Jim Alinder Art

Jim Alinder grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota but is a native of California. He was educated in Minnesota from the age of 7. Alinder developed an early interest in photography and became a professional freelance photographer while still in his teen. He studied at Macalester College and received his Bachelor of Arts degree, after which he completed another 2 years of graduate work at the University of Minnesota. After graduation he became a Peace Corps Volunteer in East Africa in the Somali Republic. Alinder taught English while at the same time he was working as a photography advisor in Mogadishu, Somalia to the Ministry of Information from 1964 to 1966. In 1968, after receiving his Master of Fine Arts degree in photography and art history from the University of New Mexico, he spent the next 10 years as a professor of art at the University of Nebraska. In 1977, he became the executive director of The Friends of Photography in Carmel at the invitation of Ansel Adams; he developed it into the largest nonprofit photography organization in the nation. Alinder has taught creative photography classes from beginning through to graduate level. He is also a popular workshop instructor and a lecturer. He has edited or written some 40 books on photography and he as been the director or curator of over 150 exhibitions. His art is also availed to clients as framed Jim Alinder art which is the most popular. After working for 12 years as a director, he resigned and returned to being a full-time artist. And in 1990, he moved to The Sea Ranch with his wife, Mary.