We have heard the sad news of the passing of three members of the Chicago art community in recent weeks, and I wanted to share a lovely tribute to all three from the Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP.) Each artist worked with the museum over the years, and each one's legacy will remain in safe keeping at MoCP for years to come.

Though they are gone too soon, Rod, Jay and Elizabeth each made an impact on the world of photography and on the people they knew.

– Ginny Van Alyea

In Memoriam

MoCP is saddened to share news of the passing of three close members of the Chicago photo community in recent weeks: Rod Slemmons, Jay Wolke, and Elizabeth Ernst.

Rod Slemmons 

Rod Slemmons was MoCP’s Director from 2002 to 2011. He was a talented curator, museum leader, and educator. Natasha Egan, Karen Irvine, and Kristin Taylor all had the immense privilege of working with Rod for many years. He supported their careers and championed the work of women at large in the arts. Rod was especially passionate about exhibiting and studying work of Latin American and Indigenous artists, as seen in his 2010 MoCP exhibition, La Frontera, or his traveling exhibition Shadowy Evidence, that asked critical questions of Edward Curtis’s work and representation of Indigenous people. A favorite MoCP memory is when Rod celebrated his 70th birthday and resolved to indulge in lobster and champagne. He invited his staff to dinner at his home, but after learning the exorbitant price of lobster that year, he shifted the menu to crab and champagne. You can see Rod sharing some of his thoughts about photography and his work in this interview here.

For many years, Rod taught undergraduate photo history and graduate seminars in the Photography Department at Columbia College Chicago, and prior to his time in Chicago he taught photography and the history of photography for twelve years at the University of Washington in Seattle. He was National Chair of the Society for Photographic Education from 1990 to 1994, and he was named Honored Educator at the SPE National Conference in 2007. Rod was also the Curator of Prints and Photographs at the Seattle Art Museum for 14 years. 

Jay Wolke

Jay Wolke was a legendary educator and artist at Columbia College Chicago. Lovingly referred to by one of his students as “Obi-Wan” because of his sage wisdom, Jay guided thousands of students over his tenure at the college as Professor in the Art and Design Department from 2000-2014 and then as Professor in the Photography Department from 2014 until his recent retirement. MoCP holds 105 of his works in its permanent collection, and these works are regularly on display in exhibitions and print viewings. One fond memory, among many MoCP memories, is when many of Jay’s pieces were selected by Teju Cole for his 2019 exhibition at MoCP, Go Down Moses. Teju marveled at the prints in person, asking to meet Jay so he could share his awe for the exceptional sense of color. Whether depicting marble quarries in Italy, car crashes along the Dan Ryan expressway, or Las Vegas casinos, Jay captured the world he observed vibrantly. You can view a recording of Jay discussing color theory and his work at large in a 2020 virtual studio visit here. You can also hear him in discussion with a former student, Eli Giclas, in the museum’s Focal Point podcast here. We will dearly miss Jay and his presence at the college and out and about for gallery openings and panel discussions across the city. 

Elizabeth Ernst

Elizabeth Ernst was also professor emeritus at Columbia College Chicago, where she taught for 25 years. Elizabeth completed her undergraduate degree at the Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia and her graduate degree at the Institute of Design. An active artist, she posed characters she made out of clay, papier mache, and metal in constructed environments to create fantastical images that communicate poignantly about human behavior. Her work was deeply informed by her relationship with her brother, David, who was born with cerebral palsy, and Elizabeth held a longstanding interest in tackling ideas of difference in her artwork. She was the recipient of numerous Illinois Arts Council Fellowships in Photography, and two Faculty Development Grants from Columbia College. Her work has been exhibited nationally, and she was a fixture in the Chicago art community. You can see her speaking about her work and life in a 2010 video from the Catherine Edelman Gallery here.

Our hearts go out to Rod, Jay, and Elizabeth’s families and the Chicago photo community in this time.