Racquel Valencia Hays
Photography
Bio
For the love of photography, I’ve immersed myself in various ways to encapsulate the world I see through my lens. In so doing, I have disciplined myself to learn the craft and articulate it further; though new learning is always constant. In addition, I’ve met along the way the many instructors and muses that would guide me the path of creating. My images are varied oftentimes centering on people and their environment. Their environment becomes my environment. In the frenzy of capturing a moment, I look at details so I can be at a place of stillness. And when I get to that place, I photograph and feel pleasure and freedom!
Education
- Gay Riseborough 1150 Studio, Evanston Illinois 2001 scholarship recipient (fine art painting and drawing scholarship)
- Columbia College, Chicago Illinois 2001
- Professional Photoghraphers of America Workshop, Oakton College, Desplaines, Illinois 2002
- American Society of Media Photographers, Passion for Profession retreat, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 2002
- Mount Carroll Applied Photographic Arts, Mount Carroll, Illinois, 2003(photography scholarship)
Exhibitions
- 2003 September, Washington, DC., Grace Heritage “ASEAN Film and Photography Festival”
- 2003 October, Chicago, Illinois, A.R.C. Gallery, “Art to Fear”
- 2005 March, Chicago Illinois, Cornelia Arts Building, “Friends of the Arts, Annual Member Show”
- 2005 May-June Chicago, Illinois, “Beyond The Barrelman: Exhibition of Contemporary Filipino Art”, ACME Art Works
- 2005 October, Chicago, Illinois, “Chicago Art Open 2005”
- 2007, January, Chicago, Illinois, Mojo Café, “Non-Themed Art Presented by Minimum Exposure Group”