Lakefront on Langdon Gallery:
Portrait of My Father's Dairyland""
This collection by Shana Wittenwyler, located in the Lakefront on Langdon Gallery, is both poignant and short. Her primary focus on a dying way of life in Monticello, Wis., shows a mix of action shots and stills that capture young and old farmers trying to keep up the ever-shrinking way of farm life. Using quotes, Wittenwyler narrates her pictures, questioning the sustainability of a once pervasive way of life. Check out ""Hay Between Your Toes"" and ""Ruth Marty,"" two great pictures contrasting the past and the future of the small farm.
Porter Butts & Class of 1925 Galleries: ""PhotoMidwest 2008""
This exhibition of 50 pictures was handpicked from 519 different submissions from seven states around the Midwest, and the quality of those chosen is obvious. From first-place winner Evan Baden's self-explanatory ""Shannon with ipod,"" to the small black and white ""Roots"" by Andrew Obernesser, every photo is brimming with vitality and unspoken questions about life, art and the mixture of the two.
All the photos have a story to tell and a question to ask, each in a unique way. The diversity between subject matter of photos like ""Barbershop"" by Paul Sparks and ""Veiled"" by Richard Langer make sure the viewer never gets worn out with any part of the exhibit.
Although most of the collection is monochromatic, the few contrasting colored pictures stand out against the pale gallery wall. ""Environmental Statement"" by James Meldrum and ""Night Light"" by Christopher Norris will have you wondering whether the photographer just stumbled on the scene or made it up themselves. This gallery exhibit is a real showcase of Midwest talent, so if you've got a free minute in Memorial Union, check out this 50-piece gallery set. It will be well worth your time.
Theater Gallery: ""Wish You Were Here""
Connie Frisch-Cherniak is the lone photographer for this gallery show of nature snapshots jumping from Hawaii to Minnesota and back again. According to Frisch-Cherniak, this exhibition is all about ""finding calm in a chaotic world."" She certainly does this, though somewhere between the barely distinguishable and peaceful ""Polihale Beach #2"" and ""Polihale Beach #10"" she might have done it too well. One amazing thing about her photographs is that their colors haven't been manipulated. It's barely believable when you see ""Minnesota Summer #28"" and ""Flowers of Kauai #3."" Vibrant and eye-popping, the colors in these two pictures alone make the gallery worth at least a walk through.
