“The eyes only see what the mind is prepared to comprehend. ”
― Henri Bergson
Mildred Alpern grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, attended the prestigious Girls' Latin School, and then Boston University where she graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in government. She received a Masters Degree from Columbia University Teachers College in history and the social sciences. Her career as a high school Advanced Placement European History teacher earned her Committee Chairmanship of the AP European History Test Development Committee, a summer Fulbright to Italy, and place as a Finalist in New York State Teacher of the Year, as well as teacher training positions at Sara Lawrence College, a U.S college in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, and at Manhattanvlle College, NY, among others. She has written articles for scholarly magazines, some of which are included in anthologies on history teaching. She has served as an editor for the American Historical Association
"Teaching History Today," column in its newsletter Perspectives. She is included in Marquis's Who's Who in America, and Women's Who's Who in America. Her current interests are writing, editorial work, and photography.
After her long career as a high school Advanced Placement European History teacher she is currently most interested in writing, editorial work, and photography. She found her passion in photography when the artist Christos set up the saffron "Gates" in Central Park in 2005. Starting with a 2 pixel Point and Shoot digital camera, she progressed to interchangeable lenses when Olympus introduced the mirrorless E-M5 in 2012. At the time she was in her early eighties, which goes to prove that it is never the wrong time for a new passion. Mildred scoured Central Park and Riverside Park for subject matter, while taking a class here and there to learn new techniques. She has had a number of her photos selected for curated exhibitions nationally and internationally, and she has had photo essays published in her local online newspaper, The West Side Rag. She shared with the Pictorial Mag her photo series "Readers", which stems from her fascination with the reader as a solitary and silent figure who is transported into a private world through the mental process of deciphering elaborate markings on a physical surface. Now aged 89, Mildred continues to expand her photographic horizons.
Artist statement: oscillation between "Märchenland" and "Dunkelland," la luce e l'ombra, the romantic and the sublime. In short, anything goes.
Self taught in digital photography, with interests in landscape, street photography, and infrared conversions.
Juried and Curated Gallery Exhibitions, and Exhibition Catalogues
See Juried exhibitions gallery for-up to-date information.
The Swan photographs "The Whiteness of Being," "Masked Cynosure," and "Reflection in an Onyx Eye" have been selected for the Hastings-on-Hudson (NY) Upstream Gallery Small Works Show2019, Jan.3 -Jan. 27, 2019.
The photograph Vanishing Mediator”/ “Changing of the Guard” ( the image has two different titles) and the photograph "Grand Illusion" selected for the Big Shot exhibition at the Biggs Museum of American Art, Dover, Delaware Dec 7 2018-January 27 2019
The photograph Vanishing Mediator”/ “Changing of the Guard” ( the image has two different titles)
1. Juried exhibition Metamorphosis in Darkroom Gallery, Essex Junction, Vt. July 25 -Sept. 2, 2018. Juror is Wendi Schneider
2. Juried exhibition Contemporary Portrait in The SE Center for Photography in South Carolina. Exhibition Nov. 2 - Dec. 1, 2018. Juror is Steve Diamant of the Arcadia Gallery.
3. Juried exhibition Photo Shoot: 2018 in the Black Box Gallery in Portland, Oregon, September 1-20, 2018. "Vanishing Mediator" has been selected to be exhibited in the On-Line Annex gallery and published in the full exhibition catalog. The juror is Todd Johnson.
4. Juried exhibition Shadows in LoosenArt Gallery to be held in Millepiani exhibition Space, Via N. Odero 13 Rome Italy, January 4th-13th, 2019.
The photograph "Polka Dots" has been included and has received "Honorable Mention" in the PH21 Gallery "Punctum" juried exhibition in Budapest, Hungary, October 11 - November 3, 2018. The director is Zsolt Bátori.
The photograph "The Whiteness of Being," selected by Juror Anne Berry to be included in the Fauna exhibition (12/7-12/29/18) at The SE Center for Photography in Greenville, South Carolina.
The photograph "Vortex" has been selected for the California 1650 Gallery Juried Photography Exhibition, UNREAL: Staged, Fantasy and Fictitious Photography, August 2018
The photograph "Allium Seedhead" has been selected for the upcoming Juried Photography Exhibition CLOSE UP at the 1650 Gallery in Los Angeles, CA. July, 2018
The photograph "The Dinner Hour" has been selected by the 1650 Gallery in Los Angeles, California, for their Juried Exhibition URBAN LANDSCAPES. June, 2018.
The photograph "Doll's House" has been selected for the Memory of Place Exhibition at the SE Center for Photography in Greenville, SC, 7/6/18 - 7/28/18. the juror is Susan Spiritus
The photograph "Grand Illusion" was selected by the juror Saul Robbins to be a part of the “Personal Perspective” exhibition at the Darkroom Gallery, Jun 7th - July 15, 2018.
The photograph "Hypnos" has been selected for the juried international upcoming exhibition themed "CorpoRealities" in the PH21 Gallery, Budapest Hungary, June 14 - July 7, 2018.
The photograph He Floats Through the Air selected for the Upstream Gallery "Photography Takes Over 2018" show at Hastings on the Hudson and featured on the announcing poster. February 2018.
Winter Gardens - Seed-heads Exhibition, St Agnes Library, NYC, July 2017
The photograph Corner Room selected for the "A Sense of Place" juried online gallery annex exhibition PhotoPlace Gallery, Vt. Sept. 2016, and Included in the published exhibition catalogue.
The photograph Grackel Looking up selected for "I'll Fly Away," juried exhibition at 1650 Gallery, Echo Park, Los Angeles, July 2016, and included in the published exhibition catalogue
The photograph Empty Arms selected for "Haunted" juried exhibition at the Darkroom Gallery, Essex Jct., Vt., 2016 and included in the published exhibition catalogue
The photograph Fashionista selected for "The Environmental Portrait" juried exhibition at the Darkroom Gallery, Essex Jct., Vt., 2016 and included in the published exhibition catalogue.
The photograph Dueling Instruments selected for "Manus et Pedibus" juried exhibition at the Darkroom Gallery, Essex Jct., Vt., June 2016 and included in the published exhibition catalogue.
The photograph Giggles selected for "GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS" at the 1650 Gallery, Echo Park, Los Angeles, May 2016 and included in the published exhibition catalogue.
The photographs The Playhouse and Geometry selected for "Construct: Art in Architecture" at the Darkroom Gallery Essex Jct., Vt., May 2016 and included in the published exhibition catalogue.
The photograph Blowing in the Wind selected for "Chroma" juried exhibition at the Darkroom Gallery, Essex Jct., Vt., March 2016 and included in the published exhibition catalogue.
The photograph Snowscape selected for Photo Noir Juried exhibition at the PhotoPlace Gallery, Vt. February, 2016, and included in the published exhibition catalogue.
The photograph Immersion selected for "Seities and Selves" juried exhibition at the Darkroom Gallery, Vt. January 2016, and included in the published exhibition catalogue.
The photographs The Red Bathing Suit and Icarus selected for "Splash: The Fluid World of Water," juried exhibition at 1650 Gallery, Echo Park, Los Angeles, September 2015, and included in the published exhibition catalogue.
The photograph Big Bird Whizzing selected for the "Oddity" exhibition, Darkroom Gallery, Essex Jct., Vt., November 2015 and included in the published exhibition catalogue.
The photograph Playmates selected for the "Dreams, Fantasies, and Illusions" juried exhibition PhotoPlace Gallery, Vt. Oct. 2014, and Included in the published exhibition catalogue.
The photograph Framed elected for the juried exhibition "Windows and Doors," PhotoPlace Gallery, Vt, and included in the published exhibition catalogue. 2015.
The photograph Discretion selected for the "Portraiture" juried exhibition, PhotoPlace Gallery, Vt. , and included in the published exhibition catalogue, 2015.
The photograph Remembrance selected for the "War and Peace" juried exhibition, Darkroom Gallery, Vt., July 2015, and included in the published exhibition catalogue.
The photograph Water Sprite in PHOTO/arts Magazine: SELF CONTAINED curated by Christopher Paquette, 2012.
Published articles in Mirrorless Photo Tips:
Mirrorless Photo Tips, Oct. 10th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Mandala Man"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, Sept. 19th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Update: In-Camera Double Exposure Photographs"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, Sept. 12th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Mountain Greenery"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, September 6th, 2016post by Mildred Alpern, "Double Exposures for Double Takes"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, Aug. 29th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Finding the Weird"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, Aug. 22nd, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Vintage Stained Glass"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, Aug. 15th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Raindrops are Fallin" on My Head
Mirrorless Photo Tips, Aug. 8th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern,"Melting Edges with the Jackar Snapshooter"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, Aug. 1st, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern."Sky-High Street Photography"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, July 25th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "To Buy or Not to Buy"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, July18th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Steps to Somewhere"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, July11th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Daisy Daisy, Tell Me Your Answer True!"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, July 5th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Shooting Iconic Images"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, June 27th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Sing Like the Birdies Sing..."
Mirrorless Photo Tips, June 20th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Have Fun with Panning"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, June 13th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Make Someone Happy"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, June 6th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Photographing Lake Nymphs"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, June 2nd, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Infrared Photography: It's Real and Surreal"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, May 26th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Photographing the Great Egret in B&W"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, May 19th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "Drown Yourself in Tulips"
Mirrorless Photo Tips, May 10th, 2016 post by Mildred Alpern, "How I made My Favorite Photograph"
New York Times Metropolitan Diary
NYT Metropolitan Diary, August 17, 2016 Blue Jay Dance Haiku and photograph of Blue Jay on wire by Mildred Alpern
NYT Metropolitan Diary, May 15th, 2016, Springtime Haiku and photograph of Pop-up-Green by Mildred Alpern
NYT Metropolitan Diary, April 3rd, 2016. Shape-Shifting Wind and Big Bird Whizzing photograph by Mildred Alpern.
Publications
Shades of Blue
Amazon, June, 2014
For those who love the blues, an image series of skies. landscapes, seascapes, rural and urban, reveling in a myriad of blue shades.
Winter Squares,
Caught in a New York snowstorm, persons hurry and scurry in varied positions against the wind and falling snow.
Blurb, January 29, 2014
Prouts Neck, Maine: sea, sand, rocks
Blurb, July 10, 2013
Dramatic color and black & white images of the rugged coastline at Prouts Neck that inspired Winslow Homer.
Escapade: Images and Impressions
CreateSpaceFebruary 9, 2012
...dawn to dusk photographs of Fire Island, New York, a sparkling beach spot on the Atlantic Ocean. Commentaries enhance the viewing by describing in detail what makes each image unique and remarkable.
Longman's Guide to the Advanced Placement Examination in European History
BookSurge Publishing July 5, 2007
A survey of modern European History from the Renaissance to post World War II, integrating art, literature, and social history into the overview. Assists in writing essays and analyzing document-based questions will prepare the student for the Advanced Placement examination.
Overheard Confessions, Parts 1 - 7
MagCloud November 29, 2012
The series deal photographically with the ups and downs of a romantic relationship, concluding with a message in a bottle.
Loving the Land
Blurb November 5, 2012
A series of photographs of Columbia County, NY, autumnal scenes.
Skylines Unconventional and Unexpected
Blurb December 5, 2012
Brazen manipulations of New York City skylines - faking it.
Tabitha, Covergirl Playmate
Blurb January 14, 2013
A humorous photographic look at a covergirl playmate's decision to change her life and get out of suggestive modeling.
Photography Exhibition (permanent) at:
HMS Productions, 250 West 39th St. NYC, NY 10018, 12th and 18th Floor