The Vanishing Faces of Tibet: Photography Exhibit at Bernardsville Library

Opening reception and talk: Sunday, December 6, 1:00-4:00 pm

The former country of Tibet, now part of China, has a rich history of independence dating back more than 2,000 years, but since the Chinese invasion in 1950, many things have changed. China has been rushing to modernity, destroying much of the Tibetan culture and ancient civilization. On Sunday, December 6th, Dr. Doug Munch will discuss his photographs, taken in Tibet in 2014, which are on display at the library during the month of December, and share his personal experiences there. He will also talk about the history of Tibet, how Buddhism became the majority religion and cultural influence, and changes imposed under Chinese rule. The reception will begin at 1:00 pm. Dr. Munch will speak at 2:00 pm.

Dr. Munch has been creating photographic images since the age of eleven when he won his first “open” contest in as a young student in Japan. Since that time, photography has been a creative outlet for him, primarily as a serious avocation. He has said about his work, “I love this medium. Our world has so much color and beauty in it. Photography helps me to enjoy that beauty and express my vision of it through photographic images that others may also enjoy.”

Over the years, Dr. Munch has won numerous contests and has published photographs in books, journals, and calendars. He has had several photographic exhibitions including a curated one-man show in New Jersey, “Colors of the World,” which featured images from ten countries and five US states. Another one-man show in Toronto, Canada, “Colors of Macedonia,” featured images of antiquity and modernity in the Republic of Macedonia, part of the former Yugoslav Republic. In 2011, he was invited to exhibit several images as part of another curated photo exhibition in New Jersey and also exhibited a number of photographs that were coordinated with a “Photoshop® Lightroom” class he taught at Calumet Photographic in Cambridge, MA. Most recently, he has been on two different expeditions with National Geographic photographers, one in Tanzania and the other in Tibet during which the photographs on display were taken.

Dr. Munch had a long career in medicine and business consulting with pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical device companies. He also worked for companies such as Johnson and Johnson, Sphinx Pharmaceuticals, and Kimberley Clark Corporation. Munch attended Villanova University, The University of California and received his doctorate in Medicine and Biomedical Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine.

There is no charge to attend the opening, but advance sign-up is requested. The show will be available for viewing during regular library hours until December 30, unless a meeting is in progress.