Lori Vrba “Self Portriat”

“I was raised in a small, back-woods Southeast Texas town. I did not grow up with an exposure to art. I did not have an uncle with a darkroom. I did not hold a camera until I was a grown woman.” These lines at the beginning of Lori Vrba’s personal statement are jarring and assertive.  They hint at part of her artistic essence –the self-taught photographer with creativity bubbling over and out. Vrba is committed to traditional photography methods with film and darkroom to process, print and tone.

The Light Factory (a Knight Arts grantee) hosts Vrba as the final speaker in this season’s Luminaries Lecture Series on Thursday, July 18 at 7 p.m.  The lecture will be held at UNC Charlotte’s Center City Building in Uptown Charlotte.  It is free to students and members of the Light Factory, but $5 for all others.

Vrba resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina although she is originally from Texas, and she is not new to the Light Factory; she was selected as one of the winners of the Third Annuale in 2010.  Her work is represented by galleries across the United States at the Catherine Couturier Gallery in Houston and Wall Space Gallery in Santa Barbara, Calif. The Lishui Museum of Photography in China and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston also hold her work in their permanent collections.

The Light Factory.

The Light Factory: 345 North College St., Charlotte; 704-333-9755; www.lightfactory.org. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., 1-6 p.m. UNC Charlotte Center City building: 320 E. 9th St., Charlotte; centercity.uncc.edu. Hours: Mon.-Sun., 9 a.m.-9 p.m.