School of Photographic Arts: Ottawa (SPAO)

Mission Statement
The School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa’s mission is to furnish the resources, environment, tools and instruction to develop the students’ signature style, hone their photographic skills, and cultivate their visual literacy.

Motto
Vision, Content and Craft.

SPAO was created to deliver intensive photographic training. The SPAO Portfolio Program full-time curriculum is portfolio driven and designed with the committed student of photography in mind. Part-time Studies courses and workshops offered are geared to many levels of experience, but still share an intensity of concentration, and emphasis on craft and execution, with the full-time program.

The SPAO Moto Exhibition includes the work of seventeen artists who are students or alumni of SPAO.

Marlene Best began her photographic experience as a 10 year-old with a Brownie Instamatic camera, taking pictures of black bears on piles of garbage in Algonquin Park. As an adolescent she experimented with her father’s camera, and later moved on to exploring portraits and landscapes with single lens reflex cameras. In recent years she has been captivated by macro-photography, using the camera as a way to help quiet the mind and better observe and focus on the present moment. Marlene has been inspired by the floral images of Louise Tanguay. She has taken courses with Louise and at the School of Photographic Arts of Ottawa (SPAO). Marlene recently exhibited her work as part of Transformations: The Art of Photography at the Philip Wood Gallery in Almonte in collaboration with the SPAO Part-Time Studies Program.

Lora Jude DeWolfe was born in Peterborough, ON. She first started dabbling in photography while attending university in the US, and found herself a full time student at SPAO about ten years later. Lora graduated SPAO in 2008, and moved to NYC soon thereafter. Lora splits time between her freelance business and expanding her portfolio of work in various locales across the globe. In addition, Lora currently assists at Falkland Road Studios under the tutelage of Mary Ellen Mark.

Gaelyn Eyre graduated from SPAO in 2009. She was the recipient of the Visual Merit Award in her first year. She combines traditional and modern post production methods to create her work as well as using Polaroid and plastic cameras for image capture. She lives in Ottawa where she continues to pursue her artistic endeavours through a photographic medium.

Jon Faloon peruses his professional career with AMEC Earth and Environmental as an equipment and logistics manager for field operations across western Canada. His true passion is photography and printing. Most of Jon’s spare time is spent venturing around Canada with his 1940’s press camera. Jon’s work has been shown in Vancouver, Ottawa, and San Diego. He has worked on printing contracts with the Alberta government and several private clients all across western Canada. His work is in private collections world wide.

Erin Molly Fitzpatrick is a working fine art photographer within a fashion and fine art portraiture. Having a background in journalism and print media living in Alberta she worked her way towards the commercial side of photography. She has worked in Ireland as well as throughout Canada and the US. She then gathered more lucrative experience taking on more of a content and formal approach to her commercial and fine art work. She now resides in Ottawa, Ontario continuing in her photographic endeavors.

Matthew Higgins was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario.  He competed successfully in flat water sprint canoeing for most of his life.  He became a Canadian Champion and World Championship Medallist in his sport and was appointed to the Canadian National Canoe Team in his 3 final years of competition.  Through his experiences competing at the International Level, Matthew was able to travel the world, where his appreciation for photography and architecture began.  He spent 2 years in the Architecture program at Carleton University, where he discovered his passion for the field of photography. Matthew graduated from the School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa (SPAO) in 2010.  His works can be found in private collections in Canada, including in the offices of Draw2Design Architecture Firm (Toronto, On), SamCar Investments (Ottawa, On) and, Argyle Associates Dental Offices (Ottawa, On).

Currently living in BC, Rob Hughes published writer/photographer has been involved in social action for many years with organizations the world over. From refugee issues in India to poverty and homelessness here in Ottawa, Rob has given his time and images to promote positive change. Rob is a SPAO Portfolio Program graduate and was awarded the Garfield Weston Merit Scholarship, which recognizes outstanding students who show a strong commitment to their field of study and are making positive contributions to their communities.

Growing up on the southern coast of Nova Scotia, photo-worthy sites, scenes, and people were a part of Eden MacVicar’s everyday. Rugged coast, serene beaches, quaint towns,  and animated characters were the subjects of her daily lens. Over time she recognized her desire to record these living subjects as art and her love for photography was born. While living in Halifax in the mid 90’s she took her first photography course at the Nova Scotia Community College. Since moving to Eastern Ontario,  her aspiration to grow as a photographer has led her to courses in digital photography at Algonquin College and most recently at The School of Photographic Arts: Ottawa. Her first group exhibit was held this May at the Philip Wood Gallery in Almonte, Ontario.

Born in Trois-Rivières, Québec, now living in Ottawa, Daniel Marchand’s interest in photography started early. After a successful Canadian Foreign Service career that took him to Europe, the USA, Africa and the Middle East, he returned to his passion for photography. He enrolled in a Directed Research and Production session at the School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa (SPAO) in 2006-07.

Karen Flanagan McCarthy has been shooting photographs since her father gave her a Brownie Chiquita camera for her 8th birthday. She has participated in several joint and group exhibitions in the past two years, including the A++ Exhibition last fall at SPAO’s Red Wall Gallery. Her first solo exhibition, Ephemera, hung in the City of Ottawa’s Atrium Gallery in September 2009. Karen’s photographs have been published in Photo Life, Ottawa Magazine, Folk Prints, Maclean’s, the Globe and Mail and the National Gallery of Canada’s magazine, Vernissage, where she worked as Features Writer and Assistant Editor. Karen is currently enrolled in the certificate program at the School of Photographic Arts: Ottawa.

After graduating from Carleton University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics, Angelina McCormick began her career as a full-time stay-at-home mom. Still yearning for more, Angelina enrolled with The School of Photographic Arts: Ottawa in 2005 and successfully completed the full time program in May 2006 with highest Honours. Under the guidance of Michael Tardioli, Khalia Scott and Martin Lipman – Angelina found the part of her that was missing and now enjoys her new art practice.

Laurence Butet Roch was born in Montreal in 1985. From 2002 to 2007, she pursued a B.A. in International Relations from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver as well as part-time classes in photography at the Emily Carr Institute of Arts and Design. In the winter of 2008, Laurence traveled extensively across the Middle East, living in Beirut, Lebanon and visiting the neighboring countries – Syria, Jordan, Israel and Palestine – where she confirmed her interest in documentary photography. She came back to Canada to further her mastery of photography at the School of Photographic Arts: Ottawa. During her studies at the school, she worked on several photographic projects such as a documentary of the last Canadian asbestos mine – located in Thetford Mines Québec – and a more conceptual body of work where she approaches the Canadian landscape as a war-torn area in hopes of raising awareness towards the repercussions of conflicts. Her work is part of private collections in Canada, the United States, France and Lebanon.

Born in Summerside, PEI, in 1972, Joseph Jeremie Roy spent his early years in the Maritimes learning to be an Acadian. A degree in Dramatic Literature from Mount Allison University didn’t hold him back, however, as Jeremie soon became a world traveller and semi-professional vagabond. Included in his many experiences he has been an assayer in Vancouver, a spear fisher in Uqsuqtuq, a chicken farmer in Armstrong Brook, a movie extra in Seoul, a wreck diver in Bali, and a visiting professor in Busan. Jeremie returned to Canada in 2007 to pursue his career in commercial and fine art photography.

Jennifer Stewart attained her Honors Psychology degree from the University of Ottawa in 2008. Since 2003, she has been working with young children with Autism. Her fascination with communication has led her to use photography as a tool to communicate the most intimate details in her life. Creating a “human document”, her images aim to evoke a wide range of emotions.

Sarai Strikefoot is an artist, a writer and photographer. She grew up in Ottawa, Ontario where she began to be inspired by images, words and picked up her first camera. She chased her love for creating to The School of the Photographic Arts:Ottawa where she studied photography for 3 years. She now is working on a personal body of work reflecting family, love, and death.

Originally envisioning herself as a painter, Michelle Wilson found her true calling when exposed to the alchemy of the darkroom. She was immediately ensnared by photography. While pursuing her BFA at the University of Ottawa, Michelle developed the underpinnings of her conceptual practice. At the School of the Photographic Arts Ottawa she cultivated a fulfilling workflow that encompasses set design, photography and involved digital post-production. Michelle’s work dealing with memory, loss and love has received funding through the Council for the Arts Ottawa as well as affording her the opportunity to represent Canada at 2008′s photography festival in Arles, France. She is currently living in Kaohsiung, Taiwan where she works as an English teacher and continues to produce art.

Greg Zenha is twenty-six years old. He currently resides in Montreal (where his studio is located).