Charles Mintz

Photography is Chuck’s third career, the result of a passion acquired in Maine many years ago. Most of his work is done on large format film. Becoming full time in 2008 changed the work in profound ways. Previously, the people were anonymous and aimed at showing the public space. In this new time, the work has become intensely personal - often involving portraiture. Each project comes out of a story – someone’s Precious Objects, the steel houses in Lustron Stories, Andrew Carnegie and his Carnegie Libraries. Though the story is the framework, the meaning comes from what the subjects show us. For example, the people in their homes in Lustron Stories tell us about themselves, how they feel about their home, who they are. People in small towns and large, all living in pretty much the same house, bound to each other by their homes’ uniqueness and by contemporary culture. Stronger and more universal ideas bind them to us.

Chuck studied photography at Maine Photographic Workshop, Parsons School of Design, International Center for Photography, Lakeland Community College and Cuyahoga Community College. He has a BSEE from Purdue University and an MSEE from Cleveland State University. He is the former board chair of ICA–Art Conservation in Cleveland, OH and board member of the Cleveland Museum of Art – Friends of Photography. His interest in preservation and conservation is reflected in his service to the ICA and in careful attention to producing work that lasts. He serves on
advisory boards at the Cleveland Print Room and the Artists Archive of the Western Reserve. Chuck is a Life Director at Jewish Family Services of Cleveland. His work can be found in museums, including the Smithsonian Museum of American History, and private and corporate collections in North America, Europe and Asia. He was awarded an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award for 2017 and 2015.