Light Work and Syracuse University’s Library Associates are presenting an exhibition featuring the photographic work of Karen Halverson, and a lecture by the artist.Halverson, a Syracuse native and fine art photographer, has been drawn to the open spaces and monumental land forms of the American West for a quarter century, traveling the region’s vast expanses and stopping when moved to set up her large-format camera. In “Downstream: Encounters with the Colorado River,” a two-year study of the 1,700-mile river, she maintains her signature focus on human relationships to the natural environment. “In my travels along the Colorado,” Halverson writes, “sometimes I find beauty, sometimes desecration, often a perplexing and absurd combination.”

Halverson will tell stories of her “Photographic Adventures in the American West” at the next Library Associates lecture, March 11 at 5 p.m. She will speak about the photographic process and land use issues while presenting selected works. Guests are encouraged to arrive at least one half hour early to view the exhibition of her photographs before the talk. Copies of her book, “Downstream: Encounters with the Colorado River” (University of California Press, 2008), will be available to purchase and have Halverson sign at the event. The lecture will take place in Watson Theater at Light Work, 316 Waverly Ave. Free event parking is available in Booth Garage, on the corner of Waverly and Comstock avenues. The event is sponsored by Syracuse University Library Associates. Visit http://library.syr.edu/libraryassociates for full details.

Halverson graduated from Nottingham High School and Stanford University and holds master’s degrees from Brandeis and Columbia universities. Her work has appeared at the J. Paul Getty Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art, the Corcoran Gallery and the Library of Congress.

Light Work will host a gallery reception on Thursday, April 1, from 5–7 p.m. to celebrate Halverson’s exhibition.

Gallery hours for this exhibition are Sunday to Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., and by appointment. To schedule an appointment, please call 443-1300. Both the exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. Paid parking is available in the Marion parking lot and Booth Garage.

Library Associates is a group devoted to the enrichment of the University library and the greater Syracuse community. Members share an interest in books, learning and the preservation of knowledge. To learn more, visit http://library.syr.edu/libraryassociates.

Light Work invites groups and individuals to schedule tours and gallery talks of the exhibition and facility. Light Work is a nonprofit, artist-run organization dedicated to the support of artists working in photography and electronic media. Light Work is a member of CMAC, the Coalition of Museum and Art Centers at SU.

For more information about this event, contact Anne Roth, (315) 685-6832 or ABJigger@aol.com. For more information about the exhibition, contact Jessica Heckman at Light Work,  443-1300 or jhheckma@syr.edu.