“Pura Vida” a photography exhibit featuring vibrant images from Costa Rica, opened May 2, 2017, with a 7 p.m. artists’ reception in Northwest College’s SinClair Gallery.
The photos were taken in March during an NWC field studies class trip to Costa Rica. The trip was sponsored by the college’s Photographic Communications Department and composed of NWC students, alumni and community members. Jayne Johnson, NWC’s digital studio specialist, led the sixteen-member crew.
The group stayed in several exotic locations on the country’s Pacific coast including San Jose and Manuel Antonio. With their hotel just two blocks from the ocean and a national park, many students enjoyed spending time at the beach and staying out late photographing time exposures of the sunset and the sunrise.
Gallery visitors can follow along the group’s journey through images of a coffee plantation, the La Paz River waterfalls and the bustling city life of San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital. Photos of the country’s abundant wildlife will also be on display with pictures of crocodiles, monkeys and sloths.
Translated in English as “Pure Life,” many Costa Ricans use “Pura Vida” in everyday conversations to describe their cultural way of living.
