Sarah Small

Education and career

She attended high school at The Field School, in Washington, D.C. and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in photography.

After graduating from college, Small moved to Brooklyn and worked as a photographer for 13 years. Her work has appeared in publications including Vogue, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, has been showcased by John Schaefer on WNYC’s Soundcheck and National Public Radio, and exhibited globally at venues including Galerie Caprice Horn (Berlin), Corcoran Gallery of Art (Washington DC), and the Australian Centre for Photography. She was named one of the “Top 13 Emerging Photographers” working today, by American Photo Magazine.

In 2002, Small began studying Bulgarian vocal production in a start-up Bulgarian women's choir, Yasna Voices. In 2006, Yasna Voices traveled on grant to  Bulgaria to study with master singer Kremena Stancheva, a founding member of the Bulgarian women’s choir,  Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares.

In 2007, Small co-formed Brooklyn's Balkan vocal ensemble, Black Sea Hotel. She has premiered original works with Kronos Quartet in collaboration with Black Sea Hotel at St. Ann's Warehouse.  and National Sawdust, and on stage with Reggie Watts and Sxip Shirey and Joe’s Pub. The vocal trio  was featured in Small's Tableau Vivant of The Delirium Constructions in 2011 and headlined the Lund Choral Festival in Scandinavia in 2018. Black Sea Hotel has taught Balkan folk singing  internationally, with a specialization in songs from Shopluk, Bulgaria. Highlights include teaching residences at Sjöviks Folkhögskola in Sweden.

In 2009, she taught Portrait Photography to seniors at the Parsons School of Design, and has taught darkroom photography to children and adults.

In 2012, Small formed Hydra, another vocal trio, and performed with Sean Ono Lennon and Taxiplasm at The Box.

In 2014, Small starred in Butter on the Latch, a psychological thriller film directed by Josephine Decker, which was on The New Yorker's “10 Best Movies of 2014.”

In 2016, Small was invited by Beth Morrison and HERE Arts Center’s PROTOTYPE Festival to premiere her work “Secondary Dominance” on stage, which has since been made into several music videos and a feature film.

As a photographer and performance artist, Small has exhibited and lectured internationally for The Lucie Foundation**,**, Apple Store Soho, and at the China International Photographic Exhibition granted by the Ministry of Culture of China.

Select photography exhibitions

• 2017 - Fast Forward//Rewind, Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia, US
• 2011 - Human Time Space, DOB Hua Lamphong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
• 2011 - Neubacher Inaugural Exhibition, Neubacher Shor Contemporary, Toronto, Canada
• 2010 - 100 Portraits - 100 Photographers, Fotoweek DC, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., US
• 2010 - Art of Photography Show, Lyceum Gallery, San Diego, California, US
• 2010 - Vignettes, Bleicher/GoLightly Gallery, Santa Monica, California, US
• 2010 - Art Taipei Forum, Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei, Taiwan
• 2009 - Bova Images Festival, Bova, Calabria, Italy
• 2008 - Delight and Horror: The Photographs of Sarah Small, 1000 Words Photography
• 2007 - Soft Ground, Platform Gallery, Winnipeg, Canada
• 2004 - Art+Commerce Festival, Emerging Photographers, Tobacco Warehouse, Brooklyn, NY, US

Select performance art

• 2017 - PROTOTYPE Festival - Secondary Dominance
• 2011 - Powerhouse Arena - Tableau Vivant of the Delirium Constructions
• 2011 - Bathhouse Arena - Tableau Vivant of the Delirium Constructions
• 2011 - Skylight One Hanson, Williamsburg Clocktower Building - Tableau Vivant of the Delirium Constructions
• 2010 - 92Y Tribeca - Tableau Vivant of the Delirium Constructions

Filmography

Discography

Select music photography

• 2014 Brooklyn Rider, The Brooklyn Rider Almanac
• 2009 Kitka, Cradle Songs
• 2008 Jan Vogler, Tango!
• 2008 Martin Bisi, Sirens of the Apocalypse
• 2007 Jan Vogler, Concerti Brillanti
• 2006 Shara Nova's My Brightest Diamond, Bring Me the Workhorse

Select photography awards

• 2010 - Selected as 1 of 50 Top Finalists for Artists Wanted: Exposure 2010
• 2010 - Selected by Magenta Foundation as 2010 US Flash Forward winner
• 2009 - “10 Best 10” Photo Contest Winner - Resource Magazine and Win-Initiative
• 2009 - 1 of 2 American finalists selected from 65 countries by ITS#EIGHT International Talent Support, to be flown to Italy for exhibition and award ceremony.
• 2009 - Selected 1st Place winner for 2009 Fine Art Xto Nude Image Awards to be exhibited in Farmani Gallery in July.
• 2009 - Winner of Magnet Media's Zoom-In-Online Viewfinder's Challenge, judged by David Turner and Redux Pictures Director, Marcel Saba.
• 2008 - Chosen as 1 of 13 Top Emerging Talents by American Photo Magazine.
• 2008 - Avant Guardian Competition Winner - Surface Magazine
• 2008 - Finalist - Critical Mass Competition
• 2004 - Emerging Photographer Competition Winner - Art + Commerce

References

References

1. "Sing Me Home - Silkroad Ensemble, Yo-Yo Ma {{!}} Credits {{!}} AllMusic".
2. (2020-11-23). "Silk Road Ensemble".
3. (19 June 2011). "Naked ambition: Sarah Small's 'Delirium Construction' brims with life". Washington Post.
4. (2008-02-20). "Gallery shows off work of noted photographer Small".
5. "Tribeca Citizen {{!}} March at 92YTribeca".
6. Sulcas, Roslyn. (2011-05-25). "In Brooklyn, a Boschscape of Vows, Song and Flesh". The New York Times.
7. "Sarah Small's living picture". Washington Post.
8. Waleson, Heidi. (2017-01-17). "'Secondary Dominance' and 'Funeral Doom Spiritual' Reviews: More Than Opera". Wall Street Journal.
9. "Gig Alert: Black Sea Hotel {{!}} Soundcheck".
10. "Brief overview of work to 2010".
11. "Yasna Voices - Female World Septet".
12. (2019). "Globalization, Nationalism and Cultural Translation in Bulgarian Folk Singing".
13. (2017-01-12). "Sarah Small's Provocative Secondary Dominance: Highlight of This Year's Prototype Festival".
14. "Open House & Songs From Home".
15. (2 September 2018). "Åtta uruppföranden på Lunds körfestival {{!}}".
16. (2018-10-14). "Lund Choral Festival i Lunds domkyrka 2018".
17. "Sarah Small's living picture". Washington Post.
18. (2012-06-01). "OUT OF THE BOX – JUNE 7TH NYC – SEAN LENNON, HYDRA & THE CLICK CLACK BOOM TO PERFORM FOR TAXIPLASM'S FILM PROJECT".
19. (2012-06-14). "Sean Lennon".
20. (2014-11-13). "Review: BUTTER ON THE LATCH, A Fascinating And Truly Original Work Of Art".
21. Brody, Richard. (2014-12-11). "The Best Movies of 2014".
22. (2016-12-19). "Prototype: Opera/Theatre/Now".
23. (20 November 2018). "Secondary Dominance – PROTOTYPE".
24. Cristi, A. A.. "Sarah Small, Vanessa Walters, Wade McCullom's SECONDARY DOMINANCE Joins Prototype Festival".
25. "Secondary Dominance".
26. "Lucie Foundation Newsletter".
27. "Image Makers with Sarah Small and Jason Florio - Events - APA New York".
28. Feaster, Felicia. "Review: Eclectic mix of photographers from across country at MOCA GA". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
29. [https://thaiartxhibition.blogspot.com/2011/03/humantimespace-by-17-artists.html Human/Time/Space By 17 artists. Thai Art Exhibition]
30. [http://neubachershor.com/events/recent/ Neubacher Shor Contemporary Launch and Inaugural Exhibition – nsc]
31. "Larissa Leclair - 100 Portraits – 100 Photographers".
32. [https://www.artofphotographyshow.com/Sarah_Small_Event.html Art of Photography Show – An Evening with Sarah Small]
33. [http://shannonrowland.com/news.html Shannon Rowland Photography]
34. "CV from 2011".
35. [https://theexposureproject.blogspot.com/2009/07/bova-images-festival.html The Exposure Project: Bova Images Festival]
36. (2008-12-03). "Sarah Small".
37. "Exhibitions {{!}} Platform Centre".
38. Sierra, Gabrielle. "TABLEAU VIVANT... Opens At Skylight One Hanson".
39. Cristi, A. A.. "Sarah Small, Vanessa Walters, Wade McCullom's SECONDARY DOMINANCE Joins Prototype Festival".
40. (6 October 2022). "Don't Worry Darling Score OST Cover by psycosid09 on DeviantArt".
41. Harvey, Dennis. (2016-04-05). "Film Review: 'Collective:Unconscious'".
42. (23 December 2020). "Tableau Vivant of the Delirium Constructions. Puede vivir toda la belleza del mundo en una sala de teatro?".
43. "Sing Me Home - Silkroad Ensemble, Yo-Yo Ma {{!}} Credits {{!}} AllMusic".
44. (21 February 2017). "Standout Performances".
45. "The Psalms - Jessi Colter {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic".
46. (2011-02-01). "#3175: New Releases, February 2011".
47. "Sarah Small Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More".
48. "Bring Me the Workhorse - My Brightest Diamond". allmusic.com.
49. [http://www.magentafoundation.org/books/flash-forward-2010/winners.php Magenta: Flash Forward 2010 - Winners and Honourable Mentions]
50. (Fall 2009). "Sarah Small".
51. [https://photographygrants.blogspot.com/2009/01/its-international-talent-support-photo.html Photography Grants and Awards: ITS International Talent Support : photo competition]
52. [http://farmanigallery.com/en/Exhibit/xto.php Farmani Gallery]
53. News. About. RISD]
54. (2019-01-17). "Winners of Avant Guardian Announced".
55. "Image Makers with Sarah Small and Jason Florio - Events - APA New York".