Notes from the field.

The Board of Directors for the Center for Photography at Woodstock is pleased to announce that Ariel Shanberg has been appointed Executive Director. Mr. Shanberg, only the fourth Executive Director in the Center's twenty-six year history, succeeds Colleen Kenyon. Sarah Northland, Board Member and a member of the Center's founding staff notes with pleasure that the Center is moving forward on a positive fooling. "Ariel's commitment and enthusiasm reflect the Center's original intention, to provide a progressive forum for contemporary photographers, a meeting place for an extended artistic community, and a historic overview of the medium. We look forward to Ariel's leadership, his pioneering spirit, and his sensitivity to the Center's traditions."

The Center for Photography at Woodstock also recently announced the awardees of the 23rd Annuals Photographer's Fellowship Fund. Carla Shapiro and J. Gilbert Plantinga were each awarded a $1,000 fellowship. The Photographers' Fund Fellowhip serves to reward emerging photographic artists of exceptional talent in New York State and in many cases is the first serious form of recognition. The honor is often seen as a major step in the recipient's creative career and encouragement to further work. It is a strong and clear mandate that they should continue to build a professional career as an artist. Susan Edwards, juror of the competition, described the works as "the supremacy of vision over chance. Both of this year's recipients create work that is intriguing because of an implicit ambiguity where the internal tension of each image merits not only a second glance but also repeated study."

The Governing Board of the Yale University Art Gallery has elected Robert W. Doran, Yale class of 1955, as its chair. Robert Shapiro, Yale class of 1956, was elected vice chair. "The Yale Art Gallery is in the midst of a challenging period of both restoration and growth," explained Jock Reynolds, the Henry Heinz II Director. "I am greatly heartened to have Bob Doran take over the leadership of our Governing Board to continue the outstanding work of Frederick Mayer. We have already undertaken the awesome responsibility of returning the landmark Louis I. Kahn building to its original splendor." Mr. Doran received an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School in 1958, and two years later was a founder of the Boston-based investment firm Thorndike, Doran, Payne and Louis,

University of California at Los Angeles Extension Catalog Designers will be featured at a special exhibit hosted by the American Institute of Graphic Arts in March. The New York show is the realization of a vision that began in 1990, when UCLA Extension first presented catalog covers executed by world-renown graphic artists including Lucille Tenazas, Deborah Sussman and Woody Pirtle. The series quickly assumed prominence in the design world as some of the era's most intriguing graphic designs. The show Masters of Graphic Design: Catalog Covers of UCLA Extension will run from March 24-May 15 at the National Design Center in New York City.

The Photographic Resource Center at Boston University is launching a new online gallery of rising photographers, called Northeast Exposure. Starting this fall, the PRC will launch a new umbrella rubric under which a variety of initiatives will fall. On the exhibition side, the project will be a combination of physical and virtual display space. Since the development and redesign of prcboston.org in May 2002, web-visitation has grown dramatically, more than tripling to over 5,000 hits a month. The complete exhibition series, both online and in the gallery, will highlight new works and new directions by emerging talent as well as the latest or lesser-shown works by mid-career mentors. To visit the series, go to the PRC homepage at prcboston.org and click on the Northeast Exposure icon.

The Nashville Film Festival recently elected three new directors to their board. Liz Edsall McLaurin. David Silverman, and Glen Trew are described as Nashville Film Festival President Jeff Walker as "three outstanding individuals who will be a valuable addition to [the] already strong board. We are looking forward to the energy and enthusiasm they will bring to the organization." The Nashville Film Festival is set for April 26th through May 2nd, 2004.

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art welcomes Corey Keller as new Assistant Curator of Photography. Keller has been active at SFMOMA in a number of capacities since 1999. She is currently a doctoral candidate in art history at Stanford University. Her dissertation is entitled The Look of Knowledge: Photographic Imagery and the Discourse of Science, 1839-1895. She is pleased to be a part of SFMOMA, which distinguished itself as one of the first museums in the United States to recognize photography as an art form.

The Board of Governors of Pacific Northwest College of Art is pleased to welcome Thomas Manley as president An innovative educator for more than two decades, Dr. Manley is highly regarded as the developer of many progressive cultural studies and community outreach programs. He holds a bachelor's degree in East Asian History and Education from Towson University. Dr. Manley took office in July 2003 and will be formally inaugurated in May 2004.

California College of the Arts has established Its first endowment for a distinguished visiting professor in honor of Viola Frey. The Viola Frey Chair in Fine Arts was created specifically to bring noted artists from around the world to teach as visiting professors at CCA and to share their work with the Bay Area community. The chair is named for Viola Frey, in honor of her work in building the preeminent reputation CCA's Ceramics Program enjoys today. Bay Area artist John Bankston has been named the first recipient. His work in drawing and painting addresses issues of gender, race, and power.

Malick Sidibe was recently named by the Hasselblad Foundation as the 2003 Hasselbled award winner in photography. Videos and snapshots of the award ceremony along with more detailed information on the artist can be found at the homepage of the Hasselblad foundation: www.hasselbladfoundation.org.

The Menil Collection of Houston, Texas names Josef Helfenstein as new Director. He will be responsible for directing the museum in all areas, including its artistic and scholarly vision, community involvement, and fiscal health. "We are delighted that Dr. Helfenstein has accepted the directorship of The Menil Collection and Foundation," says Louis Stude-Sarofim, president of the board of trustees. "He brings with him a deep, wide-ranging scholarship and considerable museum administrative experience, and, with his background in the United States and Europe, an important international perspective, which is part of the Menil legacy. He possesses strong interest and experience in areas in which The Menil Collection has particular strengths, and I look forward to his leadership of this wonderful collection."

The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council announces a change in executive leadership. Liz Thompson will be ending her tenure as the Executive Director of the council at the end of the year, with replacement pending. Tricia Mire, who has been deputy director of the LMCC for the past two years has been designated Acting Executive Director while the Board conducts and an executive search. Mire described Thompson's legacy, saying, "Liz Thompson built on a proud history of innovative leadership at LMCC, and we will continue to do our work with the underlying motivation to give equal weight to the artists we serve and the neighborhoods we are developing through the arts."

The finalists of the Citigroup Photography Prize 2004 were announced this month, From a list of over 80 nominations, the Jury has selected four finalists whose work has made a significant contribution to the medium of photography in the past year. The finalists, Robert Adams, Peter Fraser, David Goldblatt and Joel Sternfeld, bring together a group of photographers whose influence resonate through contemporary practice. The final decision on the winner will be released on March 4th.

Fourteen Philadelphia-Area women artists received Leeway "Window of Opportunity" Grants. Window of opportunity grants provide short-term, immediate assistance to individual women artist living in the Philadelphia area who wish to take advantage of specific opportunities that significantly benefit their work or increase its recognition. Grants were awarded to Ava Blitz, Cathleen Cohen, Elizabeth Fiend, Julia Granacki, Rain Harris, Michelle Keita, Martha McDonald, jamie Merwin, Libby Saylor, Toni Shapiro-Phim, Josie Smith, Daniele Strawmyre, J.C. Todd, and Patricia Traub.

The Houston Center for Photography announced the recipients of the 2003/2004 HCP Photography Fellowships. Since 1983, HCP has awarded more than $50,000 in grants designed to help emerging artists complete works-in-progress Of the 54 photographers who submitted their work for consideration, six diverse artists from around the country were awarded fellowships. The works-in-progress represent wide range of technique and style, from traditional chemical photography to conceptual digital work. Projects were selected from the following artists: Adele Hamblin. Jason Neumann, William Tolan. Priya Kambli, Kathleen McLaughlin, and Chris Sims An Honorable Mention was awarded to three artists: Sarah Hoskins, Dave Jordano, and Jennifer Warren.

The California College of the Arts Launches three new academic programs for the 2003-4 academic year: the Master of Arts in Curatorial Practice, the Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing, and the Bachelor of arts in Visual Studies. CCA provost Steve Beal commented, "In keeping with our mission to give those who shape culture through art an education that is inclusive and interdisciplinary, we continue to increase the breadth of our offerings Our students get varied contexts for creating and defining their work, but within a diverse and dynamic community that's connected by some common core values about art making." Plans for future expansion of CCA acadmeic programs include a three-year professional master's degree in architecture, beginning fall 2004.

The Elizabeth K Sackler Center for Feminist Art will be established at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, through funding from the Elizabeth K Sackler Foundation. Its mission will be to enhance the understanding and public awareness of feminist art's contribution to contemporary art and American culture. The art historian and critic Maura Reilly, Ph.D., has been appointed curator of the center Susan T. Rodriguez, FAIA, has been selected to create a design concept for the Center that will include a permanent new home for Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party. Musuem Director Dr. Arnold L. Lehman says, "The Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation holds high the core values of feminism--equality equity, and justice. The Brooklyn Museum of Art an innovative leader in museum education and advocate for diversity in museum audiences, is the perfect institutional home for this Canter that will comprise The Dinner Party, exhibitions, and educational space With her experience and keen commitment to feminist art, Dr. Reilly is uniquely suit ed for her new curatorial role."

The Brooklyn Museum of Art Is also scheduled to open its new front entrance, designed by Polshek Partnership architects, Saturday April 17. "This remarkable new entrance and plaza open up the Museum to its visitors and surrounding neighbor hood in a dramatically contemporary manner. while celebrating its historic facade. Hospitable to all visitors, this project provides one of the most important and exciting new civic spaces in the City of New York, combined win major changes to the interior publice spaces in the recent past, the Brooklyn Museum of art has been dramatically propelled in to the twenty-first century," comments Museum Chair Robert S. Rubin. Using the 19th-century Beaux-Arts facade as a backdrop, a multistory sheer-glass entrance pavillion provides an architectural connection between the interior of the building and the exterior surroundings.