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Erika Gentry is an internationally exhibited, interdisciplinary artist working within photography, video and installation. Her projects explore issues of identity as expressed through the use of technology and place. A self proclaimed Francophile, she exhibits and travels internationally and in 2014, 2018 was an artist in residence in France funded in part by the Tenot Foundation and Center for Cultural Innovation. She also designs photography workshops for intermediate photographers in France and San Francisco: www.photographyinfrance.com and www.erikagentry.com.

Gentry specializes in lens based media (video, photography) digital imaging, multi media arts, education and fine art printing in the Bay Area. An early advocate of the creative digital domain, she has been teaching and presenting electronic arts and photography nationwide since 1996 and has been a consultant to many of the industry’s leading professional photographers as they converted from film to a digital work-flow. She has worked in freelance photography, magazine and book picture editing, art direction, advanced digital post-production, web design and as a curator and educator. She has taught one-on-one and group courses at corporations and colleges such as The Rochester Institute of Technology, The San Francisco Art Institute, Foothill College, City College of San Francisco and Rayko Photo Center. She is currently a full-time faculty member at the City College of San Francisco.

Gentry grew up in Portland Oregon and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from The School of Journalism and Communications at the University of Oregon in Eugene. She completed her master of fine arts degree at The College of Imaging Arts and Sciences from New York’s Rochester Institute of Technology. She has served as a Director on the National Board and the West Regional Board for The Society for Photographic Education where in 2012 she co-chaired it’s first sold out national conference in San Francisco. She has also served on the advisory board of Lens Culture Magazine and is a current member of the Board for San Francisco Camera Work. She is a twice-honored candidate for the CENTER’s Excellence in Teaching Award and enjoys sharing her knowledge of photo history as well as traditional and digital processes with her students.

Gentry started this blog in 2008 for her students. Students may use the school phone number and email as listed on course syllabi to contact her. All others may use erika at erikagentry.com or by phone: 415-370-4359 (San Francisco).

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

My teaching philosophy includes a belief that image making is defined by a broad spectrum of forms, life experiences and aesthetic approaches. I carry this philosophy into the classroom, where I practice an interdisciplinary approach to learning and where I implement the use of custom course websites, social networking tools and discussion groups. I surmise that inspiration can come from anywhere: popular culture, history, politics, religion, family, cross-cultural experiences etc. Therefore, the implementation of critical discourse and contemporary art topics become as essential as learning technique. With this in mind, I enjoy collaborating with other departments so that armed with a solid foundation, my students gain exposure to the broad mediums of fine and commercial art making. Out of this approach, I have developed a strong roster of students who often re-enroll in courses that they have already successfully completed. Ultimately I seek to aid students in evolving as thoughtful creative and independent thinkers, confident in their technical skills so that they may concentrate on executing their conceptual ideas.

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