When summer hits, professors practice what they preach—leaning into areas of interest that oftentimes go beyond their immediate field of study. 

This summer, Otto Selles, professor of French, featured his best black and white photography prints at Lowell Arts. They are still on display through October 4. He is also hosting solo exhibitions at Monroe Community Church (October – December 2025) and Church of the Servant (January – February 2026).

“I decided to feature my best black and white prints at Lowell Arts (13 pieces) and color prints at Art Prize (7 pieces), with everything coming together at the solo exhibitions (25-40 pieces total). Over the summer, I did as much portrait and event photography as I could to help cover printing and framing costs,” said Selles.

How did this opportunity come about?

While the Center Art Gallery exhibition was running, I looked for other opportunities to show my work. I learned that Lowell Arts has regular juried exhibition calls. I applied last March to its “”  show and heard in April that my proposal had been accepted. For , I signed on through its somewhat complicated online system and made connections with Monroe’s CC, which agreed to host my work for ArtPrize and afterwards. During ArtPrize I will be one of many contributors at Monroe CC: my co-worker Christine Vermeer (Art and Design/ Arts Collective) will also have a piece there.

What was your favorite aspect of the experience?

The opening reception for the Solo Seven exhibition at Lowell Arts (August 3, 2025) was a great event. I am grateful to family and friends who came to show their support. I enjoyed talking with visitors from the Lowell community, the staff at Lowell Arts, and the other artists. I got to answer questions about my work and learned what visitors found most interesting.

How did you develop this interest outside of Calvin?

In high school, I became interested in photography, taking pictures for the yearbook and learning how to use a darkroom. Over the years, I always took pictures of family and while traveling. My skills only really developed, however, by taking many, many pictures to promote our semester in France program. The real push to become a better photographer came in 2018 when a friend asked me to take senior portraits of her daughter. I took the plunge and bought my first professional-level camera and lens. Finally, at the start of the pandemic, I decided to use the confinement to see how far I could take my photography.  I continued to upgrade my equipment, set up a , and offered portrait sessions. I bought manuals and watched countless YouTube videos by favorite photographers. At the same time, I took my camera along during family walks in Kent County’s parks, which gave me the idea of developing a landscape project.  I chose to focus on Roselle Park (Ada, MI) as it is only a dozen minutes form my home.

Any way to apply what you are learning through engaging in photography outside of Calvin to your role as a professor?

As I am self-taught as a photographer, I see more clearly how I need to promote as a professor the importance of curiosity and independent learning. That may seem ironic as I am paid to teach in the classroom. However, given the constant change in today’s workplace, students need to be able adapt to new situations. As independent learners, they will be able to build on their Calvin education and pivot to new opportunities. In that context, I always recommend that students have a side interest that gives them a break from their studies and may lead to new opportunities, as I am discovering late in my own career.