Terry Toedtemeier

IN MEMORIAM Terry Toedtemeier 1947–2008 Terry Toedtemeier was a quintessential Northwestern artist. He was born and raised in Portland and studied geology at Oregon State University. A self-taught photographer, Toedtemeier played a vital role in the evolution of photography in the Northwest. His images of the Oregon desert, mountains, and coastline reflect his deep love of the Northwest and his rich understanding of the history of photography. He was a co-founder of the Blue Sky Gallery in 1975, which developed into one of the leading photography exhibition venues in the United States. Among the many honors Toedtemeier received were two National Endowment for the Arts grants and a Flintridge Foundation Award for Visual Arts. His work is in many collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Toedtemeier was also the first Curator of Photography at the Portland Art Museum. Through his extensive connections across the country and his easygoing personality, he built the premier photography collection in the Northwest. His exhibition projects were praised for their engaging and insightful qualities. His largest and most recent exhibition Wild Beauty: Photographs of the Columbia Gorge, 1867–1957 will be on view at Portland Art Museum until January 11, 2009. This exhibition and catalogue

occupied him for more than a decade, bringing together his detailed research on the early photographers and his refined connoisseur’s aesthetic.