Photographer Scott returns to library with 'The Cuba Collection'

Acclaimed photographer Ray Scott is set to appear at the Faulkner County Library, 1900 Tyler St., at 7 p.m. July 16.

Native Arkansan Scott has produced a dynamic and beautiful digital "slideshow" presentation based on his Cuba Collection of photography. Free "Cuban inspired" fruit refreshments will be served at this event. This event is free and open to the public. A great presentation for the whole family to enjoy!

For two weeks in the spring of 2001, Little Rock photographer Scott was privileged to visit Cuba to participate in a cultural exchange program along with eight other photographers from all over North America. The purpose of the exchange was to work with Magnum photographer Alex Webb and to meet and work with Cuban photographers.

The trip was sanctioned by the U.S. State Department and sponsored by Rockport College in Maine and National Geographic. The "official" sanctioning of the trip allowed us to legally travel to Cuba with special visas near the end of the Clinton administration when the U.S. still had some relations with Cuba. Scott commented on his trip to Cuba.

"We found the people of Cuba to be wonderful, friendly and incredibly poor. Most of the people we associated with were not high-ranking officials and we did not visit or stay in any of their famous and exclusive beach resorts. Instead, we were at liberty to roam the streets in Havana and in other towns and we traveled to villages in the rural countryside at will, which was a wonderful opportunity to see what a day in the life was really like for ordinary people."

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The images in Scott's program are just a few of the hundreds from his Cuba collection that he has chosen to share in an effort to convey the spirit and vitality of the placebut more importantly, of the people. Through compelling images, music from the island, and brief narration, the program is intended to communicate the everyday lives of Cubans and their culture as experienced during travels and encounters throughout the country. Scott added, "In spite of their abject poverty, the spirit and sense of pride they demonstrated in our daily interactions was obvious and genuine."

In the early 1980s, Scott began documenting the beauty and natural wonder of special places in photographs. During this same period, Scott's non-photography life was in public service serving the administrations of seven Arkansas governors and serving three years in Washington, D.C., as chief of staff to U.S. Sen. David Pryor. Scott lives in Little Rock with his wife, Susan, and their big "Rottie" dog, Saba.

Scott's primary photographic emphasis is on nature, scenic landscapes, and travel images. Scott has traveled to 23 states and to Cuba, Canada, Mexico, and to nine Caribbean Islands. He has a large portfolio from these travel adventures including wonderful underwater images. Scott's work has been sold as fine art prints and published by National Geographic, Arkansas Hospitals, Outdoor Photographer, Showcase (NANPA) and a number of regional advertising and promotional publications. He is a member of the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) and several outdoor and conservation groups, including the Ozark Highlands Trail Association, the Audubon Society, and the Nature Conservancy. Visit his website to see galleries of his work with a variety of subjects. One specific gallery is devoted to images from his published book, Natural Inspiration www.rayscottphotos.com.

The digital "slide show" to be presented at the Faulkner County Library is an exploration of the world around us that can inspire and excite us. Scott will introduce The Cuba Collection with remarks about the concept and background of the production. Following the presentation Scott will take questions from the audience about the program, photography, or his experiences with nature. Autographed copies of his book Natural Inspiration will also be available for purchase at the presentation. For those interested. The event is free and open to the public.

Two-liter drink donations are needed for this event. For more information contact Sarah at the Faulkner County Library at 327-7482 or e-mail to sarah@fcl.org.