Bryant receives grant to offer documentary photography courses

Barrie Lynn Bryant, a 27 year resident of Kirby, has been awarded a $24,473 grant by the Wyoming Arts Council for photography. Bryant will produce a documentary photography field work and teaching project that aims to assess, reveal, and offer solutions to pressing needs within Bighorn Basin communities.

Along with completing his own photographs, Bryant will also teach four separate documentary photography courses at the libraries in Worland, Thermopolis, and Greybull and in the Meeteetse Museum.

Classes begin in July and last until the end of September. Enrollment is free, limited to 10 people per course, and open to all ages. Participants will produce their own documentary projects, and the best photos from this will be considered for donation to the Wyoming State Museum and Capitol Art Collection in Cheyenne.

The classes in Thermopolis will be at Hot Springs County Library on Wednesday evenings from 6-8 pm. on July 6, 13, 20, August 10, 17, 24, September 7, 14 and 21 with the last day as the public art exhibit and reception.

All supplies will be provided except a camera or camera device which must be provided by participants. According to Bryant, "Everyone will pick a specific community to photograph and then work toward telling that community's story with their photographs." Everyone will then experience the joy of printing their own work in class using Bryant's 17-inch wide printer. Bryant will also present photo editing techniques and art principles as they relate to better photography skills, plus matting, framing and presenting photographs as art. Some of the framed photographs will be offered for donation to the Capitol Art Collection in Cheyenne at the end of Bryant's grant period on November 30. That means participants will have the opportunity to be part of Wyoming's public art collection in Cheyenne.

For more information about this opportunity, contact Barrie at 864-2697, or by email at merglennstudios@yahoo.com.

This project has been made possible with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act as distributed through the National Endowment for the Arts and Wyoming State Legislature.