Derek Slagle, Ph.D., M.S. (he/him/his) is an American documentary and fine-art film photographer, based in Little Rock, Arkansas, covering narratives primarily in the Southern and Midwestern areas of the United States. His photographic work has expanded to partnerships with nonprofits and governmental entities for documentation of science of conservation practices. Dr. Slagle has published academic articles and technical reports on the topic(s); has multiple paid contracts for conservation research related to policy/ administrative reforms; has a forthcoming photography book focused on similar initiatives on public (federal) land management; and exhibited photographs broadly (i.e., museums, publications, and exhibitions).
He is available for commissions/ collaborations and can be reached via the contact form (below)
Recent grants/ fellowships/ awards:
2023 Catalyze Grant: Mid-America Arts Alliance & Windgate Foundation
2nd place award, Monochrome - (2024) 10th Annual Allegany National Photography Competition & Exhibition
3rd place award, Best in Show - (2024) National Juried Exhibition at Gallery 130 - University of Mississippi Department of Art & Art History
Featured Exhibitions:
Solo Exhibitions:
Solo Exhibition – Derek Slagle (2025) The Science of Conservation. University of Arkansas at Little Rock Windgate School of Art + Design
Solo Exhibition – Derek Slagle (2024, February-March) The Natural State. East Arkansas Community College Fine Arts Center Art Gallery, Forrest City, AR.
Solo Exhibition - Derek Slagle - (2014, May-June) High Dynamic Range. Florida Atlantic University Second Avenue Gallery. Fort Lauderdale, FL
Group Exhibitions:
Snapshot: Climate. Carolina Public Humanities and the North Caroliniana Society
(2024, February-March) Pitt Community College, Greenville, North Carolina
(2024, March) College of the Albemarle’s Professional Arts Gallery, Maneo, NC
(2024, June) Barrier Islands Center, Monchipango, VA
(2024, August-September) Emory and Henry College McGlothlin Center for the Arts Gallery, Emory VA
(2024, November - December) Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts, Florence, AL
(2025, January-February) The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
Derek Slagle, Vince Griffin, & Justin Harrel: Rose City (2024, December - 2025, January) North Little Rock Library Gallery, North Little Rock, AR.
Earth First National Juried Exhibition (2024, April-June) The Floyd Center for the Arts, Hayloft Gallery Exhibit, Floyd, VA
10th Annual Allegany National Photography Competition & Exhibition (2024, March- April) Allegany Arts Council, Cumberland, MD.
2024 National Juried Exhibition at Gallery 130 (2024, March-April) University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS.
Arkansas Heritage/ Arkansas Arts Council Small Works on Paper exhibition.
(2024, January) Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, Little Rock, AR.
(2024, February) Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, AR
(2024, March) River Valley Arts Center, Russellville, AR.
(2024, April) Northwest Arkansas Community College Integrated Learning Design Lab. Bentonville, AR.
(2024, May-June) Arts on Main. Van Buren AR
(2024, July-August) Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, Pine Bluff, AR.
(2024, September) Southwest Arkansas Arts Council. Hope, AR
(2024, October) East Arkansas Community College Fine Arts Center Art Gallery, Forrest City, AR.
(2024, November) ASU Mid-South Reynolds Center Hosted by Delta Arts. West Memphis, AR.
The Magic Silver Show: The Elena Diane Curris Juried Photomedia Exhibition 2023. (2023, September-October) Murray State University, The Clara M. Eagle Gallery, Murray, KY
Snapshot: Climate. Mellon Foundation’s Coasts, Climates, the Humanities, and the Environment Consortium, Center for the Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2023, May-December) Chapel Hill, NC.
Arkansas Heritage/ Arkansas Arts Council Small Works on Paper exhibition.
(2022, January) Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, Little Rock, AR.
(2022, February) SAU Magnolia Brinson Art Gallery, Magnolia, AR.
(2022, March) Alma Performing Arts Center Gallery, Alma, AR
(2022, April) Northwest Arkansas Community College Integrated Learning Design Lab. Bentonville, AR.
(2022, May) River Valley Arts Center, Russellville, AR.
(2022, June) Arts Center of the Grand Prairie. Stuttgart, AR.
(2022, July-August) Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, Pine Bluff, AR.
(2022, September) Harding University, Searcy, AR.
(2022, October) Arkansas Heritage/ Arkansas Arts Council Small Works on Paper touring exhibition. The Arts Council of Mississippi County Northeast Arkansas College Adams/Vine Gallery. Blytheville, AR.
(2022, November) Arkansas Heritage/ Arkansas Arts Council Small Works on Paper touring exhibition. ASU Mid-South Reynolds Center Hosted by Delta Arts. West Memphis, AR.
(2021) Arts and Science Center of Southeast Arkansas: Irene Rosenzeig Biennial Juried Exhibition, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
(2021) Summer 2021 Fridge Show, The Curated Fridge, Virtual
(2020) 62nd Annual Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts: Delta Exhibition, Virtual
(2020) Adobe Government Creativity Awards, Virtual
(2019) Slow Exposures: Celebrating Photography of the Rural South, Zebulon Georgia
(2015) Current Works. Kansas City Society for Contemporary Photography. Kansas City, MO
(2015) 4 Square Kansas City Artists Coalition. Kansas City, MO.
(2011) Project Medishare - Haiti Art Basel Miami. Miami, FL
(2009) Phoenix Magazine Art Show. UC Concourse Gallery. University of Tennessee Visual Arts Committee and the Central Programming Council. Knoxville, TN