONIA ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER please contact Katrina Locke:
(386) 736-5953 Main Office (386) 257-6000 Daytona Beach (386) 423-3300 New Smyrna Beach

Additional information is available by visiting the following websites:

www.volusialibrary.org
www.lyoniapreserve.org
www.deltonafl.gov
http://lyoniapreserve.com/lec.htm