Riga, May 9, 2014 – The Embassy is proud to announce the opening of the “Frames of America” photo exhibition by American photographer Mary Ellen Mark at the new Latvian National Library, Mūkusalas Street 3, Riga on May 10 at 4:00 p.m. The exhibition of works presents a classic documentary photography tradition in which photojournalism and subjective documentary align and overlap. Mark’s best-known series focus on socially vulnerable groups of people. Mary Ellen Mark is the recipient of the 2014 Sony World Photography Award for Outstanding Contribution to Photography. The exhibition will be open to the public through June 20.
Additionally, dealer and appraiser of photographs, Deborah Bell will visit Latvia for a week to take part in Riga Photomonth 2014 events. Deborah Bell is the former Vice President and head of the Photography Department at Christie’s in New York. She has worked in several photography galleries in the United States and is an expert on photography and art history. During her visit to Latvia, Ms. Bell will take part in Riga Photomonth Portfolio Reviews, deliver lectures on the art market, and conduct workshops on photography. She will meet with emerging and professional photographers, students, and art experts in both Riga and Daugavpils. Highlights of her visit include:
- On May 10 at 5:00 p.m., Deborah Bell will lead a discussion on Mary Ellen Mark’s work at the National Library.
- On May 12 at 12:00 p.m., Deborah Bell will participate in a discussion with Culture College students on how to prepare for a portfolio review and recent trends in U.S. photography. At 6 p.m., Deborah Bell will deliver a lecture at the Latvian Academy of Art entitled, “Development of Photography, Recognition of Photography as Fine Art, and the Object of the Art Market in the United States and Worldwide.”
- On May 13, Deborah Bell will visit the Mark Rothko Art Center in Daugavpils and lead a discussion on the development of photography as fine art with local photographers. Additionally, she will conduct a workshop on contemporary art photography for art and foreign languages students at Daugavpils University at 11:30 a.m.
