Monterey Mesueum of Art presents: Headhunt Revisited

Headhunt Revisited: With Brush, Canvas and Camera is a documentary film about Caroline Mytinger and the power of art to span oceans and decades. In 1926, Caroline Mytinger set out on a four-year adventure to the “Land of Headhunters” in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea to paint Melanesia’s inhabitants. Eighty years later, her work inspires American photographer Michele Westmorland to retrace Caroline’s journey and Papua New Guinean painter Jeffry Feeger to interpret contemporary counterparts of Caroline’s paintings. Headhunt Revisited connects these artists in a story that is personal and universal, illustrating how art transcends time, genre and geography, continuing to inspire new generations of artists and non-artists alike about the importance of documenting culture and tradition.

Director’s Bio: Michele Westmorland is an internationally recognized underwater and conservation photographer, who also writes for periodicals. For Headhunt Revisited she has translated that experience, and a love of storytelling, to filmmaking. She credits her extensive commercial work in exotic locations around the globe in preparing her for the Mytinger expedition, and contributing to her keen eye for capturing the essence of a story visually.

Through her successful photography business, Westmorland Images, Michele has built a vast library of images from around the world. Her editorial photography credits include major magazines around the world including Smithsonian, Asian Geo and Ocean Geographic. Her commercial images have even been featured in Canon’s own ads running in National Geographic.

Michele is a Founding Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers and received the Fellow of the Year Award for 2016. She is also a Fellow National of the prestigious Explorers Club, a member of the Society of Woman Geographers, Wings WorldQuest, ASPP and NANPA. Michele is also proud to be featured in the book Adventurous Dreams-Adventurous Lives by Jason Schoonover. In 2011, Michele was inducted into the Women Diver’s Hall of Fame.

Michele’s own book Ocean Duets was published in 2006 and is focused on the beauty of the underwater world.

Among the many awards she has received are: Grand Prize in the Papua New Guinea underwater photography contest and the Environmental Photography Invitational, along with a 2 wins in the highly regarded, Photo District News event.

As a speaker, Michele lectures at institutions and events around the world. Lecture venues have included Guest Lecturer: Silversea Cruises, American’s Corner sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Florida, Pingyao International Photography Festival in China, NANPA Summit as a Keynote Speaker, Sea Stories at the New York headquarters of the Explorers Club and the National Arts Club, New York, BLUE Ocean Film Festival and Society of Woman Geographers. While she often speaks on marine and cultural topics, the topic she prefers to speak on is the Mytinger Project.