NEWS RELEASE: Neumann University is hosting an exhibit of photographs by Robin Hiteshew. Entitled Beyond the Words: Portraits of Irish Writers, the free exhibition runs June 5th to June 23rd in the McNichol Art Gallery.
The opening reception, originally set for June 6, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, June 11, from 4-7 p.m.
Beyond the Words: Portraits of Irish Writers represents one of two long-term projects Hiteshew has worked on for more than 39 years. He first began taking photos of authors in 1969 and is still actively working to document the ongoing literary world. He has nearly one hundred authors represented in his collection of portraits, including Moya Cannon, Michael Longlay, Seamus Heaney and Ann Enright. The Donegal Association of Philadelphia sponsors the exhibit, which is funded in large part by an Irish Heritage grant through the Irish government’s Emigrant Assistance Programme. The aim of the grant is to connect with Irish citizens living in the United States.
This is the second grant Hiteshew has received from the Irish government. The first supported his project documenting Irish traditional musicians over the last forty years. That project, titled The Face of Irish Music, opened in February 2015 at the Irish Consulate in New York City. Over the past twenty years, his photographs have appeared in juried group shows, and he has had several solo shows in the Philadelphia area. Hiteshew’s work has been published in numerous magazines, newspapers, and journals. His portraits have appeared on many book and CD covers.
Robin Hiteshew was born in Norfolk, Virginia and grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs. He was educated at Temple University and Case Western Reserve University. He first began to learn photography at sixteen when he learned to develop prints and make enlargements in the dark room. While at Case Western Reserve University, Hiteshew took a photography course and later was mentored by photographer Charles Metzger.
Admission to the exhibit is free. The McNichol Art Gallery is in the Thomas A. Bruder, Jr. Life Center. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Evening and weekend hours are by appointment only. For more information, please contact the Neumann University office of Cultural Programming at 610-558-5626 or by email at dimarinn@neumann.edu.
