Irna Jay is a photographer whose documentary work reflects her background as a newspaper journalist. For the past several years she has been concentrating on a portrait of Havre de Grace, Maryland, the Harford County town where she and her husband published a weekly newspaper for many years. Working in both color and black and white, she has most recently used larger format cameras (including a 4x5 view camera) to produce portraits of people and places with great sharpness and richness of detail. This work represents an exploration of community, seeking to portray the aspects of intimacy which flourish in areas small enough so that people still know each other.

Publications

2004

• "Havre de Grace: A Portrait," Photographs by Irna Jay, with an introduction by Peter A. Jay; Sparrowhawk Press.

Exhibitions

2003

• Havre de Grace: A Living Portrait, Chesapeake Gallery, Harford Community College, September-October.

2002

• Havre de Grace Portraits, Harford Day School Juried Arts Festival, November.

2001

• The Necessary Document, School 33 for the Arts, May.
• Came Home, MFA Thesis Show, MICA, April.

1999

• Unreal Estate, digital color prints, MICA, December.

1998

• Reunion, Woodward Gallery, MICA. September.

1997

• Images of Deer Creek, Harford County Historical Society and Deer Creek Watershed Association, Bel Air, MD.

Education

2001

• M.F.A in Photography, Maryland Institute, College of Art, Baltimore, MD.

1999

• Post-Baccalaureate certificate, Maryland Institute, College of Art, Baltimore, MD.

1966

• Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, M.S.

1965

• B.A in English, University of Wisconsin, Phi Beta Kappa.

Experience

2001 - present

• Instructor in Photography, Maryland Institute, College of Art; teaching basic black and white and digital photography.

1990 - present

• Harford Day School, director of photography and publications.

1988 - 1990

• Vice president and executive editor, Homestead Publishing Company, Bel Air, Maryland. Homestead is the company formed when the Baltimore Sun acquired the Susquehanna Publishing Company and merged it with another Harford County newspaper company. Published five weekly newspapers, including The Aegis and The Record.

1974 - 1988

• Co-owner and publisher, the Susquehanna Publishing Company, Havre de Grace, Maryland, publishing weekly newspapers. Beginning with The Record in Havre de Grace, the company grew to include four weekly newspapers in Harford County and more than 35 full time employees.

1967 - 1974

• The Washington Post, Washington, D.C. General assignment reporter, city hall bureau chief, Congressional reporter; assistant Maryland editor and Maryland editor, directing the Post's suburban and state Maryland coverage.