Artist Bio

Chris Walters is a Corning, NY based photographer whose work centers on environmental portraiture and landscapes. Recent solo exhibitions and projects include From the Shadows at The Rockwell Museum, The Mighty Chemung at 171 Cedar Arts Center, and The Public's School at the Southeast Steuben County Library. A recipient of three New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Support for Artists grants, Chris recently completed Farming Steuben, a portrait project documenting farming families throughout Steuben County, NY.

Chris current serves as the Executive Director of The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes. Prior to this, he served as The ARTS Council's Grants Manager & Gallery Curator for more than a dozen years. Previously he worked overseas in the country of Georgia as the Country Director & Educational Programs Manager for an international non-profit. Chris holds a MA in International Educational Development from Columbia University, a BA in Interdisciplinary Humanities from the University of West Florida, and he completed two years of service as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Chris draws inspiration from photographers Erika Larsen and LaToya Ruby Frazier, cinematographers Hoyte van Hoytema and Grieg Frasier, and authors Madeline Miller and Ernest Hemingway. He is represented by West End Gallery in Corning, NY.

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Artistic Practice

My work strives to authentically document and showcase the people and places of New York’s Southern Tier. I employ a community centered, participatory approach to empower people to shape their own narratives and utilize often-unseen perspectives to convey the unique vitality and beauty of our region. Interconnected in purpose and pursuit, I aspire for these photographic stories to bring forth an affirming and dynamic vision of the Southern Tier and to celebrate the community making and stewardship found within.

I currently utilize a Nikon mirrorless camera system, and most recently, a Hasselblad medium format film camera system.