Several Seminole State College students recently attended the Walter Iooss photography exhibit at the Oklahoma City Museum of Modern Art. Widely considered the world’s most influential sports photographer and dubbed “the Rembrandt of sports photography” due to his use of light and shadow, color, and composition, Walter Iooss Jr.’s images transcend the fame of his subjects and have come to represent modern sports culture. Iooss’s images have appeared on more than 300 covers of Sports Illustrated—more than any other photographer in the world.
In a career spanning more than 60 years, he has worked with almost every athlete at the top of their game, including Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Pele, Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, and Kobe Bryant. In 2018, Iooss was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame.
Students went on a guided tour of the photography exhibit and experienced the Dale Chihuly permanent art glass exhibit.
The Student Support Services (SSS) and STEM Student Support Services (STEM SSS) Projects sponsored the event. The purpose of the trip was for participants of the programs to have an opportunity to experience a professional art exhibit that is not typically accessible to them. Students were also treated to dinner at Hideaway Pizza in Automobile Alley.
“Our SSS and STEM SSS team works very hard to make sure that our participants have every opportunity to succeed and grow. One of the best growth experiences we can give our participants is to take them to cultural events. We look for different types of events, like performing arts, museums, festivals, or special artist lectures that will be enjoyable and new for our participants. Sarah Ledford, one of the SSS Advisors, takes the lead in planning our cultural events and does an excellent job,” Janna Wilson-Byrd, Director of SSS and STEM SSS, said.
The Seminole State College SSS project is 100 percent federally funded in the amount of $294,725 annually. The Seminole State College STEM SSS project is 100 percent federally funded in the amount of $261,888 annually.
Both Projects serve first-generation, economically disadvantaged, and disabled students. For more information, contact Janna Wilson-Byrd, Director of Projects, at 405-382-9642. There is also a Project web site at www.sscok.edu/sss