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Southern Miss to Host Ed Wheeler Photography Exhibit Nov. 5 Dec. 15

Wed, 11/04/2015 - 04:52pm

An exhibit featuring the photographs of Ed Wheeler will be on display through Dec. 15 at Southern Miss' Cook Library Exhibit Gallery.

The University of Southern Mississippi will host the art exhibit “The Photographer as Participant Observer: Ed Wheeler and the Gulf Oil Rigs, 1981-1985.”  The opening reception is Thursday, Nov. 5 from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. in the Cook Library Exhibit Gallery.

In addition to featuring Wheeler's photographs, the opening reception will include a discussion with Dr. Joe Millichap, professor at Western Kentucky University, and Chuck Cook, news content advisor in the Southern Miss School of Mass Communication and Journalism and former student of Wheeler. Millichap and Cook will provide an interesting and unique look at the Gulf Oil Rigs through the photographs of Wheeler, a prestigious and well-known photojournalist.

“The reception program will enrich the experience even more by providing more information and opportunities to discuss Wheeler's work, the photographer as a participant observer, and the influence of photography on Southern culture,” said Diane DeCesare Ross, exhibit coordinator.

Ross is managing editor of “The Southern Quarterly” at Southern Miss and also a former student of Wheeler.

The exhibit showcases how Wheeler's photographs captured an artistic perspective of the different ‘relationships among men, the rig, the gulf—and finally the oil' in Southern subcultures. The photographs trace the Southern culture in historical and literary terms as it relates to the importance of photography in the South.

Attendees will be able to learn and experience a rich, informative aspect about the Southern subcultures through Wheeler's photographs. They will also have an opportunity to interact and discuss topics with several successful working photographers.

This event, which is free and open to the public, will run from Nov. 5- Dec. 15 in the Cook Library Exhibit Gallery. The exhibit resulted from the September issue of “The Southern Quarterly,” which focused on photography and the shaping of Southern culture, and included an introduction by Millichap and an article by Cook. The opening reception program is made possible through a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council.

For additional information, contact Diane DeCesare Ross by calling 601.266.5087 or by e-mailing diane.rossFREEMississippi.