Kelly Clark is an accomplished fine-art photographer based in Vista and professor of photography at Rancho Buena Vista High School. Yearly unsolicited notes and comments from her students herald Kelly’s knowledge of the medium, the gadgets and the software. But far and above credit for teaching how to make a camera work are the heartfelt testimonials about how she managed to inspire the driven and at-risk adolescent to discover self-esteem that may have been missing in their young lives. She motivates youngsters to convincingly visualize both the obvious and the elusive personal emotion. Those are the skills that qualify Kelly as a discerning judge of this wonderful art form.

Ms. Clark is a native of upstate New York where she earned her Masters in Art Education from the College of New Rochelle and her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from the State University of New York in New Paltz. Kelly served as the Chairperson and Vice Chair of the Vista Public Arts Commission for 4 years and curated the annual New Work photography competition and exhibit at Vista Civic Center Gallery. She maintains a freelance career doing environmental and studio portraits and weddings in the photojournalism style. She has exhibited her photography, mixed-medium art, drawings and paintings in museums and galleries here in San Diego County and across the country.