Benjamin Swett is a New York-based photographer specializing in nature and architecture, with a particular interest in combining photographs with text. His books include The Hudson Valley: A Cultural Guide (2009), Route 22 (2007), and Great Trees of New York City: A Guide (2000), and he is a contributor to many other books and publications. He has received grants and fellowships from Furthermore, the Millay Colony for the Arts, and the Breadloaf Writer’s Conference. The former director of the Parks in Print program at the New York City Parks Department, Mr. Swett produced more than 40 illustrated books, brochures and annual reports during 13 years at the Parks Department and the City Parks Foundation. Since leaving Parks in 2001 to pursue photography full-time, Mr. Swett has worked as a photographer and writer for many nonprofit and commercial organizations and publications. He has spent summers in Turkey as the photographer for the Archaeological Survey of Aphrodisias and teaches photography at Wave Hill. He is currently at work on two new personal projects combining photographs and text: Extraordinary Trees of New York, an attempt to create a portrait of a city through its trees, and The Diary of Lost Things, an account of a time in his own life and that of his city.
SOLO EXHIBITS:
Albany International Airport, Concourse A Gallery, "Route 22," May 2010-January 2011
Beaverkill Garage, Lew Beach, NY, “Shin Creek,” Dec. 2006-March 2007
Sand Lake Center for the Arts, Averill Park, NY, “Route 22,” April 2006
Spencertown Academy, Spencertown, NY. “Route 22,” Feb-Mar, 2005
Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY. “Route 22,” June-August, 2004
Wave Hill, Bronx, NY “New York City Trees,” June-August, 2001
An American Space Gallery NYC, “Great Trees of New York City,” June-July 2000
SELECTED GROUP SHOWS:
CAS Arts Center, Livingston Manor, NY ," 21 : A Life in Photographs," Sept-Oct 2011
Hudson Opera House, Hudson, NY, "Warren Street," June-August, 2011
Hudson Opera House, Hudson, NY, "Local Self-Portraits," June-August, 2010
G.A.S. Visual Arts, Poughkeepsie, NY, “Bridges and the Span of Time,” Sep-Oct 2009
Bronx River Art Center, Bronx, NY, “Surprisingly Natural,” Sep-Oct, 2008
Catskill Mountain Foundation Gallery, Hunter, NY, “In Full Bloom,” May-June, 2008
Joie de Livres, Salisbury, CT, “Spring Awakening,” May-June, 2008
Outsider’s Studio, Livingston Manor, NY, Sep. 1-29, 2007 “Through the Optic Nerve”
Abrons Arts Center NYC, “Trees of Knowing,” October-December, 2006
Michael Ingbar Gallery NYC, “It’s About Real Estate,” May 2006-Jan. 2007
Arts for Peace NYC, “Nature in the City,” June-Aug., 2005
Mt. Sinai-Irving J. Selikoff Center NYC, “Nature in New York,” 2003-2007
Arsenal Gallery NYC, “Queens Jewels: A History of Queens Parks,” June-Sep 2002
Arsenal Gallery NYC, “Waterways, New York and Scotland,” Sep-Oct 2001
Michael Ingbar Gallery NYC, “The New York Skyline,” July-November, 2001
Millay Colony for the Arts, Austerlitz, NY, “Art at Steepletop,” July 2001
Arsenal Gallery NYC, “Greener Pastures: Bronx Parks,” June-July, 2001
Scott Pfaffman Gallery NYC, “For the Trees,” May-July, 2000
BOOKS:
Extraordinary Trees of New York City (New York: Quantuck Lane Press, forthcoming 2013)
The Hudson Valley: A Cultural Guide (New York: Quantuck Lane Press, 2009)
Route 22 (New York, Quantuck Lane Press, 2007)
Great Trees of New York City: A Guide (New York: New York Tree Trust, 2000
SELECTED OTHER BOOKS:
Archaeology and the Cities of Asia Minor in Late Antiquity (Ann Arbor: Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, 2011--contributor)
New York: A Photographer's City (New York: Rizzoli, 2011--contributor)
100 New York Photographers (New York: Schiffer Books, 2009--contributor)
New York City Trees: a Field Guide for the Metropolitan Area (New York: Columbia
University Press, 2002--contributor)
Insight Guide, Italy (Singapore, APA Productions, 1986--contributor)
Insight Guide: New York (Singapore, APA Productions, 1986--contributor)
LECTURES, RESIDENCIES, GRANTS:
Furthermore research and publication grants for Extraordinary Trees of New York (2010), The Hudson Valley: A Cultural Guide (2008), and Route 22 (2005, 2006)
Photographic Administrators Inc., National Arts Club, “Tree Portraits” (Lecture, Oct. 2003)
Westchester Photographic Society, “Route 22” (Lecture, Jan. 10, 2003)
New York Botanical Garden, Bronx. “Impressionistic Landscape Photography” (Aug. 2002)
Millay Colony for the Arts, Austerlitz, N.Y. One-Month Residency. (Aug 1999)
Breadloaf Writer’s Conference, Middlebury, VT Two-week residency (August 1989)
COLLECTIONS:
Alliance Bernstein New York, Arthur Ross Foundation, City of New York/Parks & Recreation, City Parks Foundation, Fish & Richardson, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Montefiore Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York Community Trust, New York University/Institute of Fine Arts, New York Tree Trust, The History Channel, private collectors.
SELECTED BROCHURES:
Historic Houses in New York City Parks, 2003 (photos)
Tompkins Square Park, Manhattan Map & Guide 2000 (editor/photographer)
New York-New Jersey Waterways 2000 (author/photographer)
Marcus Garvey Park, Manhattan: Map and Guide 1999 (co-author/photographer)
Bronx River New York: Map and Guide 1999 (author/photographer)
Fort Greene Park Brooklyn: Map and Guide 1998 (author/photographer)
The People of St. James Park 1997 (author/photographer)
CLIENTS:
Alliance for the Arts, Archaeological Excavation of Aphrodisias, Arthur Ross Foundation, Bridge Street Development Corporation, Broadway Mall Association, The Brearley School, Central Park Conservancy, Christodora, Inc., City of New York/Parks & Recreation, City Parks Foundation, Eric Cohler Design, GreenThumb, Highbridge Community Development Corporation, Historic House Trust, Zev Katz, Madison Square Park Conservancy, Morningside Area Alliance, National Tree Trust, National Park Service, New York Community Trust, New York Gastroenterological Associates, New Yorkers for Parks, New York Restoration Project, New York Times Book Review, New York Times, Park Avenue Christian Church Day School, Phipps Houses, Inc., Times Square Alliance, Wave Hill, private clients.
EMPLOYMENT:
07/01-present Freelance Writer/Photographer
04/88-07/01 New York City Parks & Recreation
09/96-07/01 -Director, Parks in Print
11/93-09/96 -Development Officer, City Parks Foundation
05/90-11/93 -Special Projects Manager, Commissioner Betsy Gotbaum
10/88-05/90 -Chief of Staff, Commissioner Henry J. Stern
04/88-10/88 -Assistant to Commissioner Henry J. Stern
10/85-04/88 Freelance Writer/Photographer
08/84-10/85 The Patent Trader Newspaper, Mount Kisco, NY. Reporter.
EDUCATION:
Harvard College, Magna Cum Laude 1982, English & American Literature.