Mary Virginia Swanson: Ansel Adams: Advocate for American Photography March 1, 2012

Mary Virginia Swanson worked closely with Ansel Adams during her tenure as director of education at The Friends of Photography (1980-1984), an organization that Adams co-founded and served as Chair of the Board of Directors until his death in 1984. She will discuss Adams's life-long contributions to the broad acceptance of photography as an art form and will chart his passion for sharing his love of the medium throughout his career. Highlights will include Adams’s early days leading photography "outings" in Yosemite for the Sierra Club, his role in establishing a permanent Department of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art, and his involvement as teacher and mentor to many of today's most respected photographers. Swanson went on to Special Projects at Magnum Photos, relocating to Tucson in 1991 to found Swanstock, an innovative agency managing licensing rights for fine art photographers. Today, Swanson is widely respected as an educator, creative consultant and author; her most recent title co-authored with Darius Himes is Publish Your Photography Book (Princeton Architectural Press, 2010).

Official Website: http://www.creativephotography.org