When Fred Y. Faulk, veteran Mississippi State photographer, died last November after a brief illness; he left a collection of work covering more than three decades at Mississippi State University.
A public exhibition will honor Faulk’s career and contributions to the university Oct. 7-29. The memorial display will feature more than 50 black-and-white and color images, which will be displayed in the College of Architecture, Art and Design gallery at Giles Hall.
An opening reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the gallery Oct. 7. The exhibit will also be open Oct. 8 during early 2004 Homecoming activities. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Leah Faulk, daughter of Fred Faulk and visiting assistant professor of architecture at Mississippi State University, said that the exhibit was intentionally planned during the week of Homecoming so that many people would have the opportunity to see her father’s 30 years of work, as well as the progression of the campus.
“Everyone knew my father and was so pleased to see him. He always made people smile,” Leah said.
She also played a role in deciding which pieces would be displayed in the exhibit.
“I have a real appreciation for my father’s work,” she said. “I would often accompany my father on many of his photo shoots, which was one of the activities we shared together when I was growing up.”
She added that she can often be seen in the background in many of his photos.
Leah said her father had a great sense of humor that many people were not able to see.
“One of the pictures, which I chose myself, portrays his sense of humor,” she said. “The picture shows my father holding a mirror up to himself with the face of Elvis reflecting back. The picture is a play on ‘self-portrait.'”
Russ Houston is a longtime colleague who succeeded Faulk as coordinator of photography in the office of university relations.
“As visitors will see, Fred’s work touched on every varied aspect in the life of the institution,” Houston said. “Mississippi State University is a complex institution with academic and research programs in areas ranging from agriculture to supercomputing.”
Sammy McDavid, news editor, said, “I had the opportunity to work with Faulk for at least 26 years. He was a positive, true photographic artist who was an all-round friend and person to work with.”
The products of Faulk’s professional creativity and natural eye became instilled in generations of university employees, students, graduates, friends and the general public through school publications and individual photographs, appearing in national and international newspapers and other periodicals.
Faulk’s photographs appeared in eight MSU calendars, including the 2005 edition in which his photo takes the cover. Faulk’s photographs were also featured in three major book projects: a university centennial pictorial history in 1978, inside Dudy Noble and a general pictorial survey in 1993. Prior to his death at the age of 54, his last major project involved a commemoration of the university’s 125th anniversary.
Faulk received numerous honors during his career, including an award of excellence from the Washington, D.C.-based Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He was also among the first to receive a university-wide Distinguished Staff Award.