Photography is important art form

To the editor:

To my knowledge, photography has been an accepted art medium for more than 75 years worldwide. In the United States, photography is a part of many notable art institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution.

I took four photography courses in the art department at Ball State University, Muncie, from 1958 to 1962. My husband, Bill Chamberlain, chairman of the art department at Southeast Missouri State University, took photography in the art department at the University of Georgia.

Almost 40 years ago, in 1967, Bill began teaching photography at Southeast with his noted handmade pinhole cameras. He taught students to incorporate photographic images in silkscreen, lithography and intaglio. Later, he used his photographs in graphic design.

Bill and I exhibited photographs in juried art shows across the United States for about 50 years. This has included major museums and universities in 35 states. Undergraduate photography classes helped develop my composition and design skills. My graduate degree is in drawing and painting. I have taken several additional courses at Southeast in the art department to further my education, including graphic design.

I am always pleased when the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri includes photography in its art shows. I hope that it will continue more often. Photography is an art medium and has been an accepted art form for a long time.

JAN CHAMBERLAIN, Cape Girardeau