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2008 Calendar: Galen Rowell’s California
The Mountain Light 2008 calendar, Galen Rowell’s California is in stock and shipping now. This 12-sheet wall calendar features some of Galen’s best images from his home state. The images were hand selected by the Mountain Light staff and include some rarely-seen photographs from the Galen Rowell Collection. The calendar was designed and produced by June Lee at Morning Dew Productions. For more information and to order yours, click here. |
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Spring and Fall 2008 Workshops Announced
Mountain Light’s 2008 Workshop Schedule was announced recently, and a few of the workshops are already almost sold-out! Act quickly to avoid disappointment. This year’s program is expanded with more top instructors, and more on-location workshops in four of the West’s premier national parks.
Larry and Donna Ulrich Jack Dykinga John Shaw David Muench
Justin Black Brenda Tharp A 10 percent registration discount will be granted to returning participants who have taken any past workshop operated by Mountain Light. New participants who simultaneously enroll in two workshops are also eligible for a 10 percent discount off both sessions. A 10 percent discount is also available to full-time students, full-time art or photography instructors and members of the North American Nature Photographers’ Association. Please note these discounts are not cumulative and that the maximum available discount on any workshop is 10 percent.
Each workshop is limited to 15 participants to insure that everyone receives the time and attention needed. We expect these to fill up quickly, please contact us promptly to reserve your space. If you have any questions or to book your registration online, please visit the Workshops Section of this website. |
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Mountain Light Shopping Cart Debuts
We have added an e-commerce shopping cart to our website, providing Mountain Light customers with added convenience plus the security of encrypted SSL transactions. Customers will now be presented with an accurate total, including sales tax (if appropriate), and can complete their transactions using their credit card with the peace of mind afforded by using a secure, encrypted server. The first area of our site to come on line is our Photographic Workshops. Participants may now book a workshop any time of the day or night, conveniently and securely. Book multiple Workshops and review your shopping cart (making changes if necessary) using the convenient “View Cart” link in the Navigation Bar on the left side of every page of the Mountain Light site. Please note that Workshops are booked on a first-come-first-saved basis. In the event that a Workshop is filled prior to your transaction, you will be contacted with options before your card is charged. The same procedure will apply to out-of-stock items from the Gallery, as we add shopping cart capabilities to all other areas of the Mountain Light site. Look for other areas of the Mountain Light site to come online with our safe and convenient shopping cart soon! |
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Photographer Beth Wald presented
SAN FRANCISCO — Outdoor photographer Beth Wald was awarded the 2006 Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure by the Rowell Legacy Committee at a ceremony featuring keynote speaker Tom Brokaw in San Francisco on Tuesday, November 28. The Rowell Award honors that adventurer whose artistic passion illuminates the wild places of the world, and whose accomplishments significantly benefit both the environment and the people who inhabit these lands and regions. The Rowell Award celebrates the accomplishments of famed adventurers and photographers Galen and Barbara Rowell, who died in a plane crash in 2002. In her photography, Wald combines a thirst for adventure and exploration with a passion for the natural environment and fascination with the world’s diverse cultures. She belongs to that rarified club of photographers who can shuffle lenses, change film and take beautiful pictures in extreme conditions that have most people struggling merely to put one foot in front of the other. “I am drawn to harsh, wild places where life is both fragile and tenuous.” says Wald, “where one’s sense of being alive is heightened by extremes of landscape and weather.” Her visual exploration of environment and culture has taken her around the globe, from the Arctic to the tip of South America, from Pakistan to Cuba, and from the icy Himalayan peaks to the stifling heat of East Africa’s Great Rift Valley. Wald’s most recent journeys have taken her into remote regions of Afghanistan and Tajikistan to photograph unique mountain tribes and their relation with wildlife and environment, in order to call attention to the dire threats to both ancient culture and fragile ecosystems. In this and in much of Wald’s work, her passion is to try to make a difference for the people and places that inspire her. She has donated her time to photograph numerous projects for a wide variety of organizations, including Lighthawk, the Sierra Club, the Conservation Land Trust, Conservacion Patagonica, ANAI, Doctors Without Borders, and others, covering a wide variety of environmental and cultural issues from logging, mining and desertification, to indigenous rights, endangered cultures, and industrial versus locally based agriculture. Through articles, books, and the many talks and lectures she gives, her photography has helped draw attention to clear-cutting in the Western US and in Southern Chile, to the disappearing cultures of the Tarahumara Indians of the Sierra Madre of Mexico to the gauchos of Patagonia to the plight of the people and environment of Afghanistan ravaged by decades of war and drought. She is currently in Afghanistan teaching a course on environmental photojournalism to Afghan journalists. Wald’s work has appeared in numerous publications, including National Geographic, Smithsonian, Outside, National Geographic Adventure, Sports Illustrated, NG Traveler, Travel and Leisure, Life, The New York Times, Men’s Journal and Islands. Her commercial work includes extensive assignments for adventure sportswear companies such as Patagonia, EMS and The North Face. She has collaborated on numerous books, and is currently working on a book project that documents the unique lives of the last of Argentina’s true gauchos. Wald said she plans to use the $15,000 award to create a new generation of “Galens and Barbaras” in Afghanistan through photojournalism classes. Todd Skinner, a famed rock climber who died in October in a fall from Yosemite’s Leaning Tower, nominated Wald for the honor. A special tribute was paid to Skinner during the presentation. Tom Brokaw, the former NBC Nightly News anchor, delivered the keynote speech, “Deleting the Virtual Life” at the standing-room only event. Actor and environmental activist Robert Redford was also in attendance. Both Brokaw and Redford had formed friendships with the Rowells based on their mutual love for adventure and respect for nature. A scare signed print of Galen Rowell’s classic 1973 photograph, “Valley of the Ten Peaks, Banff, Canadian Rockies,” was made available by Mountain Light Gallery during the VIP reception portion of the evening, and sold for $12,500. The proceeds from the sale will be donated by Mountain Light Gallery to support the Rowell Award. |
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Grand Teton Climb raises $40,000 for A benefit climb, featuring renowned mountain adventurers David Breashears and Jimmy Chin, recently raised $40,000 for the Rowell Fund for Tibet. Breashears and Chin donated their time and energy to help lead about a dozen people, including one of the “singing nuns of Drapchi prison,” up Wyoming’s 13,770-foot tall Grand Teton. Snow and ice kept the group from reaching the summit on Aug. 26th, however, the majority of participants, including an 11-year-old boy, reached the Enclosure, a 13,000 summit on the north ridge of the Grand Teton. The success of this climb, guided by Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, and a similar climb in 2005 has organizers already planning for another climb in 2007. For Breashears, the climbs demonstrate a show of solidarity and resolve among those choosing to donate to the Rowell Fund. “A mountain is a challenge and requires determination and fortitude, and the situation in Tibet is a metaphor for that,” Breashears said in 2005. “The Chinese are a tremendous force in Tibet. They’re fairly immovable and determined, but a determined group of people can take on a foe like that and make a change if they’re resourceful and resilient.” And few seem as resilient as Ngawang Sangdrol. A member of the Garu Nunnery, Sangdrol was detained and imprisoned in 1992 for peacefully demonstrating against the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Her prison term spiked from an initial three-years to a combined sentence of 23 years – a result of several sentence extensions including one for singing songs praising the Dalai Lama. After enormous international pressure, she was released into the International Campaign for Tibet’s care in 2003, and now attends Columbia University, learning English and will probably join ICT‘s staff afterwards. She was nominated for “International Woman of the Year” in 2004 and was featured in the July 2nd issue of Parade magazine. Breashears filmed the IMAX movie, Everest, has successfully climbed to the summit of Everest five times and co-produced Red Flag over Tibet for Frontline, hailed as one of the best documentaries about Tibet. Participants in this adventure were treated to a special advance screening of Breashears’ new feature documentary about the 1996 Everest tragedy, which will be released this fall. Alongside Galen Rowell, Conrad Anker and Rick Ridgeway, Chin walked across Tibet in search of the birthing grounds of Tibetan antelope, an expedition which was featured in National Geographic. He is a professional adventure photographer, and photographed the Teton trip. The Rowell Fund for Tibet was established in memory of photographer Galen Rowell and his wife Barbara, who died in a chartered plane crash in 2002. Rowell’s photography documented the struggles of the Tibetan people, and he had close ties with many in the Jackson climbing community, where the benefit climb was based. The Rowell Fund, administered by the ICT, was established to encourage and support the work of Tibetans in the language and visual arts who can make significant contributions to Tibetan culture and society. Each year the Rowell fund gives small grants to those striving to meet these goals. This year more than 30 people have applied for funding. Winners of the grants will be announced later this year. For more information or to make a donation or pledge, please click here. |
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New Galen Rowell retrospective book
Available now from Mountain Light! On Aug. 23rd, what would have been adventure photographer Galen Rowell’s 66th birthday, Bishop’s Mountain Light Gallery received a special gift: Its first shipment of a new volume published by Sierra Club Books, Galen Rowell: A Retrospective. This is the definitive survey of the life, career, and legacy of the world’s foremost adventure photographer, who made the Eastern Sierra his home. The 288-page hardcover book is available now at the gallery. Galen Rowell was the archetypal adventure photographer, his iconic images published in leading magazines and scores of books, exhibited in major galleries, and cherished by fans ranging from the Dalai Lama to news anchor Tom Brokaw. When he and his wife and business partner, Barbara Cushman Rowell, perished in a charter plane crash in 2002, he had just completed a landmark assignment for National Geographic and had begun making stunning new images of his favorite old haunts in the Sierra Nevada. Fortunately, his productivity was immense and his photographs meticulously archived, making possible this unique and comprehensive retrospective of his work. Rowell himself had no time for looking back: his creative energies went into books that combine his images and writings on a wide range of subjects including climbing and expeditionary feats; exotic cultures; endangered wildlife and places; celebrations of light, color, and rare natural phenomena; and visionary interpretations of landscape. Galen Rowell: A Retrospective features 188 of Rowell’s best photographs representing all phases and dimensions of his career. The images were chosen by the editors with whom Rowell worked most closely, by Mountain Light General Manager / Curator / Photographer Justin Black, and by Rowell’s daughter Nicole Rowell Ryan. Production was overseen by Black and Ryan. Photographic reproductions were produced to the highest standards of lithography from digital masters of Rowell’s 35mm transparencies, many of which were newly prepared by Black for the volume. Complementing and illuminating the photographs are essays and commentaries by Rowell’s family and associates from the worlds of mountaineering, conservation, photography and publishing. They include photographers Sir Frans Lanting and David Muench; mountaineers Doug Robinson, Conrad Anker, Rick Ridgeway and Gordon Wiltsie; preeminent field biologist Dr. George Schaller; climbing historian Steve Roper; president of The Yosemite Fund Bob Hansen; president of the International Campaign for Tibet John Ackerly and Outdoor Photographer magazine publisher Steve D. Werner. Contributions also came from Ryan and Black as well as from Rowell’s son, Tony, and from Dean Stevens, Mountain Light Photography’s Photo Licensing Manager. Former NBC Nightly News Managing Editor and Anchor Tom Brokaw wrote the book’s foreword. Novelist Robert Roper provided an in-depth biographical introduction and former New York Times photography critic Andy Grundberg contributed a critical appreciation of Rowell’s work. Coinciding with the book’s official release will be a series of special museum exhibits, spotlighting rarely seen photographs that appear in the retrospective. The first exhibit will be at the San Diego Museum of Natural History, Sept. 16th through Nov. 12th. Ryan will give a presentation on developing the book during the exhibit’s opening day. A second exhibit is scheduled for November at the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Other exhibit dates will be released as they are confirmed. This special exhibition will be on display at Mountain Light Gallery starting Nov. 1st and running through April 2007. A public reception is being planned for November. Details will be made available at a later date. For more information about the exhibits or the book, Galen Rowell: A Retrospective, call Mountain Light Gallery, at (760) 873-7700, or visit the Mountain Light Book Store. |
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Mt. Whitney Climb Raises $38,000 for the Rowell Fund for Tibet
On June 16, a team of climbers supporting the Rowell Fund for Tibet summitted Mount Whitney (14,496 ft.) via the snow covered and physically challenging Mountaineer’s Route. Five donor / climbers and two climbers sponsored by anonymous donors raised $38,000 for the Rowell Fund, which was established to encourage and support the work of Tibetans in the language and visual arts who can make significant contributions to Tibetan culture and society. The team was accompanied by renowned climbers Conrad Anker and Peter Croft, John Ackerly, President of the International Campaign for Tibet, Justin Black, Mountain Light’s General Manager, and Tony Rowell, Galen’s son. Excellent guiding services were provided by “S.P.” Parker of Sierra Mountain Center.
Another team, named Team Highpoint by leader John Jancik of Colorado, hiked the grueling main Mt. Whitney Trail to the summit, arriving just as the Mountaineer’s Route team topped out on the North Face. Starting with Mt. Whitney, Team Highpoint is committed to reach the highest point in each of the fifty United States within one calendar year. Their effort, called 50 for Tibet, is also a fundraiser for the Rowell Fund for Tibet, and to date Team Highpoint has received pledges of over $100,000 if they complete their mission, culminating on Alaska’s Denali in May 2007. For more information or to make a donation or pledge, please click here. |
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U.S. Postal Service Unveils
Breathtaking photographs from the nation’s National Park system, including Galen Rowell’s Winter Sunset, Gates of the Valley will appear as part of the U. S. Postal Service’s 2006 definitive stamp program. In announcing the program, David Failor, Executive Director of Stamp Services, also released images of other 2006 stamp and stationery items. “Customers can share a glimpse of America’s beautiful National Park system when corresponding internationally,” said Failor, referring to photographs of the Great Smoky Mountain, Yosemite Valley and Bryce Canyon depicted on international rate stamps. Yosemite National Park, California (84-cent int’l. letter rate) This international rate stamp in the Scenic American Landscapes series features a photograph of the Gates of the Valley in Yosemite National Park, taken by Galen Rowell. Text on the stamp reads, “Yosemite National Park, California.” Established on October 1, 1890, the park consists of 747,956 acres in the Sierra Nevada. With the impressive Yosemite Valley as its centerpiece, the park includes a breathtaking range of geographical features, such as waterfalls, lakes, glaciers, expansive meadows, groves of giant sequoias and granite monoliths such as El Capitan and Half Dome. Each year nearly four million people enjoy the spectacular sights of Yosemite. Approximately 800 miles of marked trails can be found in the park. Nearly 95 percent of Yosemite is designated wilderness. |
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2008 Spring Exhibit: New Work by Reception Feb. 22, 6-9 pm at Mountain Light Gallery
Through April 30th, Mountain Light Gallery is pleased to present a diverse selection of new fine prints. New landscape prints by Vern Clevenger, Jim Stimson and Justin Black, as well as evocative details and abstracts by William Neill, Londie Garcia Padelsky, and Carr Clifton showcase the distinctive visions of photographers from around the Sierra Nevada. We invite you to meet the artists at Mountain Light Gallery during a reception on the evening of Friday, February 22nd from 6-9 p.m. The evening will feature live celtic music courtesy of Queen Mab. Coming soon: the black-and-white cowboy portraits of Jay Dusard, May 1st through July 31st, 2008. For more information, please visit the Featured Artists page. |
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Winter 2007 Exhibit: Linde Waidhofer
Nature photographer Linde Waidhofer is the guest artist at Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop, now through Dec. 31st. For Waidhofer, landscape photography is as much passion as profession. She searches for the photographic equivalent of the emotional impact of wild and mysterious landscapes. She finds this equivalent in the secret geometry and design beneath the surface of the natural world, in images of simplicity and abstraction. She loves wild landscapes, natural light and changing weather. Her latest photographic adventure has been an ongoing exploration of Patagonia, the southernmost end of South America, a landscape of incredible beauty, relatively unvisited and unknown, and almost unphotographed. Waidhofer’s exhibit is open to the public. Gallery hours are 10-6 Sunday through Thursday and 10-8 Friday and Saturday. Mountain Light is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas days. For more information about Linde Waidhoffer, please visit her website. For more information about this and other exhibits at Mountain Light Gallery, please visit our Featured Artist Guest Exhibits page. |
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Rowell Legacy Committee Seeks Nominees
San Francisco, CA—The Rowell Legacy Committee is currently accepting nominations for The Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure which will honor that adventurer whose artistic passion illuminates the wild places of the world, and whose accomplishments significantly benefit both the environment and the people who inhabit these lands and regions. Nominations will be accepted from July 16, 2007 through November 15, 2007 and can be sent via email, fax or regular mail. The $15,000 annual cash award will be presented at the annual Rowell Lecture Series in spring 2008 at an event in San Francisco to an individual selected by a panel of active and influential members of the outdoor adventure world. This event is co-presented by The Yosemite Fund and the Commonwealth Club of California. For more information about the Rowell Award and to obtain a nomination form, please visit www.rowellaward.com. In August 2002, famed adventurers, writers and photographers of wild places Galen and Barbara Rowell died tragically in a plane crash near their home in Bishop, California. The Rowell Legacy Committee was formed to commemorate the lives and preserve the spirit of the Rowells. Its hope is that Galen and Barbara’s work and the award will inspire in others the love of the human experience in the environment and the desire to protect the wild and special places on our planet. The Committee is excited to present this unique award to an individual who exemplifies the hallmarks of Galen and Barbara—adventure, art and giving back. The Rowell Legacy Committee Honorary Chairs include: Conrad Anker, Tom Brokaw and Erik Weihenmayer. The Rowell Award Judging Panel includes: Conrad Anker, Richard Blum, Dick Dorworth, Frans Lanting, Doug McConnell, Chris McNamara, Duane Raleigh, Corey Rich, Nicole Rowell Ryan, and Steven Werner. |
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Summer 2007 Exhibit: David Muench
Mountain Light is pleased to present the fine art photographs of photographer David Muench, July 1st through September 30th, 2007. David Muench has traveled across America for more than three decades, continually seeking that perfect mix of light, mood and nature that breathes life into his photographic images. Thirty of those images will be on display at Bishop’s Mountain Light Gallery, now through Sept. 30th, 2007. Muench is the primary photographer for more than 40 books, and has participated in numerous one-man exhibits. His most recent books include Canticle of the Earth and Colorado. Other David Muench books include Primal Forces and Our National Parks, both of which are available at Mountain Light Gallery. For more information on this event and other events at Mountain Light, please visit the Featured Artist Exhibits page. |
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Royal Alberta Museum hosts traveling
The Royal Alberta Museum will host the traveling Galen Rowell: A Retrospective exhibit Feb. 17 through September 30, 2007. The images featured in the exhibit are among the 188 photographs that were reproduced as part of the definitive book on the life and work of adventure photographer Galen Rowell. Image selection for the book was overseen by Galen’s daughter, Nicole Rowell Ryan, and by Mountain Light Gallery’s General Manager and curator, Justin Black. The exhibit at Royal Alberta Museum features many rarely or never-seen before images as well as many classics familiar to long-time Rowell fans. Royal Alberta Museum, which is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, is located at 12845-102nd Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Admission is as follows. Please note prices and hours subject to change for special presentations. Adult: $10 • Senior (65 years and over): $8 • Student (with valid ID): $7 • Youth (7-17): $5 • Children (6 and under): FREE • Family (2 Adults and children): $28. For more information, please download the Royal Alberta Museum’s media kit (640k PDF). |
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Nicole Rowell Ryan on Sierra Club Radio An interview with Nicole Rowell Ryan regarding her father’s photography and the newly-released book, Galen Rowell: A Retrospective, will air on Sierra Club Radio starting Saturday, Feb. 3rd. Sierra Club Radio broadcasts every Saturday at 3:30 pm (PST) on the Quake (960 am) in the San Francisco Bay Area, but it is also available for online listening or via podcast. Mrs. Ryan’s interview will be available on the web site’s home page for the week of Feb. 3-9. beginning at 10 a.m. It will then be available for a limited time through Sierra Club Radio’s archives. |
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Spring and Fall 2007 Workshops Announced
Mountain Light Gallery is pleased to offer an expanded lineup of workshops with the best instructors in the business. Beginning in 2007, all of our sessions include upscale accommodation and all meals, with prorated fees available for those who wish to make their own lodging arrangements. In Spring 2007, Mountain Light will host 3-Day Workshops with David Muench, Jack Dykinga and Justin Black. These workshops will be taught out of our Bishop gallery at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. Mountain Light will also host two workshops in Spring 2007 with David Muench in Death Valley. In Fall 2007, Mountain Light will host one 3-Day Workshop with Jack Dykinga and two 3-Day Workshops with John Shaw. These workshops will be taught out of our Bishop gallery at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. Mountain Light will also host two 3-1/2 Day Workshops in Fall 2007 with Jack Dykinga at Zion National Park. John Shaw has been long recognized as one of America’s leading nature photographers and a highly regarded workshop instructor. He has been a professional nature photographer since the early 1970s, after teaching several years at the college level. He is the author of six books on field photography and one on Photoshop printing techniques. A partial listing of magazine credits includes: American Photographer, Audubon, National Wildlife, Country Journal, Defenders of Wildlife, Birders World, Equinox, International Wildlife, National Geographic, Natural History, Nikon World, Omni, Outdoor Photographer, Ranger Rick, Popular Photography, Nature's Best, Sierra, and Smithsonian.
Jack Dykinga is a Pulitzer Prize winner and one of America’s pre-eminent landscape photographers. His work reflects the merging of a photojournalistic, documentary approach with large-format landscape photography, focusing on environmental issues in the United States and Mexico. His skill in creating images that are at once majestic and factual has made him a favorite of prestigious publications such as Arizona Highways. His photographs can be seen in a wide variety of publications such as Audubon, Harpers, National Geographic, Natural History, Sierra Club, Sunset, Time, The Wilderness Society, and Wildlife Conservation. His work has also been featured with portfolio spreads in Nature’s Best, Outdoor Photographer, Photo Media, Popular Photography, and View Camera magazines, as well as being featured on NBC’s Today Show, CNN’s Earth Matters and KAET’s Images of Arizona (PBS, Phoenix).
David Muench is a maverick and an innovator in landscape photography, whose greatest teacher has been nature itself. In turn, he has been the inspiration for many photographers. He has published over 40 exhibit format books and his photographs have been included in many others. Recent museum exhibits include the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in 2001, and exhibits sponsored by Arizona Highways in 2000 at the Phoenix Art Museum, the Center for Creative Photography and the Museum of Northern Arizona, with photographers Ansel Adams and Jack Dykinga. His formal schooling includes the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York; the University of California at Santa Barbara and the Art Center School of Design, Los Angeles, California. A member of North American Nature Photographers Association and the American Society of Magazine Photographers, Muench lives in Corrales, New Mexico with his wife, writer Ruth Rudner.
Justin Black was born in Washington, DC and raised in DC and Virginia. He pursued his undergraduate studies in Fine Art Photography and Art History at George Washington University, where the maturity of his work was recognized through awards in graduate-level juried competition. A promising career as a photographer and licensing specialist led him to Mountain Light Photography, where he managed marketing and licensing of the Rowells’ image collection, assisted Galen, and taught seminars on nature photography. He continues to run the successful gallery, image collection, and workshop program following the Rowells’ tragic passing in the crash of a chartered airplane in August 2002. Their profound influence and inspiration has pushed Justin’s work in new directions, driven by the search for extraordinary qualities in the dynamic landscape. Each workshop or seminar is limited to 15 participants to insure that everyone receives the time and attention needed. We expect these to fill up quickly, please contact us promptly to reserve your space. For more information on Mountain Light Workshops and Seminars, click here. To register, call (760) 873-7700, fax us at (760) 873-3233, or email us at gallery*mountainlight.com. |
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Carr Clifton exhibit comes to Mountain Light
Carr Clifton, one of California’s large format landscape photographers and award-winning filmmaker, will be the guest artist at Bishop’s Mountain Light Gallery May 1st through July 31st, 2007. An artist’s reception and book signing for Clifton will be held Saturday, June 2, 7—9 p.m. at the gallery. Copies of Clifton’s books, Wild By Law and California Magnificent Wilderness, will be available for purchase. RSVPs to the gallery for the reception are appreciated, but not necessary. For more information on this event and other events at Mountain Light, please visit the Featured Artist Exhibits page. |
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Rowell Fund Awards more than $50,000
December 14th, 2005—Washington, DC: The Rowell Fund Board of Advisors announced today that they have selected 13 projects supporting the work of Tibetan journalists, writers, filmmakers and conservationists to receive funding in 2006. The grants, given to projects in five countries, range from $2,000 to $5,000 each, for a total of more than $50,000 (US). The Rowell Fund Board is aiming to increase grant funds for next year’s award. “I want to congratulate this year’s grantees. We have wanted this Fund to infuse resources and energy into projects that can really help protect the environment and encourage high-quality journalism in the Tibetan community,” said Nicole Rowell Ryan, Galen Rowell’s daughter and a member of the Fund’s Board of Advisors. “We are still working to define and re-focus the Fund, and hopefully give out larger grants next year. Galen and Barbara always challenged themselves to do better and to do more, and I hope both the grantees and the Fund’s Board of Advisors do the same,” Nicole continued. Projects this year include publishing the memoirs of Yulo Dawa Tsering, a prominent prisoner of conscience, publishing a book on journalism, promoting environmental awareness and translating works of the famous Tibetan writer Woeser from Chinese into Tibetan. Of the 13 grantees, 10 are based in Asia, two in the U.S. and one in England. Four are led by women. This is the Fund’s third year of operation and each year the Fund has been able to give more grant funds. Next year the Fund hopes to grow again, but possibly give fewer grants, at higher amounts, and re-focus its mission. The Advisory Board received applications from 59 Tibetans and Tibetan organizations, including numerous ones from Tibet, which are handled confidentially by the Fund. The final selection is done by the 10 members of the Board of Advisors who each read and grade every proposal. The Fund is managed and housed at the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT). The Fund is in memory of Galen and Barbara Rowell who told the story of Tibet though photography, writing and their stock image business, to hundreds of thousands of people. Galen and Barbara died in a plane accident in 2002. The advisory board, made up of friends and family of Galen and Barbara, consists of John Ackerly, Conrad Anker, Justin Black, David Breashears, Jimmy Chin, Bob and Beth Cushman, John Jancik and Terri Baker, Bob Palais, Tony Rowell and Ray and Nicole Rowell Ryan. This year, ICT and the Advisors raised the funds through a benefit climb up the 13,770-foot Grand Teton in Wyoming. Another benefit climb will be announced in January, 2006. Applications for the Fund are accepted only in September of each year. You can find more information about the Fund here. The 13 successful applicants, amounts granted, and short project descriptions, are: Gaden Tashi, U.K. $5,000. To publication The Memoirs of Yulo Dawa Tsering. About how a prominent monk endured imprisonment and torture for his country. Tsering Yangkey, Tesi Environmental Awareness Movement, India. $4,800. To promote ecological consciousness of Tibetan pilgrims through youth empowerment and leadership training at the Kalachakra. (This is a repeat grant.) Chakmo Tso, US-India. $2,365. Funds to translate and publish Woeser’s works in Tibetan. Woeser’s controversial writings in Chinese are widely read in China, but not sufficiently available to Tibetans. Lobsang Sherab, Amnye Machin Institute, India. $4,650. To publish a book on the history of Chamdo, Kham. Tashi Wangchuk & Tsultrim Dorjee, Tibet Motion Pictures, India. $4,800. Partial funding for the production of Two Exile Brothers. Lungrik Gyal, India. $3,674. Handbook of Journalism that will be a key stylistic manual for aspiring Tibetan journalists. Pema Tsewang Shastri, U.S. $2,000. For the publication of book in Tibetan language entitled, I am Tibet. Sangay Tashi, The Tibetan Children’s Education Center, India. $4,971. A newly founded educational organization that publishes Tibetan language newsletter, The Tibetan Children’s Treasure. Tenzin Yangkye, Nepal. $2,600. A project to assist health and welfare of new Tibetan arrivals by providing TB vaccine and other services. Kapthu Gyal, Tibetan Writers Abroad P.E.N Centre. India. $2,384. To publish the newsletter Chistok Melong, a Tibetan language monthly publication, run mainly by Tibetan recent arrivals. Rapsel Tsariwa, Tibetan Volunteers for Animals, India, $2,600. To show documentary films, a photo exhibit and literature about animal welfare at the Kalachakra. Confidential, Tibet. $5,000. Confidential, US-Tibet. $5,000. |
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Rowell Fund For Tibet Begins From September 1 to September 30, 2005, the Rowell Fund for Tibet will be accepting applications for funding from Tibetans who can make significant contributions to society. The Fund seeks to support environmental, cultural, and women’s projects as well as journalism, photography, film making, oral histories, and other communication arts. During its first year, the Rowell Fund granted $37,240 to twelve projects, and $49,476 in its second year to eleven projects. Galen Rowell was the Co-chair of ICT’s Board of Advisors and a longtime friend of Tibet. Together, Galen and Barbara Cushman Rowell produced the book, My Tibet, with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and introduced Tibet to countless people around the world. Through photographs and writing, they documented and brought attention to Tibet’s threatened ecosystem and culture. Following the deaths of Galen and Barbara Rowell in August 2002, ICT’s Board of Directors and close friends and family of the Rowells established a fund to carry on their legacy in the Tibetan community. Funds are raised each year specifically for this fund by ICT in conjunction with the Rowell Fund Board of Advisors. This year, four of the advisors, David Breashears, Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and John Ackerly are leading a benefit climb of the Grand Teton (13,770 ft.) in Wyoming with a group of eleven people. The climb will raise $60,000 for the fund. Other advisors are Justin Black, Bob and Beth Cushman, John Jancik and Terri Baker, Bob Palais, Tony Rowell, and Ray and Nicole Rowell Ryan. Applications should include a cover letter, 3-5 page description of the project, a budget, and two references. Maximum Rowell Fund grants are $5,000. Final grant selection is carried out by the Board of Advisors in November, and grant funds are distributed in December. For more details on the Fund and how to apply, click here. International Campaign For Tibet |
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Spring and Fall 2006 Workshops Announced Mountain Light Gallery is pleased to host two 3-Day Workshops in Spring 2006 with John Shaw, and one 3-Day Workshop in Spring 2006 and one in Fall 2006 with Jack Dykinga. These workshops will be taught out of our Bishop gallery at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. Mountain Light will also host two workshops in Spring 2006 with David Muench in Death Valley. Each workshop or seminar is limited to 15 participants to insure that everyone receives the time and attention needed. We expect these to fill up quickly, please contact us promptly to reserve your space. For more information on Mountain Light Workshops and Seminars, click here. To register, call (760) 873-7700, fax us at (760) 873-3233, or email us at gallery*mountainlight.com. |
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Jimmy K. Chin Awarded The Inaugural Chin Recognized For Adventure, Art and “Giving Back”
San Francisco, CA – May 6, 2005 – Outdoor photographer Jimmy Chin was awarded the inaugural Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure by the Rowell Legacy Committee at a ceremony in San Francisco on Wednesday, May 4. The Rowell Award honors that adventurer whose artistic passion illuminates the wild places of the world, and whose accomplishments significantly benefit both the environment and the people who inhabit these lands and regions. The Rowell Award celebrates the accomplishments of famed adventurers and photographers Galen and Barbara Rowell, who died in a plane crash in 2002. In Jimmy Chin’s absence (he is currently climbing Annapurna), his sister Grace accepted the award on his behalf. Chin’s recent assignments include climbing the world’s tallest freestanding sandstone towers in Mali, Africa and climbing Mt. Everest in 2004 with David Breashears and Ed Viesturs, while shooting the documentary video and production stills for a feature Universal Studios film. Along with Conrad Anker and Rick Ridgeway, Jimmy was a member of Galen Rowell’s last expedition that traversed the Chang Tang plateau in Tibet in 2002. Jimmy’s creative eye behind the lens and attention to detail have won him accolades from commercial and editorial clients including National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, Men's Journal, Climbing, Outside and ESPN magazines as well as The North Face and Patagonia. In “giving back”, Jimmy’s photography work has assisted in the protection of the rare chiru antelope in Tibet. He is a member of the Outdoor Industry Conservation Alliance and the Advisory Board for the Rowell Fund for Tibet. Jimmy has also been involved with the Central Asia Institute in Pakistan and the Khumbu Climbing School in Nepal. This $15,000 annual cash award was established by The Rowell Legacy Committee, which is composed of family members, friends, business associates and admirers of the late Barbara and Galen Rowell. Its hope is that Galen and Barbara's work and the award will serve to inspire in others the love of the human experience in the environment and the desire to protect the wild and special places on our planet. |
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New Book About Galen’s Last Expedition
In June 2002, Rick Ridgeway, Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and the late renowned wilderness photographer Galen Rowell set out to discover the migration route of the chiru (the tibetan antelope). A feat twice attempted by eminent wildlife biologist George Schaller—first in four-wheel-drive vehicles and later by camel caravan—the team resolved to use their outdoor skills, prototype aluminum rickshaws, and their own two feet to solve this wildlife riddle. Available May, 2004, The Big Open: On Foot Across Tibet’s Chang Tang by Rick Ridgeway recounts this both unprecedented and urgent expedition and features photography by Galen Rowell and a foreword by Conrad Anker. For more information, please visit the Mountain Light Book Store. |
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Mountain Light Email Address Changes Our general contact email address, staff * mountainlight . com, will be discontinued as of March 17, 2004. After that date, please use the email addresses below to contact each Mountain Light department directly. For ordering or information on Photographic Workshops, Fine Art Prints and all Mountain Light Merchandise, and for general Gallery, Special Event and Guest Exhibit information: gallery * mountainlight . com For Stock Photography and Photo Licensing information: mlstock * mountainlight . com For all Press Release requests and submissions: blaughon * mountainlight . com |
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Ridgeway, Anker Kick Off Rowell Lectures
A slide show and lecture presented by Rick Ridgeway and Conrad Anker, two of America’s most accomplished mountaineers, will kick off the new Galen and Barbara Rowell Annual Lecture Series. The event will be held Wednesday, May 12, 2004 at San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel. A VIP reception is set for 6:30 p.m. with the presentation to begin at 7:30 p.m. The event is presented by the Commonwealth Club of California and the Rowell Legacy Committee and sponsored by Yosemite National Institutes, American Himalayan Foundation and Yosemite Fund. During the presentation, Ridgeway and Anker will detail their thrilling, but treacherous 275-mile trek with photographers / mounatineers Jimmy Chin and Galen Rowell across the uninhabited rangeland in northern Tibet. The four men pulled aluminum rickshaws weighted down with supplies across the area known as the Chang Tang Plateau, which features an average elevation of 16,000 ft. Sponsored by the Expeditions Council of the National Geographic Society, the aim of the trek was to locate the birthing grounds of the rare Tibetan antelope and hopefully convince the Chinese government to safeguard the area. The antelope, or chiru, are being driven to near extinction by poachers for their fur. Tragically, this trek was to be Rowell’s last. He and his wife Barbara were killed in a plane crash near their Bishop, Calif. home two months after his return from the expedition. The program is the premiere event for the newly established Galen and Barbara Rowell Lecture Series and “One-of-a-Kind” award that will be conferred annually in their honor. Proceeds from the event will be used to endow the award. A prestigious panel of judges, to be publicly named at this event, will select the award. The first award will be conferred in 2005. The Galen and Barbara Rowell Award will go to an adventurer whose passion for the visual arts and / or literary expression brings honor and illumination to the wild places and mountainous regions of the world, and whose life and accomplishments are having a significant beneficial impact on both the environment and the peoples who inhabit these lands and regions. Tickets for the VIP reception cost $125 and include the reception, preferred seating at the program and an autographed copy of Ridgeway’s new book, The Big Open: One Foot Across Tibet’s Chang Tang. Tickets for the program cost $35 person. A$10 discount is available for members and affiliates of the sponsoring organizations. Reservations may be made online at www.commonwealthclub.org or by phone, (415) 597-6705. MasterCard or Visa accepted. If paying by check, a telephone reservation must be made first. Additional payment information for those paying with a check may be obtained when the reservation is placed. Those who cannot attend but would like to make a tax-deductible contribution should send checks to: Rowell Legacy Fund |
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New Galen Rowell Graduated Neutral-Density Filters Available Mountain Light is now stocking the full range of filters that Galen Rowell designed for Singh-Ray. In addition to the 2-stop and 3-stop hard and soft grads that were part of Galen's standard equipment, he also designed custom filters in 1-stop hard and soft, 4-stop hard, and 5-stop hard densities for even greater control over dynamic natural light. Click here for more information. |
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Tibetan Charities to Receive $31,000
The charity auction featuring Galen Rowell’s signature image, Rainbow over Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet, closed Monday, Dec. 1 with a final bid of $31,000. The 20" x 30" print, signed by both Rowell and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, is on display at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, Calif. through December. Proceeds from the auction benefit the International Campaign for Tibet and the Rowell Fund for Tibet. The Rowell Fund for Tibet supports the work of Tibetans communicating issues of importance to broader Tibetan or international audiences through visual and language arts. |
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The Rowell Fund For Tibet The International Campaign for Tibet and close friends and family of the Rowells have established a fund to carry on Galen and Barbara Rowell’s legacy in the Tibetan community. Galen Rowell was the Co-chair of ICT’s Board of Advisors and a longtime friend of Tibet. Together, Galen and Barbara produced the book My Tibet, with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and introduced Tibet to countless people around the world. Through photographs and writing they documented and brought attention to many threatened ecosystems and cultures. Purpose: To encourage and support the work of Tibetans communicating issues of importance to their community to a broader Tibetan or international audiences. The fund will honor Galen and Barbara Rowell’s legacy for Tibetans by providing small grants to Tibetans in the language and visual arts who can make significant contributions to society. The Fund will support established or aspiring and talented Tibetans pursuing interests such as photography, film-making, writing, journalism, and projects that promote these skills within the Tibetan community. Examples of projects: photography, photo exhibitions, educational pamphlets, newsletters, book projects, translation projects, public speaking tours, video library, women’s issues and environmental awareness. For more information, please download the brochure (PDF, 218k) or visit the ICT website. |
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Galen’s Last Expedition National Public Radio in association with National Geographic presents “Tibet’s Endangered Antelope,” the story of Galen Rowell’s last expedition. Galen and expedition team members Conrad Anker, Rick Ridgeway and Jimmy Chin set out to trek over 275 miles on foot (carrying 250 pounds of gear and supplies each) across some of the most desolate and remote landscape in northern Tibet. The goal: to discover and photograph the birthing grounds of the chiru, a highly endangered antelope prized by poachers for its fine wool, used in shahtoosh shawls. This expedition succeeded where all previous attempts had failed. It is hoped that the discovery of the chiru migration route and birthing grounds will put pressure on the Chinese government to protect the area as a wildlife refuge. Without such protection, the area will be opened to mining development, easing access by poachers. Click here to hear interviews and news stories, and see videos and Galen’s photographs of what Ridgeway dubbed “the most fulfilling trip we’ve had…”. |
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Guest Photographer Exhibits
Coming to Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop, California: the fine art photographic works of highly regarded and renowned guest photographers in our newly expanded gallery space! Other exciting events may coincide with our guest exhibits, click here for more information. |
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The Contents of Galen’s Camera Bag Mountain Light gets many inquiries requesting information on what photo equipment Galen used to make his amazing images. In response, we have posted an addition to Galen’s biography page: a list of his favorite equipment and accessories, where and when he carried them and what he used them for. Click here to view the contents of Galen’s Camera Bag. |
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Multimedia Galen Rowell Interview A multimedia interview of Galen Rowell taken just before he went on assignment to Antarctica has been posted to the Nikon website. Featuring audio clips, a Q&A, a biography and a gallery, some of the gallery photos include audio of Galen describing his techniques and the conditions under which some of his more memorable shots were taken. Sponsored by Nikon and PDN Online, please click here to visit the site. |
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Special Presentation by Losang Rabgey Mountain Light Gallery will offer a special presentation by 2006 National Geographic Emerging Explorer Losang Rabgey on Sunday, March 26th at 7:00 p.m. The presentation is entitled “Engaging Tibet: The People and the Land Today” and is about the environmental and social engagement work of Machik. Losang Rabgey heads the Tibet Program for Cultural Survival. Born in a Tibetan refugee camp in India, she moved to Canada as a child. She has spent her summers going back to her father’s village in eastern Tibet, where she has worked to raise educational standards from the lowest ranking to the highest ranking in the prefecture. She also has built a community center in another village and is making efforts to set up sustainable tourism in the region. A Ph.D. graduate in Tibetan studies from the University of London, her research interests include rural community development and social change in Tibetan areas, particularly in Kham. For additional information, please call Mountain Light Gallery at (760) 873-7700. |
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Rowell Fund Rewards Tibetan Innovators
14 December 2004—A project to educate Tibetans about endangered animals, an initiative to promote and cultivate Tibetan contemporary art, and individual Tibetan film-makers and photographers have all been granted awards from ICT’s Rowell Fund, to encourage and support the work of Tibetans communicating issues of importance to their community to a broader Tibetan or international audience. The Rowell Fund for Tibet was established to honor Galen and Barbara Rowell’s legacy for Tibetans by providing small grants to Tibetans in the language and visual arts. More than 50 Tibetans applied for the grants this year, and 11 projects will be funded, totaling nearly $50,000—including the production of a set of books about the imprisoned religious teacher Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, an art “refuge” for Tibetan children who have escaped from Tibet, and documentation of stories of Tibetan elders. Mountaineer and author David Breashears, who is on the Advisory Board of the Rowell Fund for Tibet, said: “These awards highlight the broad range and diversity of work being undertaken by Tibetans to promote and develop their cultural heritage. This vital work is a worthy tribute to Galen and Barbara's passion and commitment to the Tibetan cause.”
Galen Rowell was the Co-chair of ICT's Board of Advisors and a longtime friend of Tibet. Galen and his wife Barbara produced the book My Tibet, with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and introduced Tibet to countless people around the world. Through photographs and writing they documented and brought attention to many threatened ecosystems and cultures. John Ackerly, President of the International Campaign for Tibet, said: “We believe that supporting ambitious and talented Tibetans nurtures innovation from diverse parts of the Tibetan community. Our grants should not only go to well-run Tibetan organizations, but also to individuals who often don’t have access to resources as organizations do. The Rowell Fund is part of a change at ICT towards focusing more on empowering Tibetans and building a civil society within Tibet and in exile.” Few applications for this year’s awards were received from Tibet, but many of the grantees selected are carrying out some or all of their work in Tibet. Some requested not to be named. The Rowell Fund projects were selected by the RFT Advisory Board, consisting of the consisting of the following friends and family of Galen and Barbara Rowell: John Ackerly, Conrad Anker, Justin Black, David Breashears, Jimmy Chin, Bob and Beth Cushman, John Jancik and Terri Baker, Bob Palais, Tony Rowell, Nicole Rowell Ryan and Ray Ryan. Galen and Barbara were killed in a plane crash on August 11, 2002, near their home in Bishop, California. The Rowell Fund is a program managed by the International Campaign for Tibet. The successful applicants to the 2004 Rowell Fund include the following: Phukron Karpo Shidhye Sungkyob Association, Dolma Ling nunnery, India. A proposal for the publication of a series of three books in Tibetan about the imprisoned religious leader Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, including his biography and selected articles by Chinese scholars about his case. Art Refuge, Ms. Dolma Tsering, India. Art program for refugee children in Dharamsala and Kathmandu, staffed entirely by Tibetans, and created to provide children with support through this time of transition as newly arrived refugees, many of whom are orphans in exile. Tibet Justice Center, Tashi Tsering, USA. Initiatives on sustainable development in Tibet including: a Tibet Justice Training Program for young Tibetans, development of partnerships with Chinese and other researchers / activists, a complete study on effects of nature reserve parks on Tibetan pastoral nomads, development of a public education presentation on the history of Tibetans’ relation with the environment and a summary of the modern sustainability movement for Tibetan schools in exile. The Tibet Museum, Dorjee Thinley, India. Funds will be used for the development and installation of software to organize an archival system for its photograph collection, in order to preserve decaying photographs and optimize searching capability. Established in 1998 in Dharamsala, the museum has a collection of over 20,000 photographs, 5,000 slides and 15,000 negatives of images of Tibet. Ngawang Choephel Productions, USA. Funding for the continued production of the film, Through the Hollow Bamboo: Tibet in Song, a documentary on traditional Tibetan music including performances from within Tibet, Losar celebrations in exile and interviews with noted Tibet experts such as Robert Thurman. Ngawang Choephel, a musicologist and musician, served 6 years of an 18-year prison sentence for filming in Tibet but never lost the determination to complete his film. Tesi Environmental Awareness Movement, Ms. Tsering Yangkey. A campaign Against Endangered Species Trade in Tibetan communities, particularly of shatoosh (Tibetan antelope) wool. The project aims to curtail Tibetan participation in wildlife smuggling through educational campaigning and workshops. Wildlife Trust of India, Ashok Kumar, India. An education campaign in Tibetan exile communities to curtail the illegal wildlife trade, through videos, efforts with TGIE, school programs and symposia. The Wildlife Trust of India will coordinate efforts with Tesi. Losang Gyatso, Gonkar Gyatso and Karma Phuntsok, US, UK and Australia. A grouping of three Tibetan contemporary artists to promote the awareness and recognition of contemporary art being created by Tibetans both inside and outside Tibet. The three artists involved are probably the most renowned, talented and successful modern artists in exile. Tenzin Dorjee, India. The only professional Tibetan photographer in exile, Tenzin has been awarded funds for a photo project documenting Tibetans in exile in India and the US in order to depict the profound changes that have altered the lives of Tibetans. Thupten Tsering, USA. Filming testimonies of Tibetan elders in order to preserve stories about Tibet’s past and contribute to the understanding of a community in exile. The International Campaign for Tibet works to promote human rights and democratic freedoms in Tibet. Founded in 1988, ICT is a non-profit membership organization with offices in Washington, Amsterdam and Berlin. |
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Photographic Workshops and Seminars Scheduled for Spring and Fall 2005
April 2005: Mountain Light 4-Day Advanced Workshop entitled Every Picture Tells A Story: A Conceptual Approach to Nature Photography, will feature Frans Lanting—one of America’s leading masters of nature photography. May 2005: two Mountain Light 3-1/2 Day Workshops are planned, featuring leading landscape master photographer Jack Dykinga. September 2005: a special 4-Day Travel Photography Workshop to photograph cowboy culture in the Eastern Sierra will feature Nevada Wier, master of adventure travel and culture photography. Also in September 2005: a 3-1/2 Day Workshop featuring Mountain Light General Manager Justin Black, an accomplished photographer in his own right, who assisted Galen Rowell in his Mountain Light workshop program for three years.
October 2005: a special 3-Day Panoramic Landscape Workshop will feature Macduff Everton, world-renowned master of panoramic format photography. These workshops will afford you the opportunity work with and learn from the photographers while photographing the stunning beauty and colors of the Eastern Sierra–where Galen captured many of his most beautiful images. Mountain Light One-Day Introductory Seminars continue in April, 2005 featuring Mountain Light General Manager Justin Black. Intended to expose enthusiastic beginning and intermediate outdoor photographers to the tools of top pros working today, Justin will share key techniques that Galen Rowell used to create his magnificent body of work. For more information on Mountain Light Workshops and Seminars, click here. Each workshop or seminar is limited to 15 participants to insure that everyone receives the time and attention needed. We expect these to fill up quickly, please contact us promptly to reserve your space. To register, call (760) 873-7700, fax us at (760) 873-3233, or email us at gallery * mountainlight . com. |
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Clevenger Benefit a Great Success
The April 9 benefit for Eastern Sierra photographer Vern Clevenger was a wonderful success. The proceeds will aid Clevenger and his family with unforeseen expenses during his recovery and continued treatment for the removal of a malignant brain tumor. The benefit, held at Galen & Barbara Rowell’s Mountain Light Gallery, drew a standing-room only crowd. More than 150 donations were made toward the event which featured a live auction, silent auction and drawing. Mountaineer Peter Croft served as the emcee while Jim Lackey handled the auctioneer’s duties. Benefit organizer Leslie Goethals was very pleased with the overwhelming response to the event. “The Eastside is a very special place and the sense of community here is strong and supportive,” she said. “Thanks to everyone who was involved. The donations that have come in so far have made Vern and (his wife) Margaret feel much more at ease during this difficult time. On March 31, Clevenger underwent a nine-hour surgery to remove the tumor. Ninety-five percent of the tumor was removed at that time. A subsequent pathology report did confirm the tumor was malignant so Clevenger will begin chemotherapy in two to three weeks. Monetary donations are still being accepted. Donations can be made at either the Bishop or Mammoth Lakes branches of Bank of America. Donations can also be made at Clevenger’s website, www.vernclevenger.com, either by bank transfer or through Paypal. |
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Mountain Light Summer Internship Mountain Light Photography is the company founded by the late Galen Rowell, best known for his landscape and adventure images from the world’s high and wild places. We have an opening for a summer intern in our Image Licensing Department. This is an unpaid internship. The Image Licensing Department markets Galen’s images for use in advertising and editorial publications, including such clients as Marmot Mountain, The North Face, Patagonia, National Geographic, Outdoor Photographer, Men’s Journal, Climbing, Outside, etc. The intern will have the opportunity to work with Galen’s images, maintaining the files, processing electronic files, reviewing image submissions, and learning how a stock photography business operates. Duties: Assist in processing and archiving electronic images. This includes resizing and resampling existing electronic files, as well as color and balance correction to newly scanned files. Imbed metadata in electronic files using a variety of programs. Assist in fulfilling image requests from Mountain Light clients. Assist in preparing licensing paperwork for images used by Mountain Light clients. Assist in the maintaiance of Mountain Light’s image collection. Other duties as assigned. Qualifications: Knowledge of Photoshop, and the ability to quickly learn other software programs (Portfolio Extensis, Debablizer, etc.) The ability to select images appropriate to a clients needs. Good attention to detail and follow-though. Be able to work both independently and as part of a team. Application Deadline: April 29, 2005 Contact: Mountain Light Photography |
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Multimedia Presentation with Andy Selters Gore presents Ways To The Sky on Saturday, April 9, 2005 at 7:30 pm at Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop. This multimedia presentation by author, photographer and alpinist Andy Selters is an historical guide to North American mountaineering. Admission is $5. |
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Spring 2005 Featured Artist: Jack Dykinga
Mountain Light is pleased to present the large format landscapes of Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Jack Dykinga, April 1st through June 30th, 2005. The gallery will host a public reception and booksigning for Dykinga, one of America’s most highly regarded landscape photographers, on Sunday, May 8th, from 6 to 9 p.m. Hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be served. Jack’s work reflects the merging of a photojournalistic, documentary approach with large-format landscape photography, focusing on environmental issues in the United States and Mexico. His skill in creating images that are at once majestic and factual has made him a favorite of prestigious publications such as Arizona Highways. His photographs can be seen in a wide variety of publications such as Audubon, Harpers, National Geographic, Natural History, Sierra Club, Sunset, Time, The Wilderness Society, and Wildlife Conservation. His work has also been featured with portfolio spreads in Nature’s Best, Outdoor Photographer, Photo Media, Popular Photography, and View Camera magazines, as well as being featured on NBC’s Today Show, CNN’s Earth Matters and KAET’s Images of Arizona (PBS, Phoenix). Hours for the Jack Dykinga Guest Exhibit are 10 am to 6 pm Sunday through Thursday and 10 am to 9 pm Friday and Saturday. For more information about Jack Dykinga, please visit his website. |
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Galen & Barbara Rowell Lecture Series and Wednesday, May 4, 2005 • 6:30 p.m. • The Fairmont Hotel Please join us for the second annual Rowell Lecture, An Evening With Erik Weihenmayer, a reception and program with the first blind climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest. The program will also include the presentation of the first Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure, which will honor that adventurer whose artistic passion illuminates the wild places of the world, and whose accomplishments significantly benefit both the environment and the peoples who inhabit these lands and regions. Doug McConnell, Rowell Legacy Committee co-chair and host of KRON-TV’s Bay Area Backroads, will emcee this special evening. This event is presented by the Commonwealth Club of California and the Rowell Legacy Committee, a committee of Yosemite National Institutes. It is sponsored by The Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, Mountain Hardwear and Loteria Films. Erik Weihenmayer became one of the youngest mountaineers to climb the Seven Summits—the highest mountains on the seven continents—in 2001. In 2003, Erik completed “Primal Quest,” the toughest multi-sport adventure race in the world—457 miles through the Sierra Nevada—in nine days. Erik skydives, paraglides, cycles, kayaks, treks and wrestles. “He’s an inspiration to other blind people and plenty of us folks who can see just fine,” says Jon Krakauer. For more about Erik Weihenmayer, please visit his website at www.touchthetop.com. For reservations and information, please visit the Commonwealth Club website. For more information on the Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure, please visit www.rowellaward.com. |
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Winter 2005 Featured Artist: Jim Stimson
Mountain Light is pleased to present the large format landscapes of local Eastern Sierra photographer Jim Stimson, January 3rd through March 31st. The gallery will host a public reception and booksigning for Stimson, considered one of California’s most highly regarded nature photographers, on Saturday, February 5th, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Jim Stimson’s photographs of the western landscape are published in a wide variety of books, magazines, and calendars. He has authored a number of articles and his work has appeared in Smithsonian, Backpacker, Earth, Wilderness, Outdoor Photographer, Camera and Darkroom, and View Camera magazines and in Audubon, Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy, Museum of Natural History, Browntrout, and Mono Lake calendars. Stimson was presented the Ansel Adams Award for Photography by the Sierra Club, and his book, Mono Lake: Explorations and Reflections was chosen Book of the Year by ForeWord magazine. He has also been honored by the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, the Banff Mountain Film Festival and the Maine Photographic Workshops. Hours for the Jim Stimson Guest Exhibit are 10 am to 6 pm Sunday through Thursday and 10 am to 9 pm Friday and Saturday. The Reception and Booksigning will feature celtic folk music by Queen Mab. Hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be served. For more information about Jim Stimson, please visit his website. |
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Fundraiser for the Rowell Award – Jan. 19
On January 19, 2005, please join the Rowell Legacy Committee at Marin’s Headlands Institute for a reception and special screening of the film Monumental: David Brower’s Fight For Wild America. This award-winning documentary by Bay Area filmmaker Kelly Duane chronicles the life of David Brower, an environmentalist who fought for the preservation of America’s wild places. This event is a fundraiser for The Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure and is co-sponsored by the Rowell Legacy Committee and Yosemite National Institutes. Proceeds from the event will be used to endow the Rowell Award. Monumental was completed with technical expertise from Galen Rowell and financial assistance from the late Brian Maxwell, a Rowell Legacy Committee member at the time of his death. Date and Location: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 in the Sunset Room (Bldg. 1054) on the Headlands Institute campus, Marin Headlands, Golden Gate National Recreation Area. For driving directions and map, please click here. Tickets: $50.00 per person (includes reception and admission to the film). To order tickets, please contact Brian Thysell at 415-332-5776, ext. 20 or send an email to brian * rowellaward . com. Please state the number of tickets you are ordering and your email address. Payment must be made in advance and will be accepted by check or VISA / MasterCard. Please make checks payable to: The Rowell Legacy Fund / YNI; write “film tickets” on the check; and send it to The Rowell Legacy Committee, c/o Yosemite National Institutes, GGNRA, Bldg. 1055, Sausalito, CA 94956. You will receive an email confirmation upon payment. Tickets will be sold at the door only if there are seats available. Program Schedule 6:30–7:30 pm, Reception: Refreshments including wine and desserts will be served downstairs at the Sunset Room. 7:30 pm: Filmmaker Kelly Duane will introduce the 75-minute film and be available for a question and answer period following the screening. The film will be presented upstairs at the Sunset Room. The evening will be emceed by Doug McConnell, Rowell Legacy Committee Co-Chair and host of KRON-TV’s well-regarded and long running Bay Area Backroads. For more information about Monumental, please click here. The Rowell Award Nomination Process Do you know an individual who would make a great candidate for the 2005 Rowell Award? We are still accepting nominations. Simply download, complete, and return the nomination form by January 17th. The Rowell Award recipient will be notified by March 1st. The Rowell Award ceremony will take place on May 4th in San Francisco, along with the second annual Rowell Lecture featuring Erik Weihenmayer. For more information and to download the nomination form, please click here. |
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David Muench Exhibit and Reception
Fine art photographs by David Muench will be featured Sept. 29 through Dec. 31 at Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop, Calif. The celebrated photographer of the American West will also visit the gallery for a public reception and booksigning on Sunday, Oct. 3, 5:30 to 8 p.m. As David puts it, he has “studied under the tutorship of nature” and has tried to follow his own intuitions and perceptions, without imitating the work of other photographers. David’s photographs strive to make people aware of the importance of preserving the wild in its natural state. “Hopefully my work leads to a celebration of man and the earth—and the mystical forces of nature that help to shape our destinies,” he says. David is the primary photographer for more than 40 books and has participated in numerous one-man exhibits. He often collaborates with his son, Marc, a highly recognized photographer in his own right. Hours for the David Muench Guest Exhibit are 10 am to 6 pm Sunday through Thursday and 10 am to 9 pm Friday and Saturday. The Reception and Booksigning will also feature the music of the Minaret Quartet. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served. For more information about David Muench, please visit his website. |
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Photographic Workshops and Seminars Scheduled for Spring and Fall 2004
Two Mountain Light 3-1/2 Day Workshops are planned for May 2004 featuring preeminent nature photographer Frans Lanting. In September and October 2004, two Mountain Light 3-1/2 Day Workshops are planned featuring preeminent landscape photographer David Muench. These workshops will afford you the opportunity work with and learn from the photographers while photographing the stunning beauty and colors of the Eastern Sierra–where Galen captured many of his most beautiful images. New for 2004, Mountain Light One-Day Introductory Seminars are also planned, featuring Mountain Light General Manager Justin Black, an accomplished photographer in his own right. Intended to expose enthusiastic beginning and intermediate outdoor photographers to the tools of top pros working today, Justin–who assisted Galen Rowell in his Mountain Light workshop program for three years–will share key techniques that Galen used to create his magnificent body of work. For more information on Mountain Light Workshops and Seminars, click here. Each workshop or seminar is limited to 15 participants to insure that everyone receives the time and attention needed. We expect these to fill up quickly, please contact us promptly to reserve your space. To register, call (760) 873-7700, fax us at (760) 873-3233, or email us at gallery * mountainlight . com. |
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Vern Clevenger Exhibit and Reception
An exhibit of Vern Clevenger’s fine photography will be on display at the Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop, Calif. from July 1 through September 30, 2004. This is a continuation of our series of Guest Photographer Exhibits showing in Mountain Light’s expanded gallery space. In addition to displaying many of his well-known classics, Vern will be unveiling new Eastern Sierra images at this exhibit. A public reception with hors d’oeuvres and beverages is planned for Saturday, July 24. For more information about Vern Clevenger, please visit his website. For more information on Mountain Light Guest Exhibits, including Vern’s Guest Exhibit and Reception, please click here. |
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Frans Lanting Exhibit Comes to Bishop Reception planned, open to the public
Highly regarded nature and wildlife photographer Frans Lanting is bringing his unique view of the natural world to Galen and Barbara Rowell’s Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop, Calif. Lanting’s fine art photographs will be on display at the gallery now through June 30, 2004. An artist’s reception and book signing is planned for Sunday, May 9, 5-8 p.m. The event is open to the public. This rare public display of Lanting’s work coincides with two sold out photography workshops he will be leading for Mountain Light Photography, May 6-9 and 13-16. Lanting’s work has appeared in numerous major magazines worldwide including National Geographic, Life, Audubon, Stern, Figaro, and GEO. Exhibits featuring his photographs have appeared at major museums in Paris, Milan, Tokyo, New York and Amsterdam. He is the author of eight books including the popular Eye to Eye: Intimate Encounters With The Animal World, Jungles, Okavango: Africa’s Last Eden and Penguin. For additional information, please visit our Guest Exhibits page, or call Mountain Light Gallery at (760) 873-7700. For additional information about Frans Lanting, please visit www.lanting.com. |
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Benefit For The Clevenger Family: April 9
At first he thought it was just a normal part of aging. It’s a natural thought for a person approaching 50. But on a routine visit to his doctor Vern Clevenger, well-known local photographer, mentioned that he was having minor memory lapses, and that he was also mixing words up. Fortunately for Clevenger, his doctor is the cautious type, and suggested some tests, “Just to be on the safe side.” The lapses turned out to be more than a normal byproduct of getting older—the tests revealed that they are the result of a tumor growing on Clevenger’s brain. As you might imagine, this was devastating news for Clevenger and his family. “At first I sensed an unwelcome companion—it’s name was dread,” said Margaret Clevenger. “As we learned more, and met with our surgeon, it grew, and it still lurks in the corner. But faith and hope are permeating its space,” she continued.
It won’t be known whether the tumor is malignant until it’s removed and tested. That is scheduled to happen on March 31, when Clevenger is to undergo surgery in San Francisco. The Clevengers have deep roots in the Eastern Sierra. He moved to Bishop in 1973 at the urging of the late legendary photographer, Galen Rowell. His wife, Margaret, moved to the region in 1978. She met her future husband climbing in Yosemite the same year, and they married in 1980. She works as a part-time parent educator and counselor at the Eastern Sierra Family Resource Center. Today they divide their time between Mammoth and Bishop. They have two children, Dylan, age 14, and Sabrina, age 7. Clevenger maintains a studio and gallery in Bishop at 3612 Ranch Road. Given their history in the area, it’s not surprising that news of the Clevengers’ situation spread between like wildfire between Mammoth and Bishop. And their friends immediately began rallying around them, offering whatever help and support they could. Two of the first people to offer help were Leslie Goethals and her husband John Dittli, long time friends of the Clevengers. Like Clevenger, Dittli is a well-known local photographer. He and Clevenger are also regular backcountry skiing partners. Goethals’ first action was to set up an e-mail network to help coordinate the dissemination of information to the Clevenger’s many friends (incorrect rumors were rampant in the first few days after the news of Clevenger’s diagnosis broke). The number of people on the list has grown to almost 200, and is expanding daily. People wishing to be added to the list should send an e-mail to dittli@earthlink.net, with “Vern Clevenger” in the subject line. Information is also being posted on Clevenger’s website, www.vernclevenger.com. Goethals and Dittli, along Tom Klinefelter and Ruth Hensley, also started planning fund raising efforts to give the Clevengers more than emotional support. “People who haven’t been through something like this think that money isn’t an issue—that if you have insurance it pays for everything,” Goethals said. “It doesn’t pay for everything. And the doctor has told Vern that he won’t be able to work for at least two months after the surgery. Vern’s self-employed, so he doesn’t have benefits such as disability or sick leave,” she continued. In addition, Margaret Clevenger will likely be unable to work at her part-time job during her husband’s surgery and as she cares for him during his rehabilitation. For these reasons the Clevengers’ friends and supporters are busy arranging a silent auction and benefit, scheduled to be held Friday, April 9 between 6-9 p.m. at Galen and Barbara Rowell’s Mountain Light Gallery, 106 South Main St., Bishop. RSVPs are appreciated. Just as offers of emotional help and support poured in immediately after Clevenger’s diagnosis, offers of items for the silent auction have come pouring in, too. According to Goethals more than 30 items have been donated so far. Fine art prints from photographers top the list, followed by paintings and sculptures, trips, lodging at various locations (both locally and as far away as Vermont), kayak tours, gift certificates, and posters. The range of items is sure to grow as more items are donated. And it’s not just local residents that are stepping up to the plate. Internationally renowned wildlife and outdoor photographer Tom Mangelsen, based in Jackson, WY, has donated two fine art prints to the auction, as have other photographers from around the country. People wishing to donate an item can contact Goethals at dittli * earthlink . net. Auction items can also be dropped off at Mountain Light Gallery. The Mammoth Gallery, located in the Sierra Center Mall, will also hold a benefit for Clevenger on March 27-28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. New Clevenger images, vintage ski posters, and Kendra Knight’s gicleé fine art photographs will be on display, and 25 percent of the proceeds go to the Vern Clevenger Fund. Monetary donations are also being accepted. There are several ways to make a donation. Simply walk into a Bank of America in either Bishop or Mammoth and ask the teller about making a donation to the Vern Clevenger Fund. Donations can also be made at Clevenger’s website, www.vernclevenger.com, either by bank transfer or through Paypal. All funds raised by the auction and donations will go directly to the Clevenger family for use for unexpected expenses, and for items not covered by insurance. The Clevengers are understandably touched by the outpouring of support they are receiving. “We feel an overwhelming sense of caring,” said Margaret. “I feel like we are being carried along by | ||||||||
