MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College Museum of Art is currently featuring three recently acquired black-and-white photographs by local photographer Tad Merrick (1951-2012). A well-loved fixture in the Middlebury area for his 30 years as a commercial photographer, Merrick was less well known for his non-commercial photographs, which employed shape, shadow, and scale — and an objective frontal vantage point — to both isolate his subjects and emphasize their insignificance within their own settings. His often humorous and ironic compositions are usually imbued with a sense of unfulfilled drama that the viewer must complete.
By acquiring these works — each from a different decade of his career — the museum has committed to preserving a sampling of Merrick’s artistic legacy for future generations. His photographs will be on view through Aug. 11.
The Middlebury College Museum of Art, located in the Mahaney Center for the Arts on Route 30 on the southern edge of campus, is free and open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. It is closed Mondays. The museum is physically accessible. Parking is available in the Mahaney Center for the Arts parking lot. For further information and to confirm dates and times of scheduled events, please call (802) 443-5007 or TTY (802) 443-3155, or visit the museum’s website at museum.middlebury.edu.