Source: Bill North, 785-532-7718, bnorth@k-state.edu
http://www.k-state.edu/bma/
News release prepared by: Beth Buchanan, 785-532-7718, bethb@k-state.edu
EXHIBITION BRINGS IMAGES OF MEGA CHURCHES TO K-STATE'S BEACH MUSEUM
MANHATTAN -- The interiors and tech-savvy furnishings of contemporary houses of worship form the basis of "Mega Churches," an exhibition of photographs by a former Manhattan resident that opens Friday, April 4, at Kansas State University's Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art.
"We're thrilled to offer the first public showing of Joe Johnson's mega church imagery," said Bill North, senior curator at the K-State museum. "The photographs are powerful and distinctive images dealing with an important aspect of contemporary American culture."
Many mega churches, which can have weekly attendances of 2,000 to more than 10,000 worshippers, incorporate elaborate sound systems, video production and contemporary praise songs to attract a broad spectrum of attendees. Since 2006 Johnson has taken photos of churches in 15 states, from Colorado to North Carolina, and he hopes eventually to document all such institutions in the U.S.
Raised in Manhattan, Johnson works as an instructor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Previously, he taught at Emerson College and Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. Johnson recently received an individual creativity grant from the Ohio Arts Council to support continued work on his mega church series.
Although mega churches are defined by the size of their congregations, Johnson's views are devoid of human presence. "These photos of unpeopled interiors illuminate ways in which these churches' operations incorporate ideas and practices from broader contemporary American culture," North said. "Subject matter aside, the photographs' formal and technical qualities are quite strong. Johnson is a gifted photographer with a bright future."
Johnson received his bachelor's in fine arts at the San Francisco Art Institute and his master's in fine arts at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston.
The exhibitionwill be on view at the Beach Museum through June 29. It is sponsored by the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art Business Partners. For more information, contact the museum at beachart@k-state.edu or 785-532-7718, or drop by the museum on the southeast corner of the K-State campus at 14th Street and Anderson Avenue. Admission is free, and free parking is available next to the building. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays; and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The museum is closed Mondays.