Juror’s Statement for “Color Stories”

In the words of Shelby Graham…

It was an honor to jury these wonderful images for the themed Color Stories: CODA 2026 Members’ Exhibition, from talented local photographers of CODA (Community of Digital Artists). I applaud you all.

This unique group has been meeting monthly for over twenty years to share creative work, host visiting photographers, and support one another’s artistic growth. In an era when photography is ubiquitous, when, in many ways, everyone is a photographer, this community remains grounded in thoughtful practice and collective inquiry. Its members embrace the evolving landscape of digital photography including learning new techniques and deepening their craft.

In the book, Art and Fear, Ted Orland and David Bayles suggest that artists who lose connection to a creative community or critique group often stop making work altogether. Their insight underscores a central question many artists face: who are we making this work for? Within CODA, this question becomes a shared and generative inquiry. The group has cultivated a vibrant space where members can explore their ideas collectively.

CODA supports this exploration through monthly photo prompts that encourage experimentation and dialogue. Participants respond to themes such as layers, flow, blue, sense of place, and nightscapes, then gather to share and reflect on their work. These prompts function not only as creative catalysts but also as frameworks for expanding visual language and content.

This exhibition's theme of color evokes strong emotional and psychological responses. Their exploration recalls the “color renaissance” of the 1970s, when photographers began to embrace vivid palettes in depictions of everyday life including colorful urban scenes, landscapes, patterns, and abstract forms. Artists such as William Eggleston and Joel Meyerowitz exemplify this shift, demonstrating how color can transform the ordinary into a resonant and visually compelling image.

The installation of this exhibition is more or less arranged in the visible light spectrum from red to violet, with a few exceptions.

About the Juror:

Shelby Graham earned an M.F.A. in photography from San José State University and has a 40-year career in the arts as an educator, contemporary gallery director, and experimental photographer, including exhibitions in the U.S., Japan, Spain, and the Czech Republic. She served as the Director/Curator of the Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) from 1999 to 2021. She was on the Board of Trustees at the Center for Photographic Art in Carmel from 2015-2018. Her most recent curatorial projects are Richard Mayhew: Inner Terrain (2023-2025) and Raymond Saunders: On Freedom and Trust (2022) at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. After retiring, Graham has been teaching Careers in the Creative Economy at UC Santa Cruz.