ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.- Stage Sight, a group exhibition that features new and recent work by photography majors at Bard College, is on view at the Hudson Opera House from Friday, April 13, through Saturday, May 5. Highlighting the talents of the program's most ambitious students, who worked with curators at Bard College's Center for Curatorial Studies, the photography majors explore themes of theatricality and performance in their work. Stage Sight collects these diverse approaches, and presents them within the historic space of the Hudson Opera House, located at 327 Warren Street in Hudson, New York. The opening reception is on Friday, April 13, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Stage Sight includes a range of photographic methods and conceptual concerns that address notions of the staged, theatrical narratives associated with the opera. Marten Elder creates images that appear to be the result of Photoshop, but are really "low-tech" hoaxes that fool the viewer's eye. Justin Jankus stages fellow students as the famous statue of soldier raising the flag at Iwo Jima, investigating the gaps between generations and our knowledge of history through photography. Sam Richards performs clumsily, yet convincingly, in the clichéd poses of a pin-up girl. Emine Gozde Sevim casts herself in a mysterious, poetic video of intrigue and broken promises. Lanya Snyder photographs fake birds and flowers in seductively beautiful and spare still life arrangements.

Considered one of the strongest undergraduate photography programs in the country, the Bard College Photography Program emphasizes both conceptual practices and thoughtful picture making. The Program is headed by Stephen Shore who is joined by a faculty, of accomplished, practicing artists, such as Barbara Ess, John Pilson, Larry Fink, An-My Le and Tim Davis. Further information on the program and faculty can be found at the website http://inside.bard.edu/photo/.

Stage Sight is curated by Lauren Benanti, Daniel Byers, and Terri Smith, graduate students at Bard College's Center for Curatorial Studies.