PHOTOGRAPHY PROFESSOR SEES BLUE

(Worcester, MA – December 2, 2003) Suzanne Gainer was recently awarded $2,500 as the first place winner of Vortex: A Juried Art Exhibit hosted by the Blue Man Group at The Charles Playhouse. Gainer is an Assistant Professor in the Communications Department at Worcester State College where she teaches photography and digital imaging. Gainer’s work, 54 Halsey Street (a digitally constructed photographic image), will be on exhibit in the lobby of the playhouse were it will be viewed by over 200,000 Blue Man Group audience members.

Suzanne Gainer is a local artist and educator who creates both traditional and digitally constructed photographic images. She received her MFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 1994 where she graduated with honors, and was a recipient of the RISD Award of Excellence. Gainer’s work has been shown locally and nationally. Notable venues include the Print Center in Philadelphia, the Limner Gallery in New York City and the Katherine E. Nash Gallery in Minneapolis. She is a member of the Cambridge Art Association where she resides with her husband and son.

Inspired by the rich artistic and cultural landscape of the Boston area, Blue Man Group at the Charles Playhouse held a call to Massachusetts artists throughout September, 2003 for artwork submissions of exciting work that challenged expectations and explored the impact of art on the community. The winning artwork was selected by a jury of notable contributors to the Boston art world including mixed media artist Annette Lemieux, gallery owner Bernie Toale and ICA Assistant Curator Gilbert Vicario, as well as a representative from the Blue Man Group. A total of 77 submissions were received and reviewed with four winners being selected.

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