The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Communications Department will present its eighth annual Photo Night on March 6 at the Fine Arts Center in the UTC Hayes Concert Hall at 6 p.m. Presentations will include Atlanta Braves team photographer Kevin D. Liles, nationally recognized documentary photographer Kathleen Greeson, award winning Associated Press photographer Wade Payne, UTC Alumni portrait photographer Marielle Echavez Mathis and associate lecturer and award winning journalist Billy Weeks.
Mr. Liles, Mr. Payne, Ms. Echavez Mathis and Ms. Greeson will be speaking about their featured works at the event.
About the artists:
Kevin D. Liles is an independent sports and editorial photographer based in Atlanta. Mr. Liles has served as the team photographer for the Atlanta Braves since 2018. He has experience as an assistant at Sports Illustrated and a photo editor at USA Today Sports Images. Since 2014, Mr. Liles has photographed hundreds of assignments and games for national outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and Sports Illustrated. Much of his work explores Southern culture, particularly at the margins of religion, sports and politics — arenas where so many of our differences (and similarities) converge.
Kathleen Greeson, a University of Georgia journalism graduate, spent seven years as a staff photojournalist at the Times Free Press in Chattanooga, earning state and regional awards and a Pulitzer Prize nomination in 2002. Her work garners international recognition from institutions like the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar, Photo District News and National Geographic. With fine art pieces in local hotels and private collections worldwide, she was honored by NoogaToday as one of "25 women making history in Chattanooga" in 2020. Currently, she focuses on long-term documentary projects about mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic, and serves on the board of directors for the BFB Foundation, supporting indigenous girls' education in Guatemala.
Wade Payne, an independent photographer with over 30 years of experience, has contributed to major publications including The Associated Press, Reuters, European Press Agency and more. His work has been featured in Sports Illustrated, ESPN, The Washington Post, The New York Times and other global outlets. Notably, his portrait of NBA Hall of Famer Earl Francis Lloyd, the first African American to play in the NBA, is displayed in prominent locations such as the office of former President Barack Obama, the National Civil Rights Museum, the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institute Museum.
Marielle Echavez Mathis is a creative photographer and videographer with a photojournalism background from UT Chattanooga. She is the owner of Marielle Jai Media LLC, specializing in weddings and portraits, and she has a passion for romanticizing life through photos and videos. She graduated from UTC magna cum laude in 2020 with a major in communication and a minor in psychology. Her love for visual storytelling stems from PJ1, PJ2, Rising Rock, the Echo and as the former UTC videographer from 2021 to 2022, before now pursuing her business full-time.
Billy Weeks, with over 40 years in journalism, served as director of Photography/Graphics at The Chattanooga Times Free Press. He's covered diverse assignments from the World Series to remote villages in Central America and Asia. He delivered a TEDx talk in 2016 and received top honors in Picture of the Year International for his sports photographs in 2016, 2020 and 2023. Twice a winner of the Gordon Parks International Photography award and a ten-time finalist, Mr. Weeks now teaches communication at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Southern Adventist University. Mr. Weeks believes that not only should journalists cover their assignments, but should also give something back to their profession.
Throughout the day of March 6, students will be able to attend photo workshops, taught by professionals in photojournalism.
? Kim Hubbard will be hosting a photo edit at 10 a.m. The workshop will be located in room 210, Lupton.
? Angela Foster and Harrison McClary will host their workshops on “After Journalism” at 1:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of the UTC Library.
? Patrick Murphy Racey will be hosting a workshop on videography at 1:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of the UTC Library.
? Rich Glickstein will host his workshop on “Experiential Understanding” at 2:30 p.m. in the Signal Mountain Room in the University Center.
? Students will be able to meet professional photojournalists from 5-6 p.m. At 6 p.m., Photo Night 2024 will start.
? Student work with be presented.
This event is open to the public and no entry fee is required. Follow the Photo Night Instagram @utc_photonight for updates on the event.
For more information regarding this event, reach out to 850-454-4057 or 931-284-1338.