Sharon Leger Gottula’s Photos Bloom at the Midwest Center for Photography

A selection of Sharon Leger Gottula’s photography series Roadside Blooms will be featured in a juried group show at the Center Gallery at the Midwest Center for Photography. The exhibition opens on January 27th with a reception from 7-10pm and runs through February 10th.

Gottula started the Roadside Blooms project in 2009 photographing in open lots, nature preserves, parks and deserted roadways. “This project grew out of a Scott Kelby Photowalk.Here along with a group of about 100+ Kansas City photographers we scoured the River Market area for cool and unique images to submit to the Scott Kelby Photowalk website, kind of a “day in photos across the world” project. One of my favorite images was of some Coreopsis growing next to a parking lot in an alleyway. This sparked an interest in the Missouri and Kansas wildflowers.”

As most native species are protected, Gottula created lighting scenarios using scrims, reflectors and black fabric to simulate a studio set up in the field. The images range from bright, fresh, colorful blooms to the dried husks of flowers past their prime, all highlighted against a bright white background.

“I was searching for a way to add more spirituality and balance to my photography and one day zooming down to a gymnastics class for my kids I was struck with the beauty of the setting sun on some wild chicory growing by the side of the road. It started a chain of thoughts regarding how quick and fleeting life is, how we speed through our list of things to do just to fall in bed and start over again tomorrow. How I really needed to slow down and enjoy the beauty that surrounds me before the flowers are all paved over or the kids are all grown up.”

Jan 27-Feb 10
Midwest Center for Photography
Center Gallery: 111 Ellis in Wichita, KS
Opening Reception Jan. 27 2012 7-10pm

Sharon Leger Gottula worked in Advertising and Editorial photography for 10 years in Los Angeles, CA before relocating to Kansas City, MO. After a few years off with small children she has returned to photography with fine art ventures as well as portraiture and commercial work. For more of her photography go to www.gottula.com, or find her on Facebook- www.facebook.com/sharongottulaphotography and Twitter- gottulaFoto.

Center Gallery is the gallery at the Midwest Center for Photography In Wichita, Kansas. Center Gallery opened in 2008 and is located in Wichita’s Douglas Design District, in the “Center” of the United States. We are dedicated to the creative exploration of the medium of photography. The gallery provides exhibition opportunities in a commercial venue for emerging and nationally recognized mid-career artists.