Talk: The Worcester Photography Salon, A Conversation Spanning Five Decades of Community

Speakers: Nancy Kathryn Burns, Stephen DiRado, Ron Rosenstock, and Brittany Severance 

Since the second half of the 20th century, Worcester has fostered a vibrant photography community. A brief introduction to the Worcester Art Museum’s collection of works by local photographers will be followed by a panel discussion exploring how Ron Rosenstock’s “Sunday Night Class” and Stephen DiRado’s “Salon” became sites of creativity and collaboration that continue to impact the city’s art scene today. Nancy Kathryn Burns, the Worcester Art Museum’s Stoddard Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, will lead a conversation with three generations of Worcester photographers in the Museum’s collection: Stephen DiRado, Ron Rosenstock, and Brittany Severance. Together, they will reflect on the genesis and impact of the proverbial “Night Class” and “Salon” on Worcester’s lens-based artist community. Afterward, we invite former and current attendees of the “Night Class” and “Salon” to offer their thoughts and stories about Worcester’s unique history with photography as well.