Alyson Belcher’s fine art photography is an autobiographical exploration of the fragility and ephemerality of the natural environment. Her work is often experimental and utilizes a wide range of photographic techniques to achieve her signature images. Imbued with meaning, the photographs reveal the stark beauty that can be found when one takes time to observe the natural world unfold to reveal its truth.

EDUCATION

1999

San Francisco State University: MFA Photography

1989

University of California at Berkeley: BA Humanities (English, Film and Art History emphasis)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2019-

Sierra College, Rocklin, CA

Present Instructor: History and Aesthetics of Photography

2014-

The Academy of Art University, San Francisco

present Faculty/Curriculum Coordinator, Online School of Photography:

Teach MFA online classes and advise students. Serve on the Review Committee for MFA Midpoint and Final Reviews. Develop and manage curriculum. Review admissions portfolios.

2011-

The Academy of Art University, San Francisco

2013 Associate Director, School of Photography: Taught BFA and MFA classes on campus, created and implemented curriculum, wrote program reviews for accreditation purposes, curated and installed annual Spring Show of student work. Advised students and mentored faculty.

2000-

The Academy of Art University, San Francisco

2010

Faculty/Curriculum Coordinator, BFA and MFA Photography: Taught Fundamentals of Photography (traditional film/darkroom and digital), Alternative Photographic Processes, History of Photography, Black and White Fine Printing (darkroom), Fine Art Project, Contemporary Fine Art Practices, Fine Art Portraiture, Senior Portfolio and Graduate Fine Art Seminar. Created and taught several online classes for BFA and MFA Program.

2006

Bay Area Photographers Collective, San Francisco, CA

Instructor: Pinhole Photography Workshop

2001

San Francisco Art Institute (Community Education)

Instructor: History of Photography

SOLO AND TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS

2021

Treading Light, Andra Norris Gallery (online exhibit)

2018

Ice Portals, Bend Art Center, Bend, OR

2014

Nest, Gallerie Citi, Burlingame, CA

2013

Alyson Belcher and William Stanisich: A Two-Person Show, Gallerie Citi, Burlingame, CA

2010

Self, Galerie BMG, Woodstock, NY

2007

Alyson Belcher: Body of Light, Robert Tat Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2002

Alyson Belcher: New Work, Freddie Fong Contemporary Art,

San Francisco, CA

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2020

Society for Photographic Education Combined Caucus Exhibition, Dateline Gallery, Denver, CO (Juror: Endia Beal) catalog

Kaleidoscope, Andra Norris Gallery, Burlingame, CA

2019

Vault, Andra Norris Gallery, Burlingame, CA

Winter x Winter, Bend Art Center, Bend, OR

2018

Society for Photographic Education Combined Caucus Juried Exhibition: LGBTQ, Multi-Cultural and Women’s Caucuses, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA (Juror: Anthony Goicolea, artist, New York, NY)

Land’s End, Andra Norris Gallery, Burlingame, CA

2017

Poetics of Light, National Science and Media Museum, Bradford, West Yorkshire, U.K.

2015

Digital Silver Imaging at the F295 Symposium, Pittsburgh, PA

Today/Sotheby’s, San Carlos, CA

2014

Women’s Voices—International Photography Exhibition 2014, Fu Jen Art Gallery, New Taipei City, Taiwan (catalog) Poetics of Light, New Mexico History Museum, Santa Fe, NM (catalog) Photo l.a. 2014, Louis Klaitman Vintage and Contemporary Photographs, Los Angeles, CA

2013

Small Works/Holiday Exhibition, Gallerie Citi, Burlingame, CA

San Francisco Camerawork Benefit Auction Preview Exhibition, San Francisco, CA

DC Fine Art Photography Fair, Louis Klaitman Vintage and Contemporary Photographs, Washington DC Summer Showings: Five Gallery Artists, Robert Tat Gallery, San Francisco Photo l.a. 2013, Louis Klaitman Vintage and Contemporary Photographs, Santa Monica, CA

2012

The Human Form, Robert Tat Gallery, San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Camerawork Benefit Auction, San Francisco, CA

2011

Gallery Selections, Galerie BMG, Woodstock, NY

San Francisco Camerawork Benefit Auction, San Francisco, CA

Hope, Space Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2010

Roll Call, San Francisco Camerawork, CA (catalog)

2009

Home for the Holidays, Corden Potts Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Ersatz, San Francisco Camerawork, San Francisco, CA (catalog)

Still (in) Motion, Frisbie St. Art Center, Oakland, CA

2008

Elements, John Jellico Gallery, Art Institute of Colorado,

Denver, CO

A Summer Salon, Robert Tat Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Spectrum 6, Mezzanine, San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Camerawork Benefit Auction, San Francisco, CA

2007

Sun Pictures to Megapixels: Archaic Processes to Alternative Realities, Williamsburg Art and Historical Society, Brooklyn, NY (curated by Joel Simpson, artist, New York, NY)

San Francisco Camerawork Benefit Auction

2006

Theater of the Self, Taiwan International Visual Arts Center, Taipei

The Art of Photography Show, The Lyceum Theatre Gallery, San Diego, CA (Juror: Arthur Ollman, Founding Director, Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, CA) (catalog) Person, Place or Thing, Robert Tomlinson Studio, Oakland, CA

San Francisco Camerawork Benefit Auction

2005

Photography Faculty Show, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Camerawork Benefit Auction

New Inventory, Freddie Fong Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2004

Photography Faculty Show, Academy of Art University,

San Francisco, CA

Pinhole Show, Photography Center, San Francisco, CA

Classical Visions / Personal Obsessions, Freddie Fong Gallery,

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Camerawork Benefit Auction

2003

Transcending Reality: From Pinhole to Digital

Freddie Fong Contemporary Art, San Francisco, CA

New Inventory, Freddie Fong Contemporary Art, San Francisco, CA

2002

Self, Davis Art Center, Davis, CA

San Francisco Camerawork Benefit Auction

Photography Faculty Show, Academy of Art College,

San Francisco, CA

Bloodshow, Quotidian Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2001

Why Pinhole? Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY

Movement Within Dance, San Francisco State University, Castro Photo, San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Camerawork Benefit Auction

2000

Shadows and Dreams, Rosenthal Art Gallery, Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC

San Francisco Camerawork Benefit Auction

1999

MFA Thesis Exhibition, SFSU Art Department Gallery,

San Francisco, CA

Active Edge, Mission Cultural Center, San Francisco, CA

Y2K Artist Calendar Exhibition, Galeria de la Raza,

San Francisco, CA

1998

Face, SOMARTS Gallery, San Francisco, CA (catalog)

Gavilan College, Gilroy, CA

Castro Photo, San Francisco, CA

1997

Stillwell Show, SFSU Art Department Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Castro Photo, San Francisco, CA

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

2018

LensCulture, Editor’s Pick, Art Photography Awards

Life Framer, Winner, Face of the Earth

BIBLIOGRAPHY

2018

Hirsch, Robert. Photographic Possibilities: The Expressive Use of Concepts,

Equipment, Materials & Processes, Fourth Edition. New York: Routledge, 2018.

Allison Roecker, “Source on the Scene: Ice Portals Photo Exhibit,” KBNZ-TV, Bend, OR, January 5, 2018.

Danise Lee, Interview, KBND Radio, Bend, OR, January 12, 2018.

2017

Finkelston, Adam, ed. The Hand Magazine, Issue #15, January 2017

2016

Parikh, Sakshi. "13 Iconic Photographers on the Self Portrait." Better Photography Magazine, March 2016

Sapata, Mauricio, ed. Blur Magazine, Issue 51, October 2016

2015

Eyemazing Susan. Annual Pictorial, Vol. II. Amsterdam: Eyemazing Editions, 2015

2014

Renner, Eric and Nancy Spencer, Poetics of Light: Contemporary Pinhole Photography. Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico Press, 2014

2013

Kievit, Eric. "The Stunning Photography of Alyson Belcher," Pixxler Visual Art, November 30, 2013

2010

Smart, Paul. “Self,” Woodstock Times, December 9, 2010

2009

Hirsch, Robert. Photographic Possibilities: The Expressive Use of Equipment, Ideas, Materials, and Processes, Third Edition. Burlington: Focal Press, 2009.

2008

Faris Belt, Angela. The Elements of Photography: Understanding and Creating Sophisticated Images. Burlington: Focal Press, 2008.

2007

Galley, Jean Michel. Le Sténopé de la Photographie sans Objectif. Paris: Actes Sud, 2007

2006

Best, David. “Spotlight: Alyson Belcher,” Black & White Magazine, Issue 41, February 2006

Webesteem Art & Design Magazine (online), number 14: 4/2005

“Worth a Look,” Palo Alto Weekly, March 24, 2006

The Art of Photography Show, Exhibition Catalog, San Diego, CA

2005

Anchell, Steve. “State of the Arts: Black and White Photography San Francisco Style,” Focus Magazine, Issue 2, Volume 1, August 2005

Leaverton, Michael. “Body Movin’, A Pinhole Progressive,” SF Weekly, Vol. 24, no. 27, August 3, 2005

2003

Zyzzyva, Vol. 19, no. 1, Spring 2003

2001

Pinhole Journal: Contemporary Images 9, Vol. 17, no. 2

Face, Exhibition Catalog, SOMARTS Gallery

1996 Stryker, Susan and Jim Van Buskirk. Gay by the Bay: A History of Queer Culture in the San Francisco Bay Area. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1996

GUEST LECTURES AND ARTIST TALKS

2022

Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA

2018

Ice Portals, Bend Art Center, Bend, OR

2015

Getting Lost, F295 Symposium, Pittsburgh, PA

2014

City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

Presented my work as part of the Photographers and Their Images lecture series.

2013

San Francisco Camerawork First Exposures Program

Presented my work to the First Exposures Program, a photography program for under-served youth ages 11-18

Zeum: San Francisco Children’s Museum, San Francisco, CA

Presented my work and taught pinhole photography for the ZeumMasters Internship Program.

City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

Presented my work as part of the Photographers and Their Images lecture series.

2006

San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA

Guest lecturer for the Graduate Art Seminar

2005

Bay Area Photographers Collective, San Francisco, CA

Guest lecturer

OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2000

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA

Preparator: Worked with a team of artists on design and installation of exhibits in the Yerba Buena Center galleries.

1998-99

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Photography Department Intern: Worked closely with curators Sandra Phillips and John Szarkowski on various exhibitions. Researched artists, provided assistance in arranging and hanging shows.

1989-97

The Bancroft Library at U.C. Berkeley

Photographic Collections Archivist: Developed and executed processing plans to arrange historical photographic collections. Created and published finding guides to collections. Selected images for scanning and electronic publication.

PUBLISHED WRITINGS

“Pinhole Self-Portraits,” in Camera Obscura (online magazine), June 7, 2009

http://www.co-mag.net/2009/alyson-belcher/

Review of Chinatown Dreams: The Life and Photographs of George Lee, in California Historian, Vol. 50, no. 1, Fall 2003

“The Liberating Pinhole”, introduction to Repression Release: Yiyi Wan’s Pinhole Photography, Yiyi Wan. Taipei, 2008

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Society for Photographic Education (SPE), Cleveland, OH (active member of the LGBTQ caucus)

College Art Association (CAA), New York, NY

Career and Technical Education Advisory Council Member, Photography, Solano Community College, Fairfield, CA

Alyson Belcher

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