Photographer captures world's beauty through her lens

PRIME December 2012 NORTHAMPTON – "International Faces and Flowers," a photography exhibit by Amy Shammash Dane of Longmeadow, will be on display for the month of December in the new Gallery at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, 30 Locust St., Northampton. The artist's opening reception for the exhibit will take place on Dec. 6 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. An inveterate world traveler who has visited more than 90 countries so far, Dane is best known for her photographs of people worldwide. Given this particular gallery space, a long corridor leading to the Radiology Department, she has chosen to hang two international shows. One wall will feature approximately 25 photographs of exotic portraits from 13 countries. The opposite wall will display the same number of photos, this time of flowers from about eight countries. Many viewers have commented that her close-up shots of exotic flowers very much resemble her portraits of people. "I want viewers to experience wonderful color in dreary December," Dane said of her exhibit. "I want them to enjoy the flowers, but more importantly, for places they may never visit, to understand what people look like around the world and gain a sense of global intimacy." Dane said she enjoyed working with Betty Ann Krywicki, art curator with the auxiliary program at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital, and is delighted that the hospital will receive 10 percent of the sale price of any of her works that are sold during the exhibition. All of her photographs will be for sale during the exhibition, Dane added. A native of Longmeadow, Dane received her bachelor's degree from Smith College and master's degree in art history from Williams College. She served as education coordinator at the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, South Hadley, for 11 years, training community docents and student volunteers and developing school outreach programs and museum tours for all audiences. In her new career, Dane enjoys exhibiting her photography at area libraries, hospitals and galleries. Her entry won "Best in Show" in February, 2012, at the Friends of the Agawam Public Library 2nd Open Juried Photography Show. She also enthusiastically shares her love of art and travel to more than 90 countries by giving culturally informative presentations. Dane invites groups or organizations interested in hearing about far-flung corners of the world to contact her for a list of topics by email at amy@amydaneadventures.com. More information about Dane's lecture topics, as well access to her photo gallery and travel services are available online. Visit her website at www.amydaneadventures.com.