Formed in early 2021, the Mesquite Fine Arts Photographic Society's mission is to:

Elevate photography as an art form by sharing our expertise, ideas and creations with the community.

Monthly Meetings

We meet monthly from September through June (summer recess during July and August).

Meetings are generally on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm in VVAA Classroom. Our gatherings last about two hours and are open to the public and free of charge. Specific meeting dates and events are on the Gallery’s website events calendar.

Join our email list by emailing Randy Bauman at rrdiversions@gmail.com, and you’ll get email updates on upcoming meeting agendas and topics.

 Our agendas usually include the following:

1. A social time where we informally share our comments, questions, and experiences on a wide range of photography topics and get to know each other.
2. A “What I’ve Been Shooting” slideshow allows members to share recent photos from their outings and our events and exhibitions.
3. A “Beginners Corner” where we take questions from and assist beginners on equipment selection, image editing, or any topic they need help with. These include “bring your camera” nights, where members assist beginners in becoming familiar with their cameras and equipment.
4. Workshops and presentations are offered on various photography-related topics, from equipment and software tools to techniques such as exposure, depth of field, composition/cropping, printing, and matting/framing. We also have workshops on software and image editing apps and longer presentations by members or outside guests on a wide range of photography topics. Recent topics have included deep-sky and wildlife photography.
5. “From Exposure to Exhibition” presentations where members share images exhibited in the Mesquite Fine Arts Gallery and the history and process they used to take the “snapshot” and make it into “art.”  

Other Events

Outside of our regular meetings, we try to schedule photo walks, photo outings, and more in-depth workshops on specific topics.

Monthly Exhibitions

We encourage members to get their photos off their phones and computers and print, mat, and frame them – turning them into art. We say, “If it’s not printed, framed and displayed, it’s not “art.”

We encourage members to join the Virgin Valley Artists’ Association, participate in the monthly exhibitions, and help by mentoring them using the techniques and tools we share and learn about during our meetings. Upcoming exhibition themes and drop-off dates are on the Gallery’s calendar and announced at each meeting.

Annual Portfolio Challenge

Each year during the Fall and Winter, we encourage members to develop photography portfolios. Member portfolios are displayed at a special Photography Exhibit at the Mesquite Fine Arts Gallery in May each year.

Portfolios consist of 3 to 7 images that coalesce around a body of work or theme - images that have something that links them together, such as color, style, subject, or place.

During our regular meetings, we share our portfolio ideas and provide feedback to assist members in choosing, refining, and creating their portfolios. Individual mentoring is also available.