Photography That Speaks Over Time

Bench sign reading "Exploit Your Local Artist.
Elderly man holding object, wearing glasses.
Vintage illustration of a man with camera.
RM_CAC_Kowal

Celebrated Photographer with a Lifelong Creative Journey

Fine art photographer with a career spanning decades, Cal Kowal combines technical mastery with artistic vision. Based in Alexandria, KY, he continues to produce work in a studio he built with his wife, artist Anita Douthat.

Chicago Beginnings and Rigorous Design Education

  • Born in Chicago, 1944.
  • Educated at the University of Illinois-Chicago and Illinois Institute of Technology—Institute of Design.
  • Studied under Aaron Siskind and Arthur Siegel.
  • Conscientious objector to war; medical photographer, 1969–71.
  • Professor of Fine Art, Art Academy of Cincinnati (CAM), retired 2002.
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Unity temple

Recognition through Fellowships and Visiting Roles

  • Two Visual Arts Fellowships, Ohio Arts Council
  • Kodak Fellowship Winner, Santa Fe Workshops
  • Visiting Artist at:
    • School of the Art Institute of Chicago
    • Light Work Gallery, Syracuse University
    • Northern Kentucky University
    • Ohio State University

Exhibitions Featured in Prestigious Permanent Collections

  • Solo Exhibitions:
    • CAM
    • Weston Gallery
    • Ohio Wesleyan University
    • Carl Solway Gallery
  • Works in Permanent Collections at:
    • Norton Simon Art Museum
    • Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago
    • Museum of Modern Art
    • George Eastman House
    • Cincinnati Art Museum
    • Getty Archives
    • University of Kentucky Art Museum
    • Photographic Archives, University of Louisville

Published Books and Upcoming Works to Explore

  • A Book Full of Spoons
  • T-shirts are Tacky
  • This Space Reserved
  • Be More
  • Upcoming: Residuum