Steve Nelson, assistant adjunct professor of art at Hope College, had photographs selected for exhibition at the Padzieski Art Gallery in Dearborn's new Ford Community & Performing Arts Center.

Steve Nelson, assistant adjunct professor of art at Hope College, had photographs selected for exhibition at the Padzieski Art Gallery in Dearborn's new Ford Community & Performing Arts Center.

Nelson's photographs are included in a group exhibition of Creative Artists Grant (CAG) Award winners in the visual arts disciplines for 2002 and 2000.

The exhibition will open in the Padzieski Art Gallery on Wednesday, Oct. 30, and run through Sunday, Nov. 24. An artist's reception and opening will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The group show is scheduled to run in conjunction with ArtServe Michigan's annual Governors' Arts Awards ceremony to be held there on Tuesday, Nov. 19.

The photographs are from a series of black and white panoramic photographs of Michigan landscapes that Nelson completed this year with the support of a 2002 CAG award provided through ArtServe Michigan in conjunction with the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs. The series of 20 photographs, "Endless Landscapes," explore the relationships between the past and present in the vernacular landscape.

Of the work, Nelson said, "I am interested in photographing places with features that are of a timeless quality within a specific geography. These places bear evidence of human presence in their various architectural forms and current human activity. These elements are a natural part of their setting, suggesting an enduring relationship to the landscape."

Nelson traveled throughout Michigan photographing locations with names like "Two Hearted River" and "Paradise" that echo his own sentiments about the places. "These tend to be uncelebrated landscapes, that are rich with folklore and natural beauty," he said.

The Ford Community & Performing Arts Center is located at 15801 Michigan Avenue in Dearborn. The gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 5:30 p.m.