Museum PR Announcements News and Information

Michener Art Museum Announces First Regional Solo Exhibition Of Lehigh Valley Native, Ed Vatza

(Doylestown, PA) The James A. Michener Art Museum will host a poignant exhibition of photographs by Lehigh Valley-based photographer, Ed Vatza, which opens on April 11, 2015. Ed Vatza: Street Stories is curated by Lisa Tremper Hanover, Director & CEO, James A. Michener Art Museum. The exhibition program in the Bette and Nelson Pfundt Gallery is presented by Vivian Banta and Robert Field.

Larry, 2013, archival pigment print, 16" x 24" printed on 22" x 30" Moab Entrada Rag Natural 300
Larry, 2013, archival pigment print, 16″ x 24″ printed on 22″ x 30″ Moab Entrada Rag Natural 300
This installation, featuring 17 large-scale, black and white photographic portraits, focuses on a segment of Vatza’s Manhattan Project series, which depicts the personalities and attitudes of street people in lower New York City neighborhoods. Vatza achieves a comfort level with his subjects that results in copious conversations and perspective photography. The stories of the anonymous are a powerful context for these evocative images, revealing the artist’s keen eye for detail and the ability to capture mood, textures, and a very strong graphic presence in his work.

“I see myself in every person I photograph and that carries through to everyone I have met while walking the streets with my camera. I walk up to them, engage them and listen to their story,” stated Vatza. “I believe this feeling provides perspective for my whole body of work and in their stories, I strive to understand that thin line of fate that separates where they are from where I am,” Vatza added.

Some of Vatza’s subjects are only a one time chance meeting while others he frequently encounters – always taking the time to talk. Vatza refers to these portraits as a mirror in which he catches glimpses of himself, paving the road to self-discovery.

“Visitors will be moved by the haunting photographs along with the captivating stories of each,” said Hanover. As the works in the show reveal, Ed captures the heart and soul of these individuals through the camera lens,” noted Hanover.

About The James A. Michener Art Museum
The James A. Michener Art Museum collects, preserves, interprets and exhibits American Art, with a focus on art of the Bucks County region. The Museum presents changing exhibitions that explore a variety of artistic expressions, and offers a diverse program of educational activities that seek to develop a lifelong involvement in the arts as well as nurture a wide range of audiences. We also seek to educate our community about nationally and internationally known Bucks County artists of all creative disciplines. The James A. Michener Art Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

The James A. Michener Art Museum is located at 138 South Pine St., Doylestown, PA. The Museum is open Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 am – 4:30 pm; Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and Sunday noon – 5:00 pm. For more information, visit MichenerArtMuseum.org or call 215.340.9800.