White House Photographer Pete Souza Delivers Lecture On Oct. 15 at Wilkes University

The lecture will prelude his exhibition "Two Presidents, One Photographer" from Oct. 22 to Dec. 8 at the Sordoni Art Gallery

Wilkes-Barre, PA (09/26/2019) — The work of legendary White House photographer Pete Souza will be featured when the Sordoni Art Gallery at Wilkes University presents Two Presidents, One Photographer. As a prelude to the exhibition, Souza will deliver a lecture a lecture at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15 where he will discuss his career as a White House photographer during both the Reagan and Obama administrations.

The lecture is free and open to the public. It will be held at the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center. At the conclusion of the lecture, there will be an audience Q&A session and a book signing. Flash photography and video recording is not permitted at the event.

Prior to the lecture, Souza will speak at a Sordoni Art Gallery members-only meet-and-greet which includes a preview of the exhibition. Advanced registration is required. To become a member of the gallery, visitors can go to www.wilkes.edu/sordoniartgallery.

Souza also will meet with Wilkes University students in a private session.

Two Presidents, One Photographer showcases 56 of Souza's photographs and favorite images taken during his tenure as chief official White House photographer for Presidents Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan. The exhibition will run from Oct. 22 through Dec. 8.

Souza is a freelance photographer based in the Washington, D.C., area and is the former director of the White House Photography Office. He previously was a national photographer for the Chicago Tribune, a freelancer for National Geographic, and an official White House photographer for President Ronald Reagan. He is the author of six photography books, including, Obama: An Intimate Portrait, which debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It is one of the best-selling photography books of all time. His new book, Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents, was published in October 2018.

Other events coinciding with the exhibition include:

Oct. 23, 4:30 p.m. Art In Context Lecture: Thomas Baldino, Reagan and Obama: Two Presidents, Many Differences, Yet Similar in Important Characteristics. Baldino is a professor emeritus of political science at Wilkes University. He served as a faculty associate to the Legislative Office of Research Liaison of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and as the associate editor of Commonwealth, the journal of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association. The lecture will take place in the Sordoni Art Gallery.

Nov. 13, 4:30 p.m. Art In Context Lecture: Lisa Reynolds, Designing a Presidency: How Graphic Design Influences the Political Narrative. Reynolds is a graphic designer, art director and educator. She has spent nearly 20 years working in the Northeast Pennsylvania market, specializing mainly in design for education and development. She is an assistant professor of digital design and media art at Wilkes University and maintains an active freelance practice, working primarily in publishing. The lecture will take place in the Sordoni Art Gallery.

The Sordoni Art Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.wilkes.edu/sordoniartgallery.

The $3 million, 7,000-square-foot Sordoni Art Gallery is a culmination of a gallery revitalization plan to enrich the arts for students, faculty and staff while contributing to cultural life in the local community. More than double the size of the former gallery, the new space opened in 2017 and is outfitted for high-end national art exhibitions and includes versatile opportunities for teaching and learning. The gallery shares space with the Karambelas Media and Communication Center at 141 S. Main St. in Wilkes Barre.

About Wilkes University:

Wilkes University is a private, independent, non-sectarian institution of higher education dedicated to academic and intellectual excellence through mentoring in the liberal arts, sciences and professional programs. Founded in 1933, Wilkes is on a mission to create one of the nation's finest doctoral universities, offering all of the programs, activities and opportunities of a large university in the intimate, caring and mentoring environment of a small college, open to all who show promise. The Economist named Wilkes 25th in the nation for the value of its education for graduates. In addition to 46 majors, Wilkes offers 24 master's degree programs and five doctoral/terminal degree programs, including the doctor of philosophy in nursing, doctor of nursing practice, doctor of education, doctor of pharmacy, and master of fine arts in creative writing. Learn more at www.wilkes.edu.

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