The Pyramids at Dawn. Jesse Kalisher. 2001.

A local artist has died, but his work lives on in some of the most prominent galleries and exhibits around the world.

Jesse Kalisher was a photographer who received his first camera from his father, Simpson, on his sixth birthday.

After coming of age, he embarked on an eleven-year stint in advertising that ended with a venture to Vietnam.

His passion for picture-taking was rekindled there when he viewed village life through the lens of a compact camera.

Llama at Machu Picchu. Jesse Kalisher. 2000.

Kalisher considered himself to be an observer whose camera was “a vehicle for capturing what actually exists in life.”

His photographs are the work of an artist seeking “a window into human achievement and the human condition.”

Some of those photographs are on display in the Louvre, the Smithsonian and the George Eastman Museum.

Prior to his death, Kalisher ran an art gallery and consulting outfit at 209 East Main Street in Carrboro, North Carolina.

Obama. Jesse Kalisher. 2008.

He was diagnosed earlier this year with a form of cancer that he described as “rare and aggressive.”

That description was provided in a post of his titled “Farewell & Gratitude” that was published online last week.

Kalisher is survived by his wife, Helen, his son, Jordan, and his daughter, Tamar.

Related Stories
‹
How to Better Photograph Your Family- Tip Three
TIP 3: GET UP. GET DOWN. GET MOVING! When you photograph your family without being intentional about it, most of your photos are taken from the same eye level. While some photos are great taken from that level, if all are taken that way it makes for some pretty boring photos. Here is an example […]
How to Better Photograph Your Family- Tip Seven
This is the seventh in an eight-part series created by me, Kristin Prelipp Oguntoyinbo, for the amateur family photographer. These tips are simple, quick things you can do to vastly improve the photos you take. TIP 7: HAVE A PLAN.   If you are the self-designated family photographer you work hard at faithfully recording all […]
How to Better Photograph Your Family- Tip Five
TIP 5: CANDID CAMERA Do you remember that show, “Smile! You’re on Candid Camera!” Perhaps I am dating myself, but the premise was that people were taped with concealed cameras as they were being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props. When the joke was revealed, victims would be told the show’s catch phrase, […]
How to Better Photograph Your Family- Tip Two
This series was created for the amateur family photographer. These tips are simple, quick things you can do to vastly improve the photos you take. Every family has one person that tends to do all the photographing. Growing up in my family, this was my father. This role is important as the images you capture […]
On Air Today: May Pang on John Lennon Photo Exhibit
Photographer May Pang spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey about photographs she took as John Lennon's lover during his "lost weekend" period from 1973-1975. She shares stories from that time period, stories behind some of the photographs, and more.
1 Year After UNC Spurns 'Tarred Healing,' Photo Exhibit Opens in National Civil Rights Museum
One year after a UNC center canceled its display of the photo exhibit "Tarred Healing," it debuted at the National Civil Rights Museum.
Howdy Hillsborough: Episode 16 - Photography!
This week on "Howdy Hillsborough," Alexis and guest host Victoria Pace from the Town of Hillsborough Tourism Board, are joined by Hillsborough based photographer Monica Meyer!
On Display, At Last: 'Tarred Healing' at the Chapel Hill Public Library
It never did appear at UNC’s Stone Center, but this week, local residents will get their first chance to see a provocative photo exhibit about Black history, past and present, here in Chapel Hill. The exhibit is “Tarred Healing,” by photojournalist Cornell Watson. First commissioned by the Stone Center, the planned exhibition fell through earlier […]
Myanmar’s Searing Smartphone Images Flood a Watching World
Written by TED ANTHONY The images ricochet across the planet, as so many do in this dizzying era of film it, upload it, tell it to the world: scenes from a protest-turned-government crackdown, captured at ground level by smartphone users on the streets of Myanmar. Images shot across barricades and furtively through windows. From behind […]
Internationally Acclaimed Carrboro Artist Dies of Cancer
A local artist has died, but his work lives on in some of the most prominent galleries and exhibits around the world. Jesse Kalisher was a photographer who received his first camera from his father, Simpson, on his sixth birthday. After coming of age, he embarked on an eleven-year stint in advertising that ended with […]
›