Museum Presents Exhibit
On National Treasures

The grand opening will be Friday, Feb. 16, from 4:30 to 7 p.m.

The exhibition, organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, is comprised of 44 large-format color panoramic photographs which capture the majesty of U.S. National Parks and monuments through the work of photographer Stan Jorstad.

Beginning with an introductory statement by actor, environmental activist, and director Robert Redford, the exhibition includes six text panels describing Jorstad's career, his photographic techniques, and a brief history of the National Park Service.

From the sunrise at Haleakala Crater (or "House of the Sun") in Maui to moonrise over Death Valley in California, the images ask the viewer to think about the preservation of America's remaining open spaces, which include havens for many endangered species and homes for unique geological and archeological treasures.

Jorstad began his career as a commercial photographer after serving in the elite 10th Mountain Division ski troops during World War II. He went on to become the cinematographer for the television series "Wild Kingdom" in the early 1960s, and has spent more than four decades as a commercial and industrial photographer.

His love of the wilderness led him on many photographic expeditions to the National Parks, where he experimented with an array of panoramic cameras. He does not employ any form of computer manipulation while in the field or in his darkroom because he is concerned that such artifice threatens the credibility of nature photography.

Photographs contained the "These Rare Lands" appear courtesy of Time Inc. This exhibition has been made possible through the support of Galyan's.

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SHSU Media Contact: Julia May
Feb. 8, 2001
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