The Center for the Arts of Greater Manassas/Prince William County is pleased to present our newest exhibition: The Dalton Gang featuring 6 seasoned photographers from the DMV region!
The Dalton Gang
On exhibit: May 2 – June 8
The Dalton Gang consists of photographers Bruce Fagin, Edward
Savwoir, Michael Smith, Sandy Adams, Bonita F. Bing, and George Dalton
Tolbert IV. Drawing inspiration from an infamous gang of outlaws in the
Wild West (& George’s middle name), Michael Smith coined the group
of artists The Dalton Gang. A few of the photographers met at Howard
University in the 60s, while the others became acquainted after joining
the Exposure Group, an African-American Photographers Association in
Washington DC. Each artist has chosen 10 pieces from their personal
collection to represent the gamut of their photographic career,
emphasizing their individual styles and preferences.
Meet the Dalton Gang at the opening reception, May 4, 6-8 pm.
La Garita, Bonita F. Bing, Digital photography
About the Artists
Bonita F. Bing
Bonita F. Bing, a native Washingtonian, has been photographing for the
past 30 years. She became interested in photography in high school after
her father gave her a 35 mm Retina IIIC camera. She received a B. A.
Degree in Speech Communications in 1981 from the University of
Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While attending the University
of Pittsburgh she was a photographer for the yearbook. She has worked as
a Network Operations Specialist for thirty (30) years for the U.S.
Senate Sergeant At Arms and currently worked for thirty-three (33) years
with the federal government. She has been the President of The Exposure
Group African American Photographers Association, a professional
photography association, for the last 16 years and a dedicated member
for 21 years.
Bruce Fagin
Bruce Fagin, born in Washingtonian D.C. and educated in its public
schools, began using a camera as part of his art education at Howard
University. For the next twenty years he incorporated that art education
and photography into his occupation as a graphic designer. Bruce
emphasizes dramatic light in all of his photographs and saturated color
when not shooting black and white. This reflects his perception on life,
bright moments of illumination and mysterious occurrences of reaching
out into the unfamiliar.
Edward Savwoir
Edward is a Washington, D.C. based photographer with over 20 years of
experience. Although self-taught, he acknowledges the influence of James
Van Der Zee, Gordon Parks and Charles “Teenie” Harris. To him each
image defines a moment in time. What differentiates his approach to
photography is his documentary style, the deliberative process.
George Dalton Tolbert IV
George D. Tolbert IV served as the first African-American Official
Photographer for the United States Senate. His images have been featured
in hundreds of magazines, such as Time, Jet, and Ebony. He currently
serves as the Vice President of the Exposure Group.
Michael Smith
Michael started his artist journey with a certificate in Advertising
Art. Later, after serving in the military and joining the DC Fire
Department, he became interested in
photography. Later after studying forensic photography at the University
of Maryland, photography became another tool in his fire and arson
investigations. When Michael retired from the Fire Service, he went
professional with his photography. Weddings, portraits and events were
the main focus. But his love of travel and the environment was his
personal passion. His background in art, digital photography and now
Photoshop became perfect for his future. Michael now considers himself a
Photo-Artist. When he takes an image with his camera, it is the
beginning of what his mind sees it to be. That can be anything from
normal processing to it becoming a painting on canvas using acrylic
paints.
Sandy Adams
Sandy Adams is a native Washingtonian and attended Rochester Institute
of Technology in Rochester, NY where she received a Bachelor of Fine Art
degree in
Photojournalism before pursuing a career in law enforcement. After many
years of practicing photography “on the side”, she recently decided to
pursue her passion for
photography full-time. Sandy owns and operates Outdoorvizions
Photography where the primary focus is man-made, man-made with nature,
and nature as decorative art photography. Basically, anything outdoors
is fair game. Secondary is event photography with clients including
Washington DC Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.; Asbury United
Methodist Church, Washington, DC; The District of Columbia Office of
Inspector General and private parties.