THIBODAUX, La. — Nicholls Professor of Art Deborah Lillie will have an exhibit at Prize Fest’s Music Prize on Oct. 14-15, 2022. Lillie’s photograph, “System 13 – Field,” was selected to be a part of an outdoor fence-style installation.
Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Deborah Lillie earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Colorado State University in 1990, then moved to Louisiana to obtain her Master of Fine Arts degree from Louisiana State University in 1996. Lillie joined the faculty at Nicholls in 1998.
“One of my goals for this work is to elevate the small communities that go unnoticed by us every day. They are tucked in around our subdivisions and are thriving in spite of the general destruction that humans have wreaked on naturally balanced habitats across the globe,” said Deborah Lillie. “I am especially excited about this exhibition opportunity because of the scale at which the work will be represented. As an outdoor, fence-type display, the plants in my photograph will be reproduced at many times their actual size. A theater of the ordinary.”
During her tenure at Nicholls, Deborah Lillie brought the photography program from a traditional, film-based curriculum to one that encompasses digital technologies, hybrid and alternative processes in addition to film-based imaging.
In 2016, Lillie secured a BoR Curriculum Enhancement Grant to equip the photography area with a comprehensive digital lab and a fleet of DSLR cameras for student use. On the national level, Lillie has been an active member of the Society for Photographic Education (SPE) since 1989 and has coordinated four annual conferences for the South Central Chapter.
In 2018, the South Central Chapter recognized Lillie with the award of Honored Educator. Lillie’s artwork has been exhibited throughout the U.S. in various group and solo exhibitions and was featured in the 2019 Pingyao International Photography Exhibition in Pingyao, China.
In addition to teaching all levels of photography, she also teaches Beginning Design. Her personal artwork varies from being purely photographic to a mixed media combination of photography, sculptural elements and found objects or other documents. Throughout all the work runs a strong attention to the relationship between humans and the natural world, particularly as explored and understood through scientific means.
The Nicholls Department of Art aims to provide quality studies in all visual media and the skills needed for employment or continued studies. The Bachelor of Fine Arts program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. To learn more about Nicholls Department of Art, visit https://www.nicholls.edu/art/.
Prize Fest is a culmination of festivals in Shreveport and Bossier City featuring film, food, music, fashion and comedy with over $100,000 in cash prizes awarded. Since its inaugural year in 2012, Prize Fest has become a local must-do event and has received national recognition for the work of participating artists and the festival itself. This year’s Prize Fest will take place on Oct. 14-22, 2022. Tickets are on sale and volunteer registration is open.
Music Prize features eleven musicians from across the country that perform live before festival attendees and a panel of judges that select the $10,000 grand prize winner.
To learn more about Prize Fest 2022, visit https://prizefest.com/.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, October 12, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT: Jerad David, Director of Communications, 985.448.4303 or jerad.david@nicholls.edu
