Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, David Halpern also lived in Louisville, Kentucky, St. Louis, Missouri and Tulsa, Oklahoma before moving to his present home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, his career includes twenty-seven years as a commercial photographer and prior to that, seventeen years in advertising and marketing. An experienced teacher of photography in the classroom and workshops, David’s an avid traveler and a prolific writer. He’s served thirteen times as a National Park artist-in-residence—at Rocky Mountain National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Glacier National Park, and Acadia National Park. Between 2014 and 2018 he helped to create the artist-in-residence programs for Bandelier and Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monuments in New Mexico, while serving as those parks’ first A-I-R program participant. Since 1973, his photographs have been exhibited annually in museums and galleries across America, and he has received numerous awards. He’s photographed a wide range of subjects throughout the United States, and in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, South America, England, Scotland, Italy, Iceland, Africa and Greece. His most recognizable images until 1997, were his large format black and white prints of the American Landscape. Since 1997, however, virtually all his photographs have been made with digital cameras in both black and white and color.
David’s notable projects have included Pilgrim Eye, a revealing presentation of his lifelong journey of self-discovery through landscape photography, Prairie Landsmen, a documentary study of the Jews of Oklahoma–undertaken in cooperation with the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and By a Clearer Light, an exhibition of his work as a National Park artist-in-residence that traveled for five years throughout the contiguous States under the auspices of ExhibitsUSA, a division of the Mid-America Arts Alliance. His photographs were featured in the 1980 book, Tulsa Art Deco, re-published in December 2001, by the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture. The Essence of Place, his most recent museum exhibition hung at the Gilcrease Museum (Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from November 22, 2016, through March 31, 2018.
David is a life member of the American Society of Media Photographers and in October 2004, he was inducted into the Tulsa Historical Society’s Hall of Fame.
David Halpern
620 East Barcelona Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505-0323, Phone and FAX: (505) 983-0877
Personal: Born July 26, 1936, Nashville, Tennessee. Attended the University of Missouri at Columbia, 1954-56. Received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, 1958. Married 1958-1996 to Judith Weinstein of Nashville, TN (deceased). Two married sons-Alan (b-1/1961) and Lee (b-7/1962), four grandsons. Married Sue Guterman of Tulsa, OK, October 25, 1997.
Career: First exhibited photographs made in 1951. Pursued career in advertising, marketing and public relations, 1958-73. Late in 1973 began working as professional photographer and writer. Adjunct instructor in photography at the University of Tulsa, 1975. Photography instructor at Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, 1974-77. Member of the Education Committee of Philbrook, 1978-83. Photography instructor, Visual Communications Department, Oklahoma State University, Okmulgee, 1990-91. Past president and President Emeritus of the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, Tulsa. Member and twice chair of the Visual Communications Advisory Committee, Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee; member of the advisory committee to the photography program at Tulsa Technology Center, life member of the American Society of Media Photographers. Member of the Tulsa Historical Society’s Tulsa Hall of Fame. Numerous publication and workshop credits (as instructor).
Areas of concentration: Landscape and nature photography (digital)
Recognition, Exhibitions, Publications (In chronological order):
(Most art gallery shows have been eliminated from this vita.)
1974
· First public exhibition of personal photographs, The Cremer Gallery, Tulsa.
· Seventh Annual Exhibition of Prints Drawings and Crafts, Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock.
· One-man exhibit, Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Cache, Oklahoma.
1975
· Thirty-fifth Oklahoma Artists Annual, Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa.
· Article, Oklahoma’s Granite Parkland published by the Sierra Club Bulletin, (national publication)
1976
· Thirty-sixth Oklahoma Artists Annual, Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa.
1977
· Two prints purchased under the GSA’s Art-in-Architecture program for permanent exhibition in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Office Building, Oklahoma City. (The first time photographs had been included in such a purchase.)
· One-man exhibitions, Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, Museum of the Great Plans, Lawton, OK and The Museum of the Great Prairie, Altus, OK.
1978
· One-man exhibition, Cheekwood Fine Arts Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
1978-79
Only Oklahoman selected for the Mid-America Arts Alliance juried exhibition (traveling 5 states) and publication, “Twelve Photographers, A contemporary Mid-America Document”.
1979
· Group exhibition (Including Ansel Adams’ Portfolio III) opened the gallery of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.
1980
· Produced all the contemporary architectural photography for the book, Tulsa Art Deco, An Architectural Era, 1925- 1942.
1981
· Exhibit of photographs from Tulsa Art Deco, Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa.
· Gold Awards from the Art Directors Clubs of Tulsa and Kansas City for Tulsa Art Deco.
1983
· One man exhibit, Viewpoint Gallery and guest lectures at Texas Tech University, Lubbock.
1984
· Artist in residence, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
· Exhibit of photography by faculty and former faculty, Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa.
1985
· Artist in residence, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
1986
· Photographs from Tulsa Art Deco chosen for exhibition, Ornamental Architecture Reborn: A New Terra Cotta Vocabulary, National Building Museum, Washington, D.C.
· Artist in residence, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
1987
1988
· One man exhibition of Rocky Mountain National Park photographs, Main Interior Department Building, Washington, D.C.
· Exhibition of 36 Cibachrome prints from the original transparencies made for Tulsa Art Deco commissioned by Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa.
· Group exhibit in the Governor’s Gallery of the Oklahoma State Capitol, Oklahoma City.
· Artist in residence, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
· Featured portfolio, Oklahoma Today magazine, Nov/Dec. issue. (Lowell Thomas award for travel photography)
1988 -1998
· Tulsa International Mayfest Invitational, Tulsa, OK
1989
· One-man exhibition, East Gallery of the Oklahoma State Capitol, Oklahoma City.
· Artist in residence, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument, Colorado.
· Received individual artist grant from the Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa to help complete a nine-year photographic study of the architecture of the Boston Avenue Methodist Church, Tulsa.
· One-man exhibition, International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum, Oklahoma City.
1990
· Artist in residence, Glacier National Park, Montana
· One man exhibit, Conoco Gallery, Oklahoma State University, Okmulgee.
1991
· Artist in residence, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
1992
· Artist in residence, Glacier National Park, Montana
1992 (-98)
· One-man Exhibition, By a Clearer Light, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the National Park Service (traveling to 40 venues):
1993
· July 20 – June 1994 – Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Tulsa Art Deco, prints from the Philbrook Collection
· September-Artist in residence, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument, Colorado
1994
· January- exhibition of new work in the Conoco Gallery, Oklahoma State University, Okmulgee, OK
October- Artist in residence, Acadia National Park, Maine
1995-1996
· (Beginning in June, 1995)-Solo exhibition Prairie Landsmen, The Jews of Oklahoma, at the Fenster Museum of Jewish Art, Tulsa, OK. A selection of images from the photographer’s ongoing documentary project, funded by grants from the Oklahoma Museums Association, the Tulsa Jewish Federation Foundation, The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and other private contributions.
1996
· Juror’s Choice Award, Mayfest Invitational Gallery, Tulsa.
· (June) Guest Artist, Oklahoma Arts Institute. Quartz Mountain State Park.
1997
· Juror’s Choice Award, Mayfest Invitational Gallery, Tulsa
1999
By a Clearer Light became a permanent part of the National Park Service collection and is held in the archives at Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
2000
· January 26-February27, Kirkpatrick Galleries at the Omniplex, Oklahoma City, OK, Exhibition of
Prairie Landsmen, The Jews of Oklahoma
· Tulsa International Mayfest Invitational Gallery
· Conducted photography workshops in The San Juan Mountains and Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, during June and August
· Traveled and photographed in New Zealand and Australia
2001
· April15 – May 15: Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Tulsa Art Deco, prints from the Philbrook Collection
· Republication of the book, Tulsa Art Deco, December, 2001)
2002
· Received a Gold Award for the book, Tulsa Art Deco, from Graphex 33, the Regional Competition sponsored by the Art Directors’ Club of Tulsa.
2003
· Assumed role of acting administrator of The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, Tulsa, OK, A full-time volunteer position that continued until January 2004.
2004
· Inducted into the Tulsa Historicasl Society’s Hall of Fame.
2005
2006
Partial List of Collections
Public:
National Park Service
Acadia National Park, Maine
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument, CO
Glacier National Park, Montana
Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma
International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum, Oklahoma City
The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, Tulsa
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Office Building, Oklahoma City
(destroyed in 4/19/95 bombing, but restored to the GSA’s collection in 2000)
The Temple, Congregation Ohabai Shalom, Nashville, Tennessee
Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, Tulsa
Corporate:
Bank of Oklahoma, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Crowe & Dunlevy, Tulsa, OK
Facet Enterprises, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Oklahoma Natural Gas Company, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Also many private collections
All Images © Copyright David Halpern | All Rights Reserved