Jim Lommasson | Photographer | 2405 NW Thurman St. | Portland, OR | 97210 | 503.939.1939 jim@lommassonpictures.com
Recipient of the Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize from The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University
Stories of Survival and Remembrance: A Call to Action for Genocide Prevention
United Nations Headquarters NYC April 5 - June 15, 2023.
Solo Museum Shows:
“Stories of Survival: Object. Image. Memory.” Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Illinois, 2022-2023
“To Bear Witness” ” (*a collaborative project with The Immigrant Story), Oregon Jewish Museum, Portland, OR 2021
“I Am An American” (*a collaborative project with The Immigrant Story), Oregon Historical Society, Portland, OR, 2020
“Stories of Survival: Object. Image. Memory.” Maltz Museum, Cleveland, Ohio, 2021
“Stories of Survival: Object. Image. Memory.” Holocaust Museum Houston, Houston, TX, 2021
“I Am my Story: Voices of Hope” (*a collaborative project with The Immigrant Story), Oregon Historical Society, Portland, OR, 2021
“DREAMs Deferred,” (*a collaborative project with The Immigrant Story), Oregon Historical Society, Portland, OR, 2020
“Stories of Survival: Object. Image. Memory.” The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, Dallas, TX, 2019
“What We Carried: Fragments and Memories from Iraq and Syria” The Ellis Island Museum of Immigration, NY, 2019
“What We Carried: Fragments and Memories from Iraq and Syria” Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Kalamazoo, MI, 2019
“Stories of Survival: Object. Image. Memory” The Illinois Holocaust Museum, Skokie, IL, July 19, 2018 – Jan. 13, 2019
“What We Carried: Fragments and Memories from Iraq and Syria” Japanese American National Museum, L.A., CA, 2018
“What We Carried: Yazidis of Lincoln, Nebraska” The Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE, 2018
“Artifacts” National Veterans Art Museum, Chicago, IL, 2018
“What We Carried: Yazidis of Lincoln, Nebraska” The Nebraska History Museum, Lincoln, NE, 2018
“What We Carried: Fragments and Memories from Iraq and Syria” New Americans Museum, San Diego, CA, 2017
“What We Carried: Fragments from the Cradle of Civilization” Arab American National Museum, Dearborn, MI, 2016
“What We Carried: Stories by Iraqi Refugees” Illinois Holocaust Museum, Skokie, IL, 2016
"What We Carried: Fragments from the Cradle of Civilization," Washington County Museum, Portland, OR, 2012
“Oaks Park Pentimento: Portland's Lost and Found Carousel Art,” The Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR, 2007
Solo Shows:
“What I Carry A collaborative photo+writing storytelling project with Portland’s Street Community” PLACE Galeria and PortlandCentral Library, Portland, OR. 2025
“What We Carried: Threads” PLACE Gallery, Portland, OR. 2021
“Exit Wounds: Soldiers’ Stories – Life After Iraq and Afghanistan” Art Adventure Gallery, Madras, OR, 2020
“Exit Wounds and What We Carried” Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Portland, OR, 2018
"What We Carried: Fragments and Memories from Iraq and Syria” Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, OH, 2018
“What We Carried: Fragments and Memories from Iraq and Syria” Arab American Cultural Center Houston, TX, 2017
“What We Carried: Fragments and Memories from Iraq and Syria” Women's Rights National Historical Park, Seneca, NY
“What We Carried: Fragments and Memories from Iraq and Syria” ALIF Center, Atlanta, GA, 2018
“Exit Wounds: Soldiers’ Stories – Life After Iraq and Afghanistan” Ohio University, Athens, OH, 2015
“Exit Wounds: Soldiers’ Stories – Life After Iraq and Afghanistan” Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA, 2016
“What We Carried: Fragments from the Cradle of Civilization” City of Chicago Pedway, Chicago, IL, 2016
“Exit Wounds and What We Carried” Blue Sky Gallery, Portland, OR, 2016
“Exit Wounds: Soldiers’ Stories – Life After Iraq and Afghanistan” Ohio University, Athens, OH, 2015
“What We Carried: Fragments from the Cradle of Civilization” Unforgetting Iraq: In Search of Recovery, The New Century Art Guild, Kimballton, IA, 2014
“What We Carried: Fragments from the Cradle of Civilization” in conjunction with Tamziq: Scattered and Connected, The Odysseus Project, William Joiner Center for the Study of War and Social Consequences, University of Massachusetts. The Arsenal Center for the Arts. Boston, MA, 2013
“Exit Wounds: Life After War - Soldiers’ Stories,” The Armory: Gerding Theater, Portland, OR, 2012
"What We Carried: Fragments from the Cradle of Civilization," Launch Pad Gallery, Portland, OR, 2011
“Life After War: Soldiers’ Stories,” Washington State University, Tri-Cities, WA, Nov. 8-Nov. 26, 2010
“Exit Wounds: Soldiers’ Stories,” University of the South, Sewanee, TN, Jan. 22-Feb. 21, 2010
“Oaks Park Pentimento,” New American Art Union, Portland, OR, 2009
“Exit Wounds,” Portland Community College, Portland, OR, April 2009
“Exit Wounds,” VU Gallery, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, March 2009
“American Fight Clubs,” First Person Festival of Memoir & Documentary, Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia, 2008
“Exit Wounds,” New American Art Union, Portland, OR, October 2008
“Heaven and Earth,” New American Art Union, Portland, OR, 2006
"American Fight Clubs," New American Art Union, Portland, OR, 2005
"American Fight Clubs," Basil Hallward Gallery, Powell’s City of Books, Portland, OR, 2005
“on the road, revisited,” Gallery Untitled, Portland, OR, 2001
"American Fight Clubs," Mahlum Architects/Photo Americas 2000, Portland, OR, 2000
“Night Visions,” Hallie Brown Ford Gallery, Willamette University, Salem, OR, 1994
“Night Visions,” Blue Sky Gallery, Portland, OR, 1989
"Oaks Park," White Gallery, Portland, OR 1983
Camerawork Gallery, Portland, OR, 1983 & 1974
Littman Gallery, Collaboration: Lommasson/Anderson, Portland State University, Portland, OR, 1981
Marylhurst University, Marylhurst, OR, 1978
First Blue Sky Exhibition, Portland, OR, 1975
Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA, 1974
Group Shows:
“Capturing Power: Works on Paper from the Permanent Collection,” Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Salem, OR, 2020
“Shadow and Light,” Liverpool Arab Arts Festival, UK, 2019
“What We Carried: Fragments from the Cradle of Civilization,” Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR, 2019
“A Matter of Memory,” George Eastman Museum, Rochester, NY, 2016
“Conflict and Consequences,” The Wright Museum, Beloit College, Beloit, WI, 2015
“What We Carried: Fragments from the Cradle of Civilization” handmade artist book “BOOK POWER REDUX” exhibit at University of Puget Sound, Collins Library, Puget Sound, WA, 2014
“What We Carried: Fragments from the Cradle of Civilization,” New Century Art Guild, Kimballton, IA, 2014
"Navigating the Aftermath," University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 2011
"Object of Focus: The Book," Museum of Contemporary Craft, Portland, OR, 2011
"Art of the Time," Oregon State Capitol Art Collection, Salem, OR, 2011
“I Wouldn’t Wish War on My Worst Enemy” handmade artist book for “BOOK POWER” exhibit, 23 Sandy Gallery, Portland, OR, 2010; books purchased by SF MoMA, Yale University, Reed College, and University of Washington.
"The Hidden Costs of War,” Harbor Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, 2010
National Photography Competition: Juror, Susan Kismaric, MoMA, Soho Photo, New York, NY, July 2009
“The Odysseus Project: Finding Home,” Fort Point Gallery, Boston, MA, 2009
“Photo+Book Self-Published Photography Books,”23 Sandy Gallery, Portland, OR, March 2009
“The Altered Landscape,” Newspace Center for Photography, Portland, OR, 2007
“Night Moves,” 23 Sandy Gallery, Portland, OR, 2007
“Katrina Exposed,” New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA, 2006
Second Annual National Juried Exhibition, Newspace Center for Photography, Portland, OR, 2006
“Hand & Eye: Fifteen Years of the Dorthea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize,” Center For Documentary Studies at
Duke University, Durham, NC, Sept. 2005-Jan. 2006
Photo National 2005, Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA, Aug.-Sept. 2005
"Visual Chronicles of Portland," 1998, 1996, 2000
"Blue Sky 20-Year Anniversary Show," Blue Sky Gallery, Portland, OR, 1995
"History of Photography in Oregon," Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR, 1993
"Public Hanging," Portland Center for the Visual Arts, Portland, OR, 1983
"Oregon Biennial," Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR, 1983
"Works on Paper," Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR, 1982
"Three Photographers," Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR, 1981
"Oregon Biennial," Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR, 1981
"Seven Points of View," The School of Arts and Crafts, Portland, OR, 1978
"East-West Exchange," Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 1976
"Opening Invitational," Blue Sky Gallery, Portland, OR, 1975
"Horseplay," Portland Center for the Visual Arts, Portland, OR, 1974
Education:
Chief Joseph Elementary School, Portland, OR, 1964
Benson Polytechnic High School, (Graphic Arts) Portland, OR, 1968
Portland State University, (Bachelor of Science: Art) Portland, OR 1976
Teaching Experience:
Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR, Photography Department Chair, 1979-83
Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR, Photography Instructor, 1983
Linfield College, McMinnville, OR, Photography Instructor, 1983
Portland State University, Portland, OR, Photography Instructor, 1978-80
Marylhurst University, Marylhurst, OR, Photography Instructor, 1975-79
Permanent collections: The Library of Congress, George Eastman Museum, SF MoMA, Portland Art Museum, Yale University, Reed College, University of Washington, University of Oregon, New Orleans Museum of Art, Hallie Ford Museum, University of Denver, Ohio University, University of California Irvine, Museum of Fine Art St. Petersburg, University of Colorado, Baylor University, and Emory University.
Books:
What We Carried: Fragments and Memories from the Cradle of Civilization – Lommasson Pictures, 2019
Stories of Survival: Object. Image. Memory – Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, 2018
Exit Wounds: Soldiers’ Stories – Life After Iraq and Afghanistan – Schiffer Books, 2015
Oaks Park Pentimento: Hidden Treasures Revealed – Oregon State Press, 2009
Shadow Boxers: Sweat, Sacrifice & The Will To Survive In American Boxing Gyms – Stone Creek Publications 2005
Selected Awards and Public or Institutional Collections:
Dorothea Lange–Paul Taylor Prize from The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University
Oregon Humanities Conversation Grant: "Life after War: Photography and Oral Histories of Coming Home"
"What We Carried: Fragments from the Cradle of Civilization,” Regional Arts and Culture Council Grant
Oregon Arts Commission Fellowships 2005 and 2016
“I Wouldn’t Wish War on My Worst Enemy” & “What We Carried” hand made artist books in permanent collections at Yale University, SF MoMA, Library of Congress, Reed College, University of Oregon, University of Washington, University of Denver, Ohio University, University of California Irvine, University of Colorado, Baylor university, and Emory University.
Works in Permanent collections: Hallie Ford Museum, George Eastman House, Museum of Fine Art, St. Petersburg, FL, University of Oregon, Terry Toedtemeier Collection at the Portland Art Museum.
Selected Articles and Reviews:
A way forward from the homeless crisis. Oregon ArtsWatch: https://www.orartswatch.org/a-way-forward-from-the-homeless-crisis/
Jim Lommasson at the United Nations (Oregon ArtsWatch): https://www.orartswatch.org/jim-lommasson-at-the-united-nations/
What We Carried: (Hyperallergic): https://hyperallergic.com/488061/refugees-tell-their-stories-through-mementos/
What We Carried: (Curiosity Magazine): https://www.curiositymag.com/2018/09/12/what-we-carrihed-jim-lommasson/
Stories of Survival: Object. Image. Memory: http://lenscratch.com/2018/10/jim-lommasson/
DREAMs Deferred: (About DACA Dreamers): http://www.heuermontage.com/?p=21419
Selected video interviews about the projects:
OPB Oregon Art Beat: Photographs Matter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Audou4B2UYc
Goodman Theater Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gCQsy9gVc8
Iraqi Alhurra TV Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6yub6Xm6v4