William George Frederking

The only photographer to win the prestigious Ruth Page Dance Award for his forward looking dance photography, award-winning photographer William G. Frederking has works in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Photography and numerous other public and private collections.

The challenge of making captivating photographs of movement in a medium which is inherently static is one of the major attractions of Frederking’s work. His subjects range from the perfect unseen moment in choreographed dance to studies of motion and space where the human form is the palette and three-dimensional space the canvas.

Frederking is a member of the photography faculty at Columbia College and a Visiting Artist at the School of The Art Institute of Chicago. He received his M.F.A. Photography in 1983 from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a B.A. English in 1977 from Notre Dame. An Oak Park resident, Frederking was born in Effingham, Illinois, and is a father of two. He is currently working on a permanent archive of contemporary dance to be housed at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago.


Select Exhibitions:

1997Individual Chicago: 2000, Part II
Vedanta Gallery, Chicago, IL
1997William Frederking Dance Photographs
Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
1995William Frederking
Vedanta Gallery, Chicago, IL
1993Family Albums
Northern Illinois University Gallery, Chicago, IL
1991Facing the Consequences of Our Actions
The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL
1990Evidence
Artemisia Gallery, Chicago, IL
1989Connections
New Works Gallery, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
1988Captured on Film
Adler Art Center, Libertyville, IL
1988Quotidian: Photographs by William Frederking
Fontbonne College, St. Louis, MO
1987Illinois Photographers’ Project
Columbia College Art Gallery, Chicago, IL
1987Quotidian: Photographs by William Frederking
Cultural Center of Chicago, Chicago, IL
1985Left- to- Right
Randolph Street Gallery, Chicago, IL
1985Four Photographers, Four Views
Creative Arts Gallery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
1985Illinois Photographers ‘85
Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL
1985Midwest American Contemporary Photography
Clark Art Center, Rockford, IL


Professional Experience:
1988-PresentFull-time Photography Faculty
Columbia College, Chicago, IL
1985-Present Professional Photographer
Specializing in Theater and Dance, Chicago, IL
1983-1988Photo Studio Manager
Columbia College, Chicago, IL


Education:
1983M.F.A. Photography
The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
1977B.A. English
The University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN


Lectures:
1995 Panelist, American Library Association
Discussion of Dance documentation projects, Chicago, IL
1993Visiting Artist
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
1993Visiting Artist
Milwaukee Institute for the Arts, Milwaukee, WI
1991Words of Vision
The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL


Awards:
1995Ruth Page Award
Chicago Dance Coalition, Chicago, IL
1994Faculty Development Grant
Columbia College, Chicago, IL
1990Artist’s Fellowship Grant
Illinois Art’s Council, Chicago, IL
1985Purchase Award
State of Illinois Museum, Springfield, IL
1984Chairman’s Grant
Illinois Art’s Council, Chicago, IL


Collections:
The State of Illinois Museum, Springfield, IL
The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL
The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
David Ruttenberg, Sr., Chicago, IL

Questions?