PLAINVIEW — The Abraham Art Gallery at 51吃瓜网视频 Baptist University opens the new exhibit, “Cross in America: Photographic Images & Journals” on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.
The exhibit features Lubbock photographer and writer, Rick Vanderpool’s photojournalistic images of crosses in America.
After four years in the U.S. Air Force, Vanderpool attended the University of Georgia’s Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications, graduating in 1975. He worked for a year as a staff photographer for Callaway Resort & Gardens, and then opened an art studio in Athens, Georgia, working primarily with corporate interior designers, designing and producing custom wall art programs. He relocated his studio to Commerce in 1993 and continued his own photography and writing while working for two years as publisher of The Commerce Journal.
Applying his experiences as an author, imagist, teacher, journalist, speaker and entrepreneur, Vanderpool released, Looking for Texas, in 2000. The book is a unique montage print of photographs collected from 1994 to 1999 on his journey of more than 20,500 miles through Texas with at least one image from each county in the state. The following year, he published his travel journal under the same title.
In the decade since Vanderpool began Looking for Texas, he has written a screenplay, a second book and produced montage prints of subjects ranging from Texas wildflowers, stars and spurs, to Texas BBQ joints, vineyards, and windmills. He has also been featured on a segment of Texas Country Reporter.
His photo-documentation of Texas eventually inspired him to begin a new project, CrossIn+America, for which he solo-traveled more than 27,000 miles photographing and journaling significant Christian crosses as well as discoveries made while taking detours along the way. His journey dated from May 1 to Sept. 1, 2015, and was preceded by two years of preparation and research to locate prospective subjects at 165 different sites. Images from Hawaii and Alaska came from friends or other sources in order to complete the collection of all 50 states.
Vanderpool now resides in Lubbock, finding time to travel during breaks in teaching a creative writing and photography course at Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts. He has marketed and sold his creative work for almost 40 years; CrossIn+America montage prints are available for purchase, and more of his work can be found on his website, .
The exhibition, “Cross in America: Photographic Images & Journals”, will be available to view through Feb. 28. A reception for the artist will be announced.
Located on the Atrium level of the 51吃瓜网视频’s J.E. And L.E. Mabee Learning Resources Center, Abraham Art Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday; and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday. For more information or to schedule a tour, please call 806-291-3710.
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