Featured Image by Jack Fox
Will Connally, VCUarts Assistant Professor in Art Foundation and Photography alumni (BFA ‘09), has teamed up with fellow Photography alumni, Riley Goodman (BFA ‘18), to curate an upcoming exhibition at The Anderson highlighting the impressive range of the Photography + Film department alumni network.
The exhibition titled, Back Through The Open Window, will feature work from 31 Photography BFA & MFA alumni, each challenging the conventional notions of a photograph. Please join us for the opening reception at 5:00 pm on February 7th at the Anderson to celebrate our alumni.
In this interview with Narrative Media Administrative Affairs Coordinator, Taylor Colimore, and her undergraduate student communications team, Sofia Rahnama and Taylor Winston, Connally and Goodman share more details on the influences that shaped this exhibition.
What makes VCUarts Photography + Film alumni unique? Do you think there are shared interests that are influenced by the community of the Photo+Film department?
Riley Goodman: The VCUarts Department of Photography + Film imbues such an important emphasis on research, students absorb this fine art approach to photography, and as a result the work made after graduation presents at a higher caliber. By having the department lay that groundwork, a uniqueness can be found in the alumni’s work that pushes the boundaries of what photography can be, and see photography as something beyond just images.
Will Connally: I see an interest in concept and research that’s unique to Photography + Film alumni, as well as a resourcefulness that is instilled by the department. Photo students are resilient and good at adapting to changing situations, whether that’s working with a subject for a portrait or responding to unpredictable elements during a photo shoot (weather, lighting, tech limitations, funding restrictions…)
Nadiya Nacorda, ‘Nadiya and Lola in the Garden’ (2023)
What inspired you both to have visual narratives as a focal point of this exhibition?
WC: That is something that Riley and I narrowed in on pretty early in the collaboration. My brain is just wired to look for traces, evidence of a story. It is something that he and I are both drawn to in visual work. We discovered that many of the alumni have ingeniously incorporated narrative into their ways of working whether that be more traditional staged imagery, commercial or editorial work. It’s a way of focusing this type of exhibition, which would otherwise be a really daunting task. We did not want it to be a conventional, broad survey of all the alumni, so it helps to have visual storytelling as an avenue to go down.
RG: Will covers the majority of my thoughts here, but to be a photographer, and artist in general is to tell a narrative. Whether it be a commercial or fine art practice, we all inevitably tell stories both personal and worldly. In our own practices, Will and I both have a more clearly narrative-based approach, so it was a great entry point.
How has your time at VCUarts influenced your careers?
RG: VCUarts has been instrumental in my post-graduate career. The fine arts curriculum transcends the art world and assists greatly in creative-based problem solving in really any career. The skills are applicable wherever needed. The influence can also be felt personally in the connections I’ve been able to nurture by staying in Richmond in my post-graduate years. Very early in my time at VCUarts I saw the blossoming arts scene Richmond has, and it has influenced me to nurture my relationship with that community as I’ve moved from student to emerging artist.
WC: VCUarts connected me with an incredible, passionate community of artists, who have continued to make work well beyond our time in class. It helped me see that being an artist is a lifelong pursuit-you only get better through practice and a willingness to share. VCU also taught me to make my own opportunities- start your own practice, form your own pop-up gallery- get your artwork out to people- don’t wait for an official commission or a special invitation.
Dominique Muñoz, Self Portrait as Shadow, 2024
With mentorship being another highlighted aspect of this exhibition, what advice would you give to students who want to have a valuable mentorship experience?
RG: The wonderful thing about the VCUarts Photography program is the number of professors who were once in your shoes in the very same program. To have a valuable mentorship experience is to remember that your professors and TAs were where you are now, and not be afraid to ask for advice. No question is stupid, as we’re all on this journey called life together for the first time. Establishing those relationships is how an intergenerational community is formed, and a better arts scene is made. We continue to learn even as we move on from undergrad. The mentorship I received from former professors (who are now exhibiting in this show), like Will Connally, Cynthia Henebry, Anthony Earl Smith, and Peter Cochrane is invaluable to the person and artist I am today.
WC: I’m here because of the mentorship I received in the program. I started as a teaching assistant in undergrad to my professor Tom Condon. Grad students like Vita Litvak and Sarah Kaufman took me under their wing and invited me to their upper level critiques and artist lectures. I really appreciate those opportunities. I recommend sharing your interests with your professors and taking the time after class to speak with them about the artwork you are excited about- and go to all the department events. Learn about your professor’s research practice. It means a great deal to me that my former student and current friend- Riley Goodman, brought this show idea to me and invited me to curate the work with him.
How would you recommend current Photo+Film students get involved in the photography community in Richmond?
RG: Be a sponge, and soak in as much as you can. Even in the 6 years since I’ve graduated the photography community in Richmond has grown immensely. Go see a show at Candela, and check out a lecture at the VMFA. Explore DIY spaces, and find time to meet up with photographers both university and non-university affiliated. The best advice I can give is to just immerse yourself in making, listening, and learning. And to not be afraid to pitch an idea. So many opportunities that have come my way were borne from simple conversations without an agenda. Advocate for yourself, and know your worth.
WC: We have a wealth of talented artists here in Richmond and a lot of great galleries- go to the events. Join the film screenings and artist lectures- you will find a community. There’s so much that happens beyond the classroom. The classroom is an introduction to a wider world.
Cynthia Henebry, Mavis & Marshall, 2014
In what ways do you learn from the alumni?
WC: I’m constantly inspired by what my friends, colleagues, and former students are making. Students share new artists with me- people who were never on my radar. Seeing what else is being made in this community keeps me from getting stagnant. Learning what else is out there keeps me engaged and makes me want to innovate in my own practice. The alumni keep me on my toes.
RG: Though a detriment for reasons beyond this question, Instagram is a wonderful resource to see what my fellow alumni are up to. Through it, I learn from alumni by seeing where they’re showing, what they’re making, and the conversations they’re having in today’s art world. Learning doesn’t stop after graduation, it’s life long. To see former classmates like Marissa Alper and Dominique Muñoz achieve prestigious accolades is inspiring and lights a fire in me to keep my nose to the grindstone. We’re all growing together, even when we’re not in school together anymore.
What do you hope to inspire current Photo+Film students with this exhibition?
RG: We hope to show that pursuing Photography is a lucrative endeavor, via the success of our alumni. With a range of careers from commercial to fine art, and studio practices locally, nationally, and globally, the VCUarts Department of Photography produces talent that shouldn’t be overlooked. Whether you’re wanting to stay in Richmond, go work for the New York Times, establish a career in Berlin, make photobooks, document a community through photography, and everything in between, there is a place for you to succeed within VCUarts Photo+Film.
WC: This whole exhibit was born out of a desire to showcase what our Photography Alum have been making after graduating from the department. Riley first pitched this show idea to me over a year and a half ago and we’ve been boiling it down, finding a unique angle on an alumni exhibit. Ultimately, we are interested in sharing the talent of our alumni, both within Richmond and beyond, with current VCUarts students. We want to highlight the strength of our Photo Alumni, and hopefully inspire those who are currently in the program.
Vita Litvak, from mementos series