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Marshalltown Community College presents its newest art exhibit, The Pumas and Wildlife of Torres del Paine, Chile, featuring the work of self-taught nature photographer and Poet Laureate of Iowa, Dr. Paul Brooke. The exhibit will open on Sept. 8, and run through noon on Oct. 2.
Brooke, who serves as a Professor of English and the Endowed Chair of Creative Writing at Grand View University in Des Moines, brings more than 20 years of wildlife photography experience to campus for his very first display at MCC. The exhibit showcases a stunning collection of photographs captured during his work tracking and photographing pumas in South America.
Beginning as a hobby, Brooke's passion for nature photography quickly evolved into a creative partnership with his writing, leading to six published books combining his poetry and photography.
Inspired by legendary master photographers like Ansel Adams and Clyde Butcher, as well as his role as Awards Committee Chair for the North American Nature Photographers Association, his work captures the raw grandeur of the natural world.
Through this showcase, Brooke hopes to foster a deeper appreciation for the beauty and majesty of big cats, sparking conversations about wildlife preservation that extend to local species, including Iowa's own mountain lion population.
The exhibit holds special personal significance for Brooke, whose former students, Andrew Goforth and Charlene Summers, now serve as professors at MCC.
“It gives me immense pride that they are teaching at MCC and helping students in so many exciting ways,” said Brooke. “I look forward to meeting with students and members of the public, discussing environmental issues and sharing a poem or two.”
All displayed pieces will be available for purchase, with a complete price list provided on-site. This exhibition is hosted in coordination with the MCC English Department’s sponsorship of Brooke's upcoming campus visit. He will host a poetry workshop at noon on Sept. 24 in DeJardin Hall that is open to the public.
Ray Frederick Art Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.