Nepalese Woman, 1978 by Bill Wright

People's Lives: A Photographic Celebration of the Human Spirit will open to the public Saturday, May 22 at Spiva Center for the Arts and will run through Sunday, June 20.

The 56 images by photographer Bill Wright, Abilene, Texas, were selected from photos he has taken in his world travels over the past 25 years. They show scenes and people in the United States, China, Nepal, Argentina, Egypt, Kenya, Uzbekistan, Palestine, Israel, and many other countries.

His goal was to meet ordinary people in their everyday settings. The photo captions, written by Wright, describe the intersection of the subjects' lives with his own and the insights he has gained from these meetings.

"In this exhibit, you can sense the connections Bill Wright has established with the people in the photos," said Jo Mueller, Spiva's executive director. "They're more than photographic subjects; they're real people in diverse places and situations, willing to appear just as they are. With some, it's almost as if there's no camera and they're looking directly into the photographer's eyes."

A companion book of duotone images from Wright's travels, titled People's Lives, has been published by the University of Texas Press.

The exhibition photos, learning activities for viewers, and lesson plans for teachers are online at www.humanities-interactive.org/cultures

Along with Wright's photographs, two other exhibits also will open at Spiva:

Darral Dishman: A Retrospective will be featured in the Regional Focus Gallery.

Seventh Annual 12 x 12 Auction, a silent auction of work by Spiva members to benefit the Center, will be displayed in the lobby.

The exhibits open to Spiva members and guests at 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 21. Hosts for the opening reception are The Thai Restaurant and Take-Away Café. Pianist Joel Thomas will entertain.

Financial assistance for People's Lives: A Celebration of the Human Spirit is provided by Friends of St. Avips and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

Spiva Center for the Arts is located at Third and Wall in downtown Joplin. Galleries and gift shop are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday, 1:00 to 5:00. Donations are welcome; there is no charge for admission.

For more information, please call 417-623-0183.

George A. Spiva Center for the Arts
222 W. 3rd Street
Joplin, Mo 64801
Tel: 417-623-0183
Fax: 417-623-3805
www.spivaarts.org

Jo Mueller, Director