Events

Photographer Dennis Church’s exhibition, DIRT FRESH, showcases 40 large photographs (24” x 36”) from his book AMERICOLOR: Exploring Urban Color Fields. This collection, which has not been exhibited before, draws inspiration from the Color Field painters. After attending a 2024 exhibition at The NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, Church was particularly struck by a Frank Stella painting. He later recognized a connection between Stella’s work and his own photography, characterized by layered subject matter and a flattened spatial field. DIRT FRESH is his homage to this style, celebrating vibrant urban color fields and visual depth.

About the Artist

Dennis grew up on a farm in Iowa, where he began driving trucks, tractors, and heavy machinery at a very young age. He loved the open air and being out in the weather, surrounded by fields. One of his earliest memories is riding along with his parents to check on the newly planted spring crops—a tradition that later inspired his love for road trips.

In college, he studied psychology and sociology, planning to become a counseling psychologist. On a whim, he bought a high-quality, expensive camera, and everything changed. He left graduate school just six credits shy of earning his master’s degree to pursue photography, feeling it offered a more intuitive path to truth than science could. Those early, formative experiences in rural life sparked his passion for photographing outdoor and public spaces.

Over the years, he has held many jobs: farmhand, gas station attendant, auto dealer parts manager, car salesman, government employee in two states, freelance commercial photographer, real estate investor, landlord, property developer, and photography instructor.

In 2006, he purchased a digital camera, rekindling his passion for capturing the world in his own way—documenting how it is “painted and put together.” For over fifty years, photography has been a lifelong, enriching pursuit for him, serving both commercial clients and personal expression. His aesthetic centers on observational street and documentary photography. Currently, he is working on several self-assigned documentary projects and is focused on creating photo-books as lasting collections of his work for future generations.

Exhibition Events:

• Friday April 11, 2025 │6:00 PM │Pompano Beach Cultural Center

Opening Reception and Artist Talk, join us for a walk-through with Dennis.

Reception Registration