About John Guider

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Photo by Eric England at Percy Priest

JOHN GUIDER

American, born 1949

John Guider is a nationally recognized award winning photographer and author based out of Nashville TN. His largest project, The River Inside, is the subject of a book by the same name and a popular traveling museum exhibition.

Guider is the recipient of many prestigious awards including a national Addy Award, the Cancer Society’s Excalibur Award, and the Nashville Advertising Federation’s highest award, the Silver Medalist in the year 2000. His work and adventures have been the feature of numerous magazine, television, and newspaper articles and broadcasts. In 2009, he was a guest author on renowned journalist John Seigenthaler’s television program, “A Word on Words”. His work has appeared in major publications such as Print, Communication Arts and Graphics and has been honored as the featured guest speaker at The Southern Festival of Books, PhotoArts Santa Fe, the National Waterways Commission convention and an address at the United States Congress on Creative Aging.

In 2011, John’s high school, Moravian Academy, awarded him as the school’s honorary   Carlock Artist in Residence. Shortly afterwards, the Nashville Scene Magazine named Guider as one of Nashville’s most fascinating people. He was part of the feature story that included notables such as Nicole Kidman.  John Guider has also been singled out as a finalist in the 2011“Beautiful Minds: Finding Your Lifelong Potential” contest presented by the National Center for Creative Aging.

John’s work resides in a number of national museums, prestigious corporate and private collections throughout the country. In 2016 his work was included in the well known Arts in the Embassies program as well

Presently, John is working on two major projects. One is a book and published work resulting from a solo 6500 mile water course across the eastern United Sates and Canada known as the Great Loop in a non-motorized row and sailboat made by his own hand. He is also collaborating with Nashville Public Television on a documentary in which John retraced John Donelson’s 1000-mile watercourse in the founding of Nashville.

John is a graduate of Vanderbilt University.

Collections

  • The Tennessee State Museum
  • Belmont University
  • Broadcast Music Incorporated USA
  • Broadcast Music Incorporated, London
  • Ingram Marine
  • Dollar General Corporation
  • Opryland Hotel
  • Vanderbilt University
  • Metropolitan Nashville Airport
  • Forcex Tech Corporation
  • Capital One Corporate Collection
  • Nashville International Airport
  • Cheekwood Fine Art Gallery
  • John and Jayne Ayers, 1st Bank
  • Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital
  • Vanderbilt Williamson County Hospital

Solo Exhibitions

  • Images from the John Donelson Journey, The Centennial Club Gallery, 2017
  • The Great Loop, The Haynes Gallery, Nashville, TN, 2016
  • 20 Years of Platinum Prints, The Haynes Gallery, Nashville, TN, 2015
  • View from a Small Boat, The Rymer Gallery, Nashville, TN 2011
  • The Leu Fine Art Gallery, Belmont University, Nashville, TN 2012
  • Platinum Reflections, Vanderbilt, March, 2010
  • The River Inside, A traveling museum exhibition of platinum prints, co-sponsored by the Tennessee State Museum and the Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, Dubuque, Iowa
    • The Louisiana Arts and Science Museum, Baton Rouge, LA, 2014
    • The Nashville Metropolitan Airport, Nashville, TN, 2011-2012
    • The River Discovery Center Museum, Paducah, KY, 2011
    • The Customs House Museum, Clarksville, TN, 2010
    • The Delta Heritage Museum, Helena, AR, 2010
    • The Mud Island Museum, Memphis, TN  2009
    • The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Museum, Saint Louis, Missouri 2009
    • The Mississippi River Museum, Dubuque, Iowa, 2008,
    • The Tennessee State Museum, 2008
  • River, TAFH Gallery, L.A., CA 2007
  • Noble Elements, The Arts Company, Nashville, TN 2007
  • Fire, Bohan Art Gallery, Nashville 2002
  • John Guider, Marnie Sheridan Gallery, Harpeth Hall School, Nashville 2001
  • Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville
  • Italy, The Arts Company, Nashville 1998
  • Paris, Musée de Maillie, Nashville 1996
  • “Flying Solo,” Nashville International Airport 1997
  • Un Été du Vin, American Cancer Society 1994
  • Flo ra li a,  Cheekwood Botanic Hall, Nashville 1990
  • Reflections, Cheekwood Museum of Art, Nashville 1986
  • John Guider: A Collection, Annie S. Kemmerer Museum, Bethlehem, PA 1984

Group Exhibitions

  • Art Nashville, The Haynes Galleries, 2017
  • The Pujols Family Foundation 21 Collabortive Art Project, 2015
  • Temple Arts Festival, Nashville, TN, 2013
  • The River, Gallery One, Nashville, TN, 2010, Recipient of the Jurors’ Choice Award
  • Water Planet, The State capitol of New Mexico, Santa Fe 2008
  • Southeaster College Art Conference, Invitational Gallery Exhibit, 2006
  • Ingram Gallery, Premier opening, Vanderbilt University, 2006
  • Artists for Oasis: Ten Year Anniversary Show, The Arts Company, 2004
  • Entry, with Paul McLean, Gallery Lombardi, Austin, TX 2004
  • Faculty Art Exhibition, Watkins College of Art, Nashville, TN 2001
  • Seam, with Paul McLean, Attic Gallery, Nashville, 2001
  • A Celebration of Fine Photography, The Arts Company, 2003
  • Finer Things Gallery, Nashville, TN 2000
  • Studio 209, Fort Worth, TX 1999
  • “Arts in the Atrium,” with Paul Harmon, Brentwood, TN 1999
  • Warner Brothers/Reprise Records, Nashville 1998
  • Central South Exhibition, The Parthenon, Nashville 1985
  • Southern Arts Federation, Atlanta, GA 1983
  • Southern Photographers (George Tice, Juror) Red Mountain Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL 1982
  • Southeastern Photography Biennial, Asheville, NC 1981

Public Art Project

Nashville Public Library (one of five photographers commissioned to create inaugural documentary project for a new building designed by Robert A.M. Stern, 2000-2001)

Publications

  • The River Inside, narrative and photographs by John Guider, FRP Press, 2008
  • Cover photograph for Taft, a novel by Ann Patchett
  • Cover photograph for Praying for Sheetrock, a novel by Melissa Fay Greene
  • Nashville Arts Magazine, numerous articles, 2009 -20015
  • Gum Printing and Other Amazing Contact Processes, Christina Z. Anderson, Featured work
  • Inner Voices,Paul Harmon, 2016, Artist essay

Awards

  • Beautiful Minds Finalist, National Council on Aging 2011
  • Carlock Artist in Residence Honoree, Moravian Academy, Bethlehem, PA 2011
  • Jurors Choice Award, Gallery One Exhibition, Nashville, TN 2010
  • Award of Excellence —Communication Arts, Photography Annual 2005
  • Graphis Poster Annual 2004
  • Addy Awards (Nashville, District) — American Advertising Federation 2003-1978
  • Certificate of Design Excellence — Print Regional Design Annual 1997
  • National Citation of Merit — American Advertising Federation 1995
  • Excalibur Award — American Cancer Society 1994
    (Infrared images of Sonoma Valley wineries for Un Été du Vin)
  • Award of Excellence — Communication Arts Photography Annual 1990
    (Polaroid transfer images of Amy Grant’s farm, American Cancer Society)
  • Best of Show — Nashville Art Directors 1977

Bibliography and Presentations (selected)

  • The Tennessean, “I Will Follow Him,” Jessica Bliss, Sunday 8 page cover story of  John’s 1000 mile water journey retracing John Donelson’s journey to the founding of Nashville.
  • Art in the Embassies, works selected for display at the US Embassies, 2016
  • White House Summit on Creative Aging, The Senate Building, featured
  • speaker 2015
  • Saint Louis Photography Club, featured speaker, September 2013
  • AARP National Convention, New Orleans, LA, Featured speaker, 2012
  • Religion and Arts in Contemporary Culture, The Divinity School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville,, featured speaker TN 2011
  • Earth Day Nashville,Featured speaker, May 17, 2010
  • Ertelt, Bonnie Arant, “River Run” Vanderbilt Magazine, Spring, 2010
  • Colette, Sophie,“John Guider, Visions in Platinum” Nashville Arts Magazine, April, 2010
  • John Seigenthaler’s Word on Words,NPT, Featured Author, 2009
  • Southern Festival of Books, Featured Author, 2008
  • The River Inside, bio-doc by Ruckus Films, 2008
  • Santa Fe Photo Arts Festival, Featured Speaker, 2007
  • Bolger, Terry, Five Feature Stories, Channel Four News, Nashville, TN(August 2003, December 2003, March 2oo7 , November, 2008, and May, 2009)
  • Ross,Alan, “Braving the mighty Mississippi” American Profile Magazine, Franklin, TN, October, 2006
  • Bostick, Alan, “Photographer Changes Focus, Sets Sights on River Journey,” The Tennessean, Nashville, TN, August 2003
  • Bostick, Alan, “Guider Surely Has Tales to Tell After 3-Month Canoe Journey,” The Tennessean, Nashville, TN, November 2003.
  • Creamer, Colleen, “Rolling On the River,” The City Paper, Nashville, TN, October 20, 2003.
  • Rose, Meryl, Feature Story, Talk of the Town, News Channel 5, Nashville, TN February 2004
  • Tate, Mindy, “Franklin Man Begins Canoe Trek to Gulf,” The Review Appeal, Franklin, TN, August 10, 2003.
  • Tate, Mindy, “100 Days Alone on the Mississippi,” The Review Appeal, Franklin, TN, November 27, 2003.
  • Tate, Mindy, “Rollin’ on the River : A Franklin Photographer Spends 100 Days On River in an Epic Journey from His Back Yard to New Orleans,” The Jackson Sun, December 7, 2003.

Download: John Guider Resume 7-2-2018