Opening Reception for Semaphore: Torrance York, A Journey Through Parkinson's

Torrance York's photographic monograph Semaphore examines the shift in her perspective after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease nine years ago. Through images, York considers what it means to integrate this life-altering information into her sense of self. This opening reception will feature a conversation at 6:00 pm between the artist and curator Arianne Kolb, discussing how York's initial ambition--to foster a greater understanding of living with Parkinson’s and encourage dialogue--has expanded toward advocacy for the arts as a force to benefit the health of our bodies, brains, and spirits. 

Torrance York lives in Connecticut and earned a BA in American Studies from Yale and an MFA in photography from Rhode Island School of Design. She has had several solo exhibitions and her work is in public and private collections. York serves on the Board of the Educational Video Center in NYC where she formerly taught documentary video and is an Artist Guild Member of Silvermine Arts Center. 

Featured in various publications and podcasts, York's monograph Semaphore has been awarded in Lenscratch’s 2021 Art & Science Awards, as a Critical Mass 2021 Finalist, and a favorite book of 2022 by the online photography magazine What Will You Remember? York has presented her experience with Parkinson’s at the World Parkinson’s Congress in Barcelona, at the Neurology Department’s Grand Rounds at the University of Virginia Medical School, and to various Parkinson’s support groups. Semaphore has been exhibited in solo shows at the Danforth Art Museum at Framingham State University (MA) and at Rick Wester Fine Art in NYC. 

Arianne Kolb, Ph.D., is an art historian and independent curator. She was the Executive Co-Director of the Carriage Barn Arts Center, a curator in the J.Paul Getty Museum’s Paintings and Drawings Departments, and a researcher in the Paintings Department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has curated numerous exhibitions and her published work includes a book on Jan Brueghel the Elder, articles on old master painting, exhibition catalogues of contemporary Cuban art, and two children’s books on New Canaan architecture and history.