BOONE, N.C.—The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University will present a March lecture that complements “Useful Work: Photographs of Hickory Nut Gap Farm,” an exhibit on view at the center through May 6.

The lecture, titled “Ken Abbott & Jody Servon: Hickory Nut Gap Farm,” will take place at 6 p.m. March 29 in the center’s lecture hall. It is free and open to the public.

“Useful Work” features Abbott’s photographs of day-to-day life on the 90-acre farm in Fairview. Abbott fell in love with the easy beauty of Hickory Nut when he first saw it in 2004 while on a field trip with his daughter’s pre-school class. He began photographing the farm that year as well.

During their lecture, Abbott and Jody Servon, who curated “Useful Work,” will discuss Abbott’s years photographing the farm. Abbott’s photos of the farm “blend vibrant contemporary farm life with the timelessness of the place,” Servon said recently.

Abbott studied photography and political science at Colorado College, where his first photography teachers were Mark Johnstone, Ben Benschneider and Frank Gohlke. He received his MFA in photography at Yale University School of Art and he was the chief university photographer for 15 years at University of Colorado at Boulder. Since moving to Asheville in 2002, Ken has continued documenting the landscape and the people in and around his home.

Lectures will also complement two other exhibitions at Turchin this spring: “Collective Vigilance: Speaking for the New River,” on view through July 29, and “Studio Practices: Penland 9,” on view through June 3. See https://tcva.appstate.edu/calendar/events/2012 for more information the lectures.

About the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts

Located on 423 W. King St. at the crossroads of campus and community, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University engages visitors in dynamic and accessible exhibition, education, outreach and collection programs. These programs inspire and support a lifelong engagement with the visual arts and create opportunities for participants to learn more about themselves and the world around them. Hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday, and noon – 8 p.m. Friday. The center is closed Sunday and Monday and observes all university holidays. Admission is free, although donations are accepted. Learn more at https://tcva.appstate.edu/about/visit

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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