Last Monday I moderated and was a member of an Artist Panel of Monalog Collective members at Penn State Lehigh Valley University, as part of the programing surrounding our show. Ann Lalik, the gallery’s Director and Arts Coordinator was going to moderate the event but came down with Covid at the last minute. Rather than cancel we agreed the show must go on! And I’m glad it did!

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of my dual role, mainly because of the student attendees. Two good sized art classes came, along with a number of professors and outside guests, but it was the students that asked the most interesting questions and made some of the most important observations! You never know how these things are going to go, but we went well past the scheduled time allotted and even after that, a number of students hung around to chat with us.

Even though none of the students were film photographers – in fact many were not photographers at all – they were fascinated by what they heard and the pictures they saw in the Ronald K. Delong Gallery. This along with many other things encourage me about the continued importance and future of analog black and white photography. Film photography is unlikely to reclaim its place as the capture method of choice, but if the young remain as interested as they are in its efficacy, and especially the efficacy of black and white, then the materials we love so much will be available for a long time!

Part of the Monalog mission is to engage with others, individually and through collaborative activity. I look forward to the opportunity to continue to interact, mentor and work with young people that are photographing or just interested in the art of black and white analog photography.

Stay well,

Michael