Communities
Jon Gitelson '97
Living a photogenic life
"My experience at Marlboro taught me a strong work ethic," says Jon, who is now a working artist and assistant professor at Keene State College. "Completing the Plan of Concentration was one of the hardest things that I've ever done, and I've tried to approach all of my work since with the same energy and with the same desire for perfection."
After graduating from Marlboro, Jon taught photography in Guatemala and then spent several years in Boston working as a house painter, a waiter and a cook. But during this time of exploration his art was never far from his mind. "I always worked hard at my photography," he says. "I had darkrooms in all of my apartments and spent all of my free time photographing."
Jon received his MFA in photography from Columbia College Chicago in 2004, and stayed in Chicago to live and teach for several years prior to returning to New England. His work has been exhibited regularly throughout Europe as well as in the U.S., most recently at the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Jon was interviewed on Chicago Public Radio about his permanent installation of photos and recollections at the city's historic Armitage Station.
"My work tends to be very grounded in the themes that I studied while at Marlboro," says Jon. "I'm interested in narratives and in the observation and awareness of daily living, both of which I attribute to my studies of Albert Camus."