The Ohio Artist Registry (OAR) is an exciting opportunity for artists to share their work, connect with the creative community, and establish an online presence—all on a free, virtual platform! The OAR encourages artists working in all art forms, throughout Ohio and beyond, to create a profile, which allows them to better promote themselves and their work. Being listed in the OAR provides artists with new opportunities to share their work with clients, galleries, patrons, and audiences. A listing in the OAR does not confer an endorsement, approval, or verification by the Ohio Arts Council.
For more information, contact Kathy Signorino, artist programs director, at kathy.signorino@oac.ohio.gov or 614-728-6140.
Adam Bernard
Medina Ohio 44256 United StatesHome Ohio United StatesHome Ohio United States Home Phone: 3307158807 Website: Adam Bernard The Ranger
Bio
Adam Bernard, “The Ranger” is a photographer of the land, scenery and human spirit. In Bernard’s photography, you will witness brilliant images as seen from his eyes to the light that is drawn on paper.
Bernard is an alumnus the University of Akron (BFA) and St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S. in Akron, Ohio. He is based in Medina, Ohio. Professionally, Bernard worked as a news photographer for nearly a decade at Sun Newspapers, Cleveland, Ohio, and the Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio and taught photography at the University of Akron.
Bernard has received numerous Awards and Honors over the years, most notably two Individual Artist Fellowships by the Ohio Arts Council in 1995 and 1997. The bodies of work recognized for these honors where Situational Experiences in Teen Culture and Boxers of Akron.
“Project Belvedere” is Bernard’s ongoing photographic mission. Photographs from this body of work have been recognized for selection in exhibitions by jurors who are experts in the art of photography including Rebecca Cummins, Ph.D., Julia Dolan, Ph.D., Eric Paddock, Scott Stulen, Edith A. Tonelli, Ph.D. and many others. He participated in the Midwest Photographers Project at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL. in 2002. At the 2016 PhotoMidwest Festival Biennial Exhibitions in Madison, Wisconsin well-known Photographer Larry Fink awarded Bernard “Runner-up Best of Show” and most recently in 2020 renowned Photojournalist Peter Turnley awarded him with an “Honorable Mention”.
In the spring of 2018 Bernard was featured in the news story State of the Arts: Framing Akron Neighborhood by Neighborhood, by Mark Arehart on the NPR affiliate radio station 89.7 WKSU.
The Massillon Museum opened Bernard’s exhibition Town & County Featuring Route 42 in July, 2020. In collaboration with Bernard, fellow colleague from Sun News, Fr. Greg Olszewski authored poetic narratives that accompanied his color photographs for this exhibit.
Bernard participated in the “Midwest Photographers Project” at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College; Chicago, IL. He exhibits his work nationally and internationally.
Artist Statement
Brothers and Sisters, I am a Generation X-er native to Akron in “The Rustbelt” region of Northeast Ohio. “The Rustbelt”, while it isn’t paradise, is home to me. I have experienced and understand the process of postindustrial decline and renewal of this region during the latter stage of the 20th century. The progressive transformational effects of capitalism and social values do not happen here at a rapid pace. They move slowly, if they move at all. This region is constantly playing catch up with other areas and similar markets of the United States. Even though revitalization occurs here, there is still an abundance of entities from past centuries that still endure today.Throughout their lifespan all entities evolve from their original physical state of materialization until their demise. That is reality. That is the circle of life. Beauty is here. Beauty is everywhere.
All beings face extremes and strive to endure because the will to live is basic and universal. Humans are blessed with the ability to find clarity at different stages of their lives. In Fyodor Dosoevesky’s philosophical novel The Idiot it was proclaimed by the main character, Prince Myskin, “beauty will save the world.” This simplistic phrase is considered a prophecy by some. Hearing these words gave me clarity and optimism. Why can’t beauty save the world? Doesn’t beauty already incrementally make the world a better place? If the world will be saved by beauty then the world will be sustained by love because beauty is love and love is beauty. I have devoted my artistic abilities to the creation of beautiful photographs as works of art in order to help save the world.
Each entity rides a different wave of existence here on Earth. It is my belief natural and man-made entities, in all of their manifestations, are formed by their creator with an intended purpose for their lifetime. My endeavor, entitled “Project Belvedere”, (Belvedere; Italian for beautiful view; derives from two Italian words, bel, which means “beautiful,” and vedere, which means “view.”) is my ongoing photographic mission that has the sole objective of capturing elements of beauty about the wide-ranging entities that are present among the land and scenery within the urban, suburban and rural areas of the ordinary world. Project Belvedere allows me to share this beauty that I have recorded as a photograph. Out of reverence for the documentary and street photographers of the 20th century, I treat my digital camera as if it were loaded with a roll of old-fashioned Kodachrome 35mm slide film. I capture beauty by composing my photographs using the available elements of our planet; illumination, space, time, surface and color.