The Center for Photographic Art is honored to host artist Kelli Connell and curator Dr. Rebecca Senf for a special keynote talk. This conversation will focus on Connell’s work and monograph, Pictures for Charis.

Pictures for Charis is loosely based on the life of Charis Wilson and the time she spent with photographer Edward Weston from 1934 - 1945. Using Through Another Lens: My Life with Edward Weston (Wilson’s autobiography) and California and the West (with text written by Wilson and images by Weston) as a guide, Pictures for Charis takes a closer look at photographer-to-sitter relationships as Kelli Connell and her previous partner, Betsy Odom, travel to diverse California locales where Wilson and Weston lived and made work together. Pictures for Charis serves as an homage to Charis Wilson, and as a backdrop to raise questions about gender, sexuality and relationships in the twenty-first century. The monograph Kelli Connell: Pictures for Charis(Aperture & Center for Creative Photography: March, 2024) includes photographs and writing by Connell as well as passages written by Wilson and photographs made by Edward Weston.

Many of the photographs were taken in Carmel and in Monterey County.

What better way to kick off PhotoCarmel, a celebration of photography, than to have these two photography experts talk about Connell's powerful work. This program will be followed by a book signing in the gallery. Reserve your seat now for this important and inspiring lecture!