Wende Essrow
At First Light: Poems and Photography
Aug. 27, 2018 - Oct. 12, 2018
Opening Reception: Aug. 27 @ 7:00 pm
Opening Reception: Aug. 27 @ 7:00 pm
Wende Essrow is a self-taught artist who has been writing poetry and stories for as long as she
can remember. She began taking photographs as a way to gather references for her visual
art, and for many years carried a pocket camera whenever she was out hiking or cross-country
skiing. She now uses color photography as her most important form of artistic expression.
She has written and illustrated several children’s books. This suite of photographs
comes from her first book of poems and photography for adults titled At First Light. Wende and her husband recently traded in the cold and bitter winters of West Falls
in Western New York State for the heat and humidity of our own rural Franklin County
in order to be closer to their grandchildren.
Ms. Essrow received a B.A. in English from Alfred University and a M.S. in Education
from Buffalo State College, majoring in teaching children with special needs, which
she has done for 30 years.
“My words and images are a humble desire to honor the master designer who keeps giving
birth to delicate snowflakes and shining light through butterfly wings. It is the
extraordinary beauty of the natural world which continues to motivate me. The woods
are my home. The studio is simply where I keep my camera, my brushes, and my ink.
I hear dawn calling. Come with me and watch the sun slowly rise through the treetops.”
Wende Essrow