Local photographer’s Yosemite Retrospective showing in Sacramento
Photo by Kirk Keeler
Nevada City resident Kirk Keeler has been selected for a solo exhibit of his Yosemite photography by Viewpoint Photographic Art Center, located in the heart of midtown Sacramento.
Because Viewpoint is the only dedicated photographic center in the region offering a large gallery space, competition for a solo exhibit is incredibly challenging. Executive Director Roberta McClellan explains, “Keeler’s work was selected by the curatorial committee for its outstanding compositions, offering a unique ’insider’s view’ of the famed national park where he lived for a decade.”
In Yosemite, Keeler worked at the historic Ansel Adams Gallery as the photography workshop coordinator, which afforded him four-season, full-time access to the stunning national park. An uncanny sense of composition and light helped create an amazing body of work.
“I feel the exhibit is very timely,” said Keeler. “The photos represent beauty and hope in a time challenged by the pandemic. The best of Yosemite’s grandeur is on display. Whether you have visited the park or not, I believe my images can instill a sense of wonder and optimism in the viewer.”
Keeler’s talent for landscape photography came from the near-daily practice of taking the camera out to capture scenes along popular road turnouts, as well as venturing into Yosemite’s vast wilderness, in pursuit of scenes experienced only by backcountry enthusiasts.
Viewpoint Photographic Art Center is open Thursday – Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. For more information on the exhibits, hygiene protocol and other program information, please visit the website at: http://www.viewpointgallery.org. Keeler will also be available for one-on-one tours during gallery hours by appointment.
About Keeler
Kirk Keeler is a photographer and educator in the Sierra Nevada of California. For a decade he lived and worked in Yosemite as an independent landscape photographer and as a staff photographer and workshop director for The Ansel Adams Gallery. His work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions at locations including, Ansel Adams Gallery, Viewpoint Gallery, Stellar Gallery, and the annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City, California. His work has been published in Lonely Planet and Cyclocross Magazine. He has received awards from the Yosemite Renaissance Exhibition, Photographer’s Forum Magazine and he was honored to have his “Storm and Rainbows Over Little Yosemite Valley” chosen for the 125th Anniversary Yosemite Commemorative Poster. He is currently working on an ongoing project with the National Parks and climate change.
Kirk Keeler leads day and weeklong landscape photography workshops both in the field and in the studio. You can view his work and contact him at http://www.kirkkeeler.com.