W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents ‘American Folk’ "American Folk" is a series of photographic portraits by West Virginia-based artist Lisa Elmaleh. She will give a virtual artist's talk on Nov. 4 at 5:30 p.m.

By Erica Turman
October 14, 2020

Washington and Lee’s Staniar Gallery presents “American Folk,” a series of photographic portraits by West Virginia-based artist Lisa Elmaleh. The physical exhibition will be open to the W&L community from Oct. 20 through Nov. 13. Elmaleh will give a virtual artist’s talk on Nov. 4 at 5:30 p.m.

 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Staniar Gallery is only open to W&L community members via swipe card access to Wilson Hall between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The public can access the exhibit through a virtual gallery tour and view the lecture via livestream for free on the gallery’s website at https://go.wlu.edu/lisa-elmaleh.

 For the past 10 years, photographer Elmaleh has traveled around the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States chronicling musicians who play in the region’s old-time folk style. Inspired by the history of the place and its rich musical culture, Elmaleh visits her subjects at their homes, where she sets up the portable darkroom in the back of her truck. She creates tintype portraits using an antique photographic process that connects the history of photography to traditional old-time music history. This exhibition will feature selections from her ongoing series and films of the musicians playing their instruments.

 Elmaleh holds her bachelor of fine arts degree in photography from The School of Visual Arts in New York City. She is based in Hampshire County, West Virginia, but travels nationwide teaching workshops and making photographs.

 The Staniar Gallery is located on the second floor of Wilson Hall in Washington and Lee University’s Lenfest Center for the Arts. For more information, please call 540-458-8861.