Benjamin Walls, ASU graduate and winner of both national and international awards for his fine art photography, will be featured in an exhibit called "Through Appalachian Eyes," opening on October 13th at Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery, 7539 Valley Boulevard, Blowing Rock, NC, (828) 295-0041. An artist's reception is scheduled for October 18th, from 5 to 8 pm. At 7 pm, Walls will unveil his latest work and discuss how his experiences at Appalachian State University played an important role in his current success. Guests will have the opportunity to meet Walls and talk to him about his travels and his images.
"Through Appalachian Eyes" will feature diverse works, all of which have deep roots in the southern mountains. An anchor of the exhibit will be the best-selling "Appalachian Light" and other regional images, but there will also be photographs from Walls' travels in the Rockies, Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, and India, among other interesting places. Just last year, Walls spent 30 days taking pictures of tigers from the back of an elephant in the Indian jungle. He is currently on location in Montana. "Through Appalachian Eyes" will reflect his commitment to helping others experience the wonders—and the importance—of the world's wild places, as well as emphasizing his innovative techniques in such areas as black and white and abstract photography. "My passion for adventure, environmental stewardship, and the natural world was born here in the Appalachians," says Walls. "So was my spirit of innovation. It's only fitting that I bring these images back home." Walls is the first fine art photographer to have images selected for international juried exhibits in all four of the cornerstone categories of his field: abstract, landscape, wildlife, and black & white imagery.
At age 34, Walls has already had four works selected for exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution. Two of his images currently hang in a 60-piece exhibit there entitled Wilderness Forever: 50 Years of Protecting America's Wild Places. This exhibit opened in early September and honors the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Wilderness Act. Walls' works were chosen from a field of over 5500 national and international entries.
Along with inclusion in national galleries and museums, Walls' work has also garnered international accolades. In 2006, Walls' "Elements," an abstract image taken at the edge of a thermal pool in Yellowstone National Park, was featured at the Natural History Museum of London in 2006. In 2009, the image became part of a 5-year international touring exhibit called Wild Planet, comprised of "a selection of the best images from 15 years of exhibits at the Natural History Museum of London." "Elements" retuned to the Natural History Museum of London on tour with Wild Planet as part of London's Summer Olympic Celebration in 2012. Thus far, Walls' work has been featured in over 50 museums in 12 countries.
For more information or to schedule an interview with Benjamin Walls, please contact Dr. Katie Hoffman, 877-989-2557.