Missouri State University

Skip to content Skip to navigation
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Arts & Letters Expressions

An online publication for the alumni and friends of the College of Arts and Letters

Professor’s photography featured internationally

November 8, 2012 by

Reverend HD Dennis with Ear Trumpet, Mississippi, #1, 2005
Reverend HD Dennis with Ear Trumpet, Mississippi, #1, 2005

Congratulations to Bruce West, professor of photography in the art and design department, whose photography work is currently featured as part of the God Factor project in Portugal. The exhibition is scheduled in the Säo Martinho de Tibäes’s monastery of Braga (Portugal) during the months of November and December.

“The God Factor is a truly international project featuring artists and photographers from the UK, the Netherlands, Portugal, Nigeria, Poland, India, New Zealand, Brazil, and beyond,” West explains. He describes it as, “people using art to describe their relationship with religion and spiritual aspects.”

West looks forward to traveling to Portugal for the exhibition and is excited to be involved with the project. He will participate in a panel discussion with the curator for the show (who discovered West’s work through exploration of his website) and the Director of the National Museum. The photographs from his collection, “Spiritual Advisor to the World,” which he describes as, “a celebration of the material and spiritual work of Reverend H.D. and Margaret Dennis,” were selected for display. West will present a lecture featuring a retelling of the story behind his photo collection. He has also been invited to write text for the exhibition and catalog.

Certificate of Ordination, Mississippi, 2005
Certificate of Ordination, Mississippi, 2005

In 1994, West decided to spend his sabbatical photographing the American South, an area in which he had not yet traveled. It was during this visit that West encountered the Reverend H.D. Dennis and his wife, Margaret, and struck up a special relationship that has developed over the years. Dennis, preacher, architect, folk artist, and self-proclaimed “spiritual advisor to the world,” allowed West to capture the reverend’s relationship with God through his photography. Rev. Dennis and his wife devoted twenty years transforming a former grocery store into a one-of-a-kind nondenominational church. “God don’t have no white church, God don’t have no black church, God has one church,” reads one of the many signs outside. Dennis, according to West, was one of the most incredible and dynamic people he had ever met. To West, the South, especially Mississippi, are perhaps the most unique parts of the U.S., and every summer since 1994 he has returned there to continue capturing the unique spirit of the region.

View West’s photo collections, including the “Spiritual Advisor to the World” by visiting his website, Bruce West Photography.

Filed Under: Faculty News, Faculty Travel Tagged With: bruce west, exhibits, religion, travel

Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

  • Mind’s Eye features work of Dr. Brad Snow
  • Course credit opportunities during January 2023 Intersession
  • Missouri Fine Arts Academy successfully returns after pandemic hiatus
  • Reynolds College of Arts and Letters Associate Dean receives award for outstanding scholarship
  • Capturing the beauty of life and culture

Categories

  • Admin News
  • Alumni News
  • Alumni Spotlight
  • Announcement
  • Art + Design
  • Awards & Accolades
  • Brick City Gallery
  • chamber orchestra
  • Communication
  • community
  • Diversity
  • Electronic Arts
  • Employment
  • English
  • English Language Institute
  • Exchange
  • Experts
  • Expressions
  • Faculty & Staff Accomplishments
  • Faculty and Staff Page
  • Faculty News
  • Faculty Travel
  • Festivals
  • health
  • Lecture Series
  • library
  • Media Journalism & Film
  • MFAA
  • missouri state journal
  • Modern & Classical Languages
  • Music
  • News
  • News Releases
  • Ozarks Celebration Festival
  • Philanthropy
  • Public Affairs
  • Public Event
  • publication
  • Qingdao
  • Special Event
  • Student Accomplishments
  • Student Exhibition Center
  • Student News
  • Student Travel
  • Theatre and Dance Department
  • Visiting Artist
  • Vol 3 Issue 1
  • WikiLeaks
  • World Languages and Cultures

Tags

Accomplishments Art and Design austin elliott awards barbara jones barb jones Center for Dispute Resolution chris olson coal College of Arts and Letters commencement Communication communications electronic arts English exhibits fantastic journey graduation grants homecoming Homecoming 2014 ice cream social internal josh pfaff locke and stache logan triplett lucie amberg masterclass Media Journalism and Film mjf Modern and Classical Languages Music musical theatre Ozarks Celebration Festival panels performances photography publications research Shawn Wahl Student Exhibition Center Tent Theatre Theatre and Dance The Standard travel

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Make your Missouri statementMake your Missouri statement
  • Last Modified: January 22, 2013
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Disclosures
  • EO/AA/M/F/Veterans/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity
  • © 2013 Board of Governors, Missouri State University
  • Contact Information