Thyen-Clark Cultural Center to feature Pfaffenweiler exhibit from photographer Jay Hamlin

Jasper Community Arts will present the work of Jasper photographer Jay Hamlin for the months of July, August and September 2023 at the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center.

Hamlin’s exhibit features photographs from his recent travels to Jasper’s Sister City, Pfaffenweiler,
Germany.

Travel affords us the opportunity to step out of our comfort zone and, for a period, modify our routine. It allows us to integrate into a world outside ourself and discover the commonalities we share as humans while, at the same time, discovering new and fresh ways to create solutions for wants, needs and problems we have at home. Travel, if we are open to it, has the ability to heighten our compassion and empathy for others as we see that the hopes, dreams, struggles, stresses and anxieties of humans are universal, and the decisions we make to achieve or overcome them are rooted in the same deep desires for life, liberty, and happiness for ourselves and our family.

For me, travel has always been a source of inspiration, growth, learning and adventure. I travel with
an eye for discovery and use my camera as a method of capturing my wonder and curiosity. I shoot
more as an opportunist, finding inspiration in the daily, the mundane, the overlooked. Though I can plan and prep for certain shots and wait patiently for the right moment, I have found that the world does not operate on my schedule or with my wants in mind. So, therefore, I tend to meander through a location rather than scout it. I may only have a few minutes to enjoy a place, and may never get there again. So, I document what I can, most often with the mission of capturing the natural beauty or of shooting the human marvels that hands have created.

I have been fortunate enough to travel large swaths of the U.S., portions of Mexico and the Caribbean, Thailand, and now through a small part of Europe. The images you will see represent my first foray into Europe, to the home of Jasper’s Sister City, Pfaffenweiler, Germany. Nestled in the southwest region of the country, Pfaffenweiler is uniquely blessed with timber, stone, and fertile soil, ingredients key to the foundation of Pfaffenweiler’s economy, churning out craftsmen, stone carvers and winemakers known throughout the region and beyond.

My images are a visual representation of that heritage, highlighting the reputation Pfaffenweiler has developed in Germany and the legacy they passed on to Jasper through the expertise of the immigrants Pfaffenweiler sent to Jasper in its earliest days. My aim is to tell a story of the foundations on which Pfaffenweiler was built and how those elements weave into its story even as it evolves in our rapidly changing modern environment. Further, I want to connect those elements from Pfaffenweiler that are integral components of the cultural fabric that helped Jasper blossom into a community known for its finely crafted furniture, its monumental stone buildings and the basket of agriculture that helps to feed a nation.

Pfaffenweiler is proof that it takes a village and that great things come in small packages. Meander
the gallery, lose yourself in the journey, and discover little gems within the image. Wander to wonder and discover the story Pfaffenweiler brings from there to here. Jay Hamlin

Jay Hamlin holds an MS in counseling and counseling education, a MA for teachers social studies
Education and a BA in Anthropology, all from Indiana University.

Hamlin’s solo exhibition will be on display from July 6th through September 24, 2023. First Thursday Receptions will take place on Thursday, July 6th, Thursday, August 3rd and Thursday, September 7th, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The galleries at the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center, located at 100 3rd Avenue, Suite A, Jasper, IN
47546, are open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday from
10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and Sunday from noon to 3:00 pm. School groups, clubs, and students are
welcome. Admission is free. Donations appreciated.
For more information, please call 812-482-3070. Jasper Community Arts is a department of the
City of Jasper. JCA is supported in part by Friends of the Arts, Inc., the Indiana Arts Commission,
The Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, and the National Endowment for the Arts.