The ΒιΆΉΣ°ΤΊ State Salem campus is hosting a display of artwork created by Dr. Jack Vazzana, an associate professor of sociology at the East Liverpool campus. The pieces were created by the giclee (zhee-clay) technique which uses digital pictures that are computer altered and printed by ink jet.
Vazzana is a visual sociologist whose pictures βexplore iconic, existential meaning in American culture, challenging the viewer to see beyond the obvious.β He began taking pictures as a young child and his interest grew throughout his educational and professional careers.
Originally from Pittsburgh, he earned a bachelorβs degree in psychology and a masterβs in sociology from Duquesne University. He earned a doctorate degree in administration and policy studies from the University of Pittsburgh.
Vazzanaβs works were exhibited in the prestigious Louisville Visual Arts Association in Louisville, Ken. Sponsored by the ΒιΆΉΣ°ΤΊucky Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, this juried show is highly competitive. He was one of only 22 artists whose works were accepted from more than 200 applicants.
While at Duquesne as a student in the 1960βs, Vazzana created more than 40 cartoons titled βThe Doorsβ that are now archived at the universityβs Gumberg Library for their sociological significance.
He began his teaching career at the Community College of Allegheny County before moving to Robert Morris University. In 1999, he joined the faculty of ΒιΆΉΣ°ΤΊ State East Liverpool.
According to Dr. Richard Serpe, chair of the ΒιΆΉΣ°ΤΊβs department of sociology: βWithin sociology for the past two decades, there has been a discourse focusing on making sociology accessible to others. The term that is used to frame this discussion is βpublic sociology.β Jackβs juried work dealing with culture, inequality and everyday life is not only relevant from a scholarship and creative active professional activity, it brings topics central to sociological discourse into an interactional and educational frame that makes connections beyond the spoken word.β
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Media Contact:
Tina Smith, 330-337-7427, tsmit170@kent.edu