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. At this panel discussion, explore how Ron Rosenstock’s “Sunday Night Class” and Stephen DiRado’s “Photography Salon” became sites of creativity and collaboration that continue to impact the city’s art scene. 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: Ron Rosenstock, Stephen DiRado, 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.