From the Collection: Photography

The Fine Arts Center’s collection of photography includes over 1,000 pieces and represents a broad array of artists. The photographs just in this small selection span nearly a century of the art form (from 1919 to 2012). While nowhere near a comprehensive list, the FAC’s photography collection includes artists like the following: 

A native of Colorado Springs, Colorado, photographer Laura Gilpin (1891–1979) documented the landscape and peoples of the American Southwest. Gilpin initially embraced a soft-focus, painterly quality in her work but later transitioned to a sharper, more detailed style. You can see this stylistic shift in her photographs included here. Dive deeper into Gilpin’s work in Laura Gilpin: Photographer of the Southwest .

Ansel Adams (1902–1984) has become one of America’s most beloved photographers for his dramatic landscapes and his investment in environmental conservation. The FAC collection includes Adams’s Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. Adams tells the story of taking this photograph as a race to capture the scene during the fading light. Unable to find his light meter in time, Adams based his camera settings on his knowledge of the moon’s radiance. This exciting story has only added to Adams’s reputation as a photographer.

We hope you will enjoy the works of the photographers represented in our collection and the varied approaches each artist brings to the medium. As we digitize more of our collection, this package will be continually updated. Check back often for more! 

Blair Huff, Curatorial Assistant

2021