Ithaca College

How do you teach photography to women in Saudi Arabia, where many people consider it sinful and women aren't even allowed to drive?

That was one of the questions posed by Robin Young, host of the NPR program “Here & Now,” to Janice Levy, professor in the Department of Cinema, Photography, and Media Arts, on Tuesday, November 15. Levy spent her 2010-11 sabbatical year teaching photography to young women at the recently established Princess Nora University (PNU) in Riyadh.

Young, a 1972 graduate of Ithaca College, commented that Saudi Arabia doesn’t seem like the best place for aspiring female photographers because women aren’t allowed to go out on their own and photography generally is frowned upon. But, Young said, Prof. Levy tried to inspire women to become shutterbugs anyway.

“Here & Now” is produced by WBUR in Boston and the interview with Prof. Levy is available on line via a podcast at hereandnow.wbur.org. The on-line feature also includes photographs taken by Levy and some of her Saudi students.

Photo by Janice Levy