STUCK IN SPLIT: From New York City, to world traveller, to my new pandemic home, Split, Croatia.

The pandemic has brought change to all of our lives.  Almost all of us have found ourselves in new circumstances, Cyndie Burkhardt (now part of the “ASMP NY diaspora”) never thought she would find herself living for the past year and 1/2 in Split, Croatia…

Join us  on Tuesday, September, 28, 2021, for an hour long lunchtime talk, followed by 30 minute question and answer period, as we talk with Cyndie Burkhardt, photographer and digital storyteller.

Cyndie Burkhardt’s lifelong passion for photography started in her teens when she was a staffer for a local newspaper, then she went on to earn a BFA in photography and design. Living in NYC she pursued corporate work to learn the ropes of business and pay the bills, but the nonstop pace and grueling hours left her burned out and craving work that satisfied her soul. She set off to pursue travel photography, become a certified nutrition coach, broaden her education (formal and otherwise) around the world, meet people from all walks of life, and produce a “12 countries in 12 months” visual storytelling project.  While on her journey, Cyndie got stuck in Split, Croatia during the pandemic and decided to take up residency there. She enjoys life along the Adriatic Sea while continuing to work and, of course, shoot every day.

BIO

Cyndie Burkhardt (b. Cape May, NJ, USA) is a New York City-based photographer and visual storyteller, working in still photography, writing, and video. She’s passionate about travel and exploring issues related to culture, lifestyle, tradition, and place.

Growing up at the seashore, she loves to swim in the ocean, ride her bike, and explore the outdoors. It was at University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA, where she majored in photography and graphic design, that she discovered a way to combine her appetite for life with artistic expression. This passion led her to pack her bags and roam the globe, with (film) camera in hand. She found that having a camera immersed her further into a place, especially when meeting people. Mutual curiosity often led to interesting conversations and great photo ops, even when she didn’t know the language. Naturally inquisitive, she learned the most from talking to locals, seeing how they lived, and recognizing the similarities and differences between people everywhere. Her visual travel documentaries of the Norwegian coast, China, Sicily, Israel, Cuba, Croatia, and other places explore cultural and lifestyle nuances.

Burkhardt established a corporate career to learn the merits of business, starting in branding and design then moving into marketing and communications. With a well-established professional background, she re-focused on her artistic interests and took a creative sabbatical. In 2016 she graduated from International Center of Photography, NYC in the first class of its pioneering New Media Narratives program.

The relationship between travel and connecting with others has been a long-standing interest for Burkhardt and it influenced her mindset about the power of travel to shape a person’s outlook on life—including perception, identity, and tolerance. She’s committed to creating multi-faceted work that has a global context where art not only gives voice to other cultures but encourages viewers to engage with those cultures. Sharing stories so that art becomes a conversation is her means of bringing people together and creating a socially-minded practice.

Burkhardt’s work has been in several group and solo exhibitions in China, the Czech Republic, and the United States; most recently at the Paul Robeson Galleries/Rutgers University, Newark, NJ and the Monmouth Museum, Lincroft, NJ. She’s received numerous accolades including a photography grant that resulted in a “best-in-show” award early in her career. She helped co-curate Public, Private, Secret, the inaugural exhibition of ICP’s new museum opening on the Bowery in 2016, and she helped produce ICP Hack the Photo, the first-ever hackathon at ICP’s school, in both 2016 and 2017.

WHEN: Tuesday, September 28, 2021

TIME: Noon – 1:30

WHERE: Zoom

Register here for this free webinar.

The replay will only be available for ASMP members.