100 years of ASU, Chinese-born alumnus photographer, featured in two exhibitions, Oct. 6

Sept. 29, 2009 -- On Tuesday, October 6, the Bradbury Gallery in Fowler Center, 201 Olympic Drive, Jonesboro, and the Fine Arts Center Gallery, 114 South Caraway Road,  will each host an opening reception as a part of ASU’s centennial celebration. This two-part photographic exhibition will open to the public in both locations at 5 p.m. Shuttle service between galleries will be provided that evening. Both receptions and both exhibitions are free, and the public is welcome.



“100 Years: 100 Photographs” is being held in the Bradbury Gallery. This exhibition is not intended to be a historical review of the highlights of ASU’s first 100 years, but rather a candid look at the school through selected images that span the period from 1909 through 2009. With the exception of a few photographs, individual portraits were not included. The photographs, chosen from several collections, were selected based on visual interest, variety, and date. Halloween Party, 1920, from the Archives and Special Collections of the Dean B. Ellis Library, stands in comparison to Curtis Steele's 1987 photograph of a similar party.

The Fine Arts Center Gallery will host “Magic Eye: Photographs by Tin Boo Yee.” Born in Canton, China, Yee moved to Wynne, Ark., with his family when he was 11. He attended Arkansas State College from 1935 through 1938 and received a degree in chemistry with a minor in engineering and physics. Even with that heavy course load, he was able to graduate in three years and serve as the class photographer. Yee went on to receive masters’ degrees from the University of Arkansas and the University of Illinois, where he also earned a Ph.D. Yee spent his professional career doing classified military research at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. He died in 2001.

The twenty images in the exhibition provide an interesting look at campus life in the late 1930s. Yee’s sense of humor and playful use of the camera are readily apparent. The photographs, courtesy of the Arkansas State University Museum, Tin Boo Yee Collection, were donated to the university by Yee in the 1980s.

“100 Years: 100 Photographs” will continue in the Bradbury Gallery through Friday, Nov. 13. Bradbury Gallery hours are 12 noon-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 2-5 p.m. on Sunday. The Bradbury Gallery is closed on Mondays. “Magic Eye: Photographs by Tin Boo Yee” will continue at the Fine Arts Center Gallery until Thursday, Oct. 29. Fine Arts Center gallery hours are Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For additional information, contact Les Christensen, director of  the Bradbury Gallery, at (870) 972-2567, or by e-mail at lchristensen@astate.edu.

 

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Photos, from top:
The Halloween party from 1920 is courtesy of  Archives and Special Collections, Dean B. Ellis Library.
The image "Curtis Steele, 1987" is courtesy of  Curtis Steele, copyright, used by permission.
Both Tin Boo Yee's self-portrait and his portrait of a costumed young woman are courtesy of Arkansas State Museum, Tin Boo Yee Collection.