Photographer Louis Aliotta of Southport, NC, has been awarded a space in the 2014 Artist in Residence program of the South Carolina State Park Service. According to park manager, Harry Hafer, the placement committee was “extremely pleased with the quality of artists that applied this year. This quality made the final selection a tough decision for the jurors.”
The program includes a one week stay in a fully furnished park cabin on South Carolina’s Dreher Island, where Aliotta will be inspired by the nature trails, fishing spots, recreational activities and shoreline of Lake Murray.
Aliotta first became interested in photography at the age of 14. As a staff photographer for his high school yearbook and student newspaper, he gained experience shooting candid photographs, portraits, sports images and group photos. It was during this time that he began to study and work under master photographer John Freni.
After a stint in the Navy, where he served as photographer’s mate, he returned home to Poughkeepsie, NY, and spent the next five years working in commercial photography. Eventually losing interest in the commercial aspects of photography, he began working as a custom picture framer while he also pursued a more relaxed form of photography. Says Aliotta, “Custom framing exposed me to a variety of fine art and techniques used by artists and photographers. It really gave me the opportunity to experiment and refine my technical and artistic abilities.”
In 1983, Aliotta opened his own gallery and framing business, Framecenter/Hudson River Graphics. The gallery showcased photography of New York’s majestic Hudson Valley. After several visits to North Carolina, he relocated to Southport in 2005 and began a new portfolio of images that include the Cape Fear region and the Carolina coast. Aliotta is known for has panoramic photographs of harbor scenes, wild flowers and coastal images. In addition to photographing whatever moves him, he also photographs artwork at Sunset River Marketplace art gallery, where he has worked as the staff photographer and custom framer since 2007. Gallery owner Ginny Lassiter said, “Lou has a special eye for composing local landmark scenes that stand out both for their photographic quality and their emotional appeal.”
Photographic works by Louis Aliotta are on display at Sunset River Marketplace in Calabash (910/575-5999) and also at Art Shak Studo and Gallery in Southport (910/457-1757).
Tags: Calabash NC, Carolina Arts, Louis Aliotta, South Carolina State Park 2014 Artist in Residence Program, Sunset River Marketplace, Visiting Calabash NC, Visiting North Carolina
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