Sarah Vahaplar is an artist and educator currently based in Binghamton, NY. She earned her Bachelors in Visual Arts Education at the State University of New York at New Paltz and later her Masters in Photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Since then, she has taught both photography and art at SCAD, Savannah Country Day School, Binghamton City Schools, and most recently, Southern New Hampshire University.
Throughout her life, Sarah has always had a passion for the arts and education. Her own work centers around alternative approaches to photography including scanography and large-format pinhole photography. Through her work, she explores ideas such as the significance of touch, and documenting physical mortality. She has had the privilege of having her work showcased in numerous solo and group exhibitions both nationally and internationally and was honored to receive the Julia Margaret Cameron Award in 2019. She is thrilled to be included in the Broome County Artist in Residence program this upcoming year as she continues to pursue her own artistic endeavors and gain experience to be shared with her students and other members of the greater arts community.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
2013 Savannah College of Art and Design
Master of Fine Art in Photography (Magna cum laude) Sept. 2011-Dec. 2013
2010 State University of New York at New Paltz
Bachelor of Science in Visual Arts Education (Magna cum laude) New York Certification in Visual Arts Education (K-12) Sept. 2006- May 2010
Teaching Experience
Southern New Hampshire University – Remote, Adjunct Professor
Teaching Photo Practice in Digital Age, History of Photography, Digital Narratives/Documentary, Photographic Aesthetic Concept and Digital Photography
Spring 2017 – Present
Savannah College of Art and Design – Lacoste, France,Adjunct Professor
Taught Photographic Travel and Photographic Portfolio
Maintained dark room and digital labs
Fall 2016
Binghamton City School District – Binghamton, NY
Taught 2-D, 3-D and digital art mediums including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, digital arts, and ceramics
Art Teacher 2017 – 2020
KAPOW! Art Workshops – Binghamton, NY
Taught Digital Photography, Digital Editing, Videography and Historical Processes
Photography and Digital Art Workshop Instructor and Coordinator Summer 2016 - 2018
Savannah Country Day School — Savannah, GA Art and Photography
Taught Digital Photography, Black and White Photography and Studio Art
Instructor, Middle and High School Aug 2014 – May 2016
Two Rivers Photography Club — Vestal, NY Reviewer and Speaker
2017 - Present
Exhibitions
2026 Broome County Artist in Residence - Binghamton, NY - May-June
2023 Southeast Center for Photography - Greenville, SC - Women by Women, Group Exhibition
Nuditas Group Exhibition - Online Exhibition and Publication - September-November
D’Art Gallery - Denver, CO - Conceptual Photography, Group Exhibition
2022 NUDUS: Exhibition and Publication - The Naked Truth of the Human Body, June 15- July 29
2020 Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts - Providence, RI
Photography without a Lens Exhibition, Online since June 2020 with a later opening exhibition
2019 Broome County Arts Exhibition -Binghamton, NY - Group Exhibition, July-August
Julia Margaret Cameron Award Exhibition – Barcelona, Spain - Gallery Valid Foto, Group Exhibition (Biennale) April
2018 GAMU (The Gallery of the Academy of Performing Arts) –Prague, Czech Rep.
“American Identities,” Group exhibition, November- December
South Carolina State University – Orangeburg, SC - Solo Exhibition, artist lecture, FAB Gallery, September – November
2017 Liza Knoll Gallery – Denver, CO The Art of Scanography, group exhibition March – April
Light Leaked – www.lightleaked.com - Showcased in juried online exhibition and included in database
2016 Jepson Center of Telfair Museum - Savannah, GA - Savannah: Old and New, group exhibition, May
South Carolina State University - Orangeburg, SC - Solo Exhibition, artist lecture, FAB Gallery, March-April
Society of Photographic Education Exhibition - Las Vegas, NV - Combined Caucus exhibition and publication
6th Annual Helen Levitt Photography Competition - Savannah, GA - Jury committee member, A-Town Get Down Festival
Manifest Gallery - Cincinnati, OH - International Photo Annual 4, Exhibition-in-print
Ticka Arts Foundation - Austin, TX - O2 Gallery at Flatbed Press, Group exhibition
Black Orchid Gallery - Savannah, GA - Solo exhibition
2014 Gutstein Gallery - Savannah, GA - SCAD: Silver and Ink Symposium Group exhibition and catalogue
Plates to Pixels - http://platestopixels.com/blog - Included in online database of photography-based artists
Ticka Arts Foundation - www.ticka-arts.com - Nonprofit online photography database, Showcased online gallery artist
2013 Oglethorpe Gallery - Savannah, GA - Solo MFA Thesis Exhibition, ‘Contact’
PhotoPlace Gallery - Middlebury, VT - Group exhibition
Non-Fiction Gallery - Savannah, GA - Group exhibition
Marion Royale Gallery - Beacon, NY - Dia: Beacon Exhibition
Skills
New York State Teaching Certification in Visual Arts Education, proficient in Adobe Photoshop, Premiere Pro, digital input and output, darkroom developing/printing, non-silver processes, videography, large format photography, studio lighting, history of art and photography, color correction and calibration, digital file maintenance, painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking Microsoft Office, Spanish language, CPR certified