Purdue University North Central Odyssey Arts and Cultural Events Series is presenting the exhibit, "On Assignment," a collection of black and white photographs by the late Rebecca Janes.
"On Assignment" will be on display through May 17 in the PNC Library-Student-Faulty Building student lounge, Room 062. Building hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Library-Student-Faculty Building is closed on Sundays.
Janes, a freelance photographer and native of La Porte County, spent many years combining her two greatest passions - traveling and photography. She began traveling in her late teens when photography was her hobby. She became an international photographer, traveling to more than 35 countries, capturing a spectrum of social and environmental conditions.
Her photographs present a vivid representation of the native people going about their lives, sharing a candid view into other cultures. Janes covered assignments in Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, South Africa and Southeast Asia. Her work earned numerous awards and honors and her work was published in "The New York Times," "The Boston Globe" and other publications.
She worked for non-governmental organizations such as the Inter-American Foundation, The Hunger Project, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, Amnesty International and International Fund for Animal Welfare.
"On Assignment," a traveling exhibit, will include the images:
"Mahouts and Their Elephants, India" - For an assignment with the International Fund for Animal Welfare in India, Janes covered the plight of domestic and wild animals, especially elephants, in the states of Assam and Rajasthan. Domestic elephants are common and used as transportation and beasts of burden, like big horses. Elephant drivers, called "mahouts," are responsible for their domesticated elephants. In India, with a billion people and growing, positive changes for the mahouts and their elephants is coming very slowly.
"Encounters with Children" - During Janes' work and travels, she met and photographed children. While their circumstances vary, children are surprisingly similar in behavior, wants, needs and play. These photos were part of an assignment, "State of the World's Mothers," which annually examines the general state of children. Solutions seek to improve education levels for women and girls, provide more access to maternal and child healthcare and advance women's economic opportunity.
"Strong Women/Mujeres Fuertes" - Captures the experiences of women from Peru and Bolivia involved in micro-enterprise pursuits. After a year or even a few months of loans and education, the women became the primary providers for their families. The end result is high self-esteem, pride, strength and personal happiness which show in their satisfied faces.
"Real Mexico/Mexico Real" - Depicts slices of everyday life in a country whose people are engaged in emerging economies. Janes found dignity, beauty and the realities of existence compelling, the effort of the less fortunate arduous; but throughout her travels, recognized universal desires for betterment.
To obtain further information about this exhibit or the Odyssey Arts and Cultural Events Series, contact Judy Jacobi, PNC assistant vice chancellor of Marketing and Campus Relations, at 219-785-5200, ext. 5593. Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Jacobi.