ASU art professor wins governor’s award

Tempe, Ariz. – Mark Klett, Regents’ Professor of Photography in the ASU Herberger College School of Art, received the 2008 Governor’s Arts Award as a living artist who has made a significant contribution to the arts in Arizona through his photographs of the American West. The award was presented by Gov. Janet Napolitano at the 27th Annual Governor’s Arts Awards Dinner held at the Arizona Biltmore Resort on April 23, 2008.

Klett was selected for the award by the Arizona Commission on the Arts and Arizona Citizens for the Arts upon nomination of Marilu Knode, associate director of Future Arts Research (F.A.R.). Klett was among five individuals and arts organizations to receive the prestigious awards.

“I'm extremely honored to be recognized by the arts community in Arizona,” Klett says. “Artists depend on their communities for support and Arizona has been a great place to live, create and teach. I hope that my work can contribute to our understanding and appreciation of the state's incredible mix of landscapes and cultures.”

Trained as a geologist, Klett photographs the intersection of culture, landscapes and time. He established his artistic perspective on the American West landscape as the chief photographer for the Rephotographic Survey Project (1977-79), which re-photographed Western sites first captured by surveyors in late 1800s.

Since then, Klett has authored 13 books, including his most recent works, Saguaros, After the Ruins, Yosemite in Time and Third Views, Second Sights. He has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Buhl Foundation and the Japan/U.S. Friendship Commission. Klett’s work is exhibited, published and collected both nationally and internationally.

The School of Art is a division of Herberger College of the Arts at Arizona State University. It is renowned for its printmaking, photography and art education programs. The school includes four student galleries for solo and group exhibitions by graduate and undergraduate art and photography students: Gallery 100, Harry Wood, Northlight, and Step. To learn more about the ASU Herberger College School of Art, visit http://art.asu.edu. 

Media Contact:
Laura Toussaint 
480.965.8796
laura.toussaint@asu.edu