Photography instructor’s images exhibited in three juried shows

Photographs by Joanna Knox Yoder, instructor of photography at Pennsylvania College of Technology, have been selected for exhibition in three juried shows – one in South Carolina and two in Georgia.

Yoder’s digital photograph “The First President” was selected for two exhibitions: “SlowExposures” at the historic R.F. Strickland Building in Concord, Georgia, and “Forgotten” at the Southeast Center for Photography in Greenville, South Carolina.

“SlowExposures” opened Sept. 14 and runs through October. In its 20th year, the annual juried exhibition celebrates the rural American South. “Forgotten” is on display through September and offers artists’ representations of forgotten people, places and belongings.

Yoder captured “The First President” in Williamsburg, Virginia.

“I had the opportunity to explore and photograph a site which contains dozens of 20-foot-tall abandoned, deteriorating busts of almost every U.S. president,” Yoder explained. “I photographed George Washington’s sculpture from behind, to emphasize the cracks and deterioration juxtaposed with the barren landscape in front of him. To me, it was a metaphor for the fear of an unknown political future. I had a lot of fun making this photograph because it was extremely muddy that day, and I got to tromp around in knee-deep mud to get the shot.”

Yoder’s photograph “Out of Bounds” was selected for the “Small Works” exhibit at the South x Southeast Photo Gallery in Molena, Georgia. It is on display through September.

A medium-format black-and-white film photograph, “Out of Bounds” was shot near Williamsport at an abandoned drive-in movie theater.

“I created this image to preserve this historic relic before it disappears and is forgotten,” Yoder said. “I focused on the old signage arrows from the theater because of the mystery that they evoke about the history of the surrounding landscape.”

Yoder earned a Master of Fine Arts in photography from Savannah College of Art and Design, and a Bachelor of Arts in art education from University of Maryland, College Park. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. In her photographs, she explores the connection between history, memory and place.

To learn more about Penn College’s graphic design and advertising art majors and arts-related courses, contact the School of Business, Arts & Sciences at 570-327-4521.

For more about the college, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free at 800-367-9222.