William Charles Anthony Frerichs (Belgian American, 1829-1905), Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina, c. 1860. Oil on canvas, 22.25 × 34 in. Gift of Welborn & Patty Alexander. BRAHM Permanent Collection, 2014.1.03. Photo: Josh White

About the program:

Dr. Houck Medford, Founder and CEO Emeritus of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation will discuss how the Parkway evolved as a “ten league canvas painted with a comets tail” to become  “America’s Favorite Journey.”

About the Speaker:

Houck Medford

Houck Medford is from Waynesville, N.C., and is a third-generation dentist, conservationist, and photographer. He attended Wake Forest University (1972), received a Doctor of Dental Surgery from Emory University (1976), and subsequently completed his hospital dental residency at Charlotte Memorial Hospital (1977). He was the first member of the Department of Dentistry at the Wake Forest Medical School.

In 1997, Medford created the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, a private, philanthropic supporting organization for the National Park Service.  He left the organization in 2010 (the Parkway’s 75th Anniversary) as CEO Emeritus and Founder.

In 2015, Medford completed the certificate program in Documentary Studies at Duke University, demonstrating expertise in photography, film, and sound.  He and his wife, K.B., have produced award-winning film documentaries.  His photography has received many national awards.

Book arts and the handcrafted book have become the principal vehicles for presenting his photography.

The Z. Smith Reynolds Special Collection and Archives at Wake Forest University is the repository for Medford’s photography, films, and book arts.  The collection is endowed.

Medford reflects in his artist's statement that "photography has helped me build community by giving those around me a different lens for understanding others and seeing the events around them.”