​​Collette V. Fournier Biography


The skills of Collette V. Fournier encompass the best of photography. She has a MFA in the Visual Arts from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and a BS from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Communications and Photographic Illustration.  She is the retired staff photographer in the Campus Communications Department, and is an adjunct professor in the Photography Department at Rockland Community College since 1992. 

Fournier has worked as a staff photographer for The Rockland Journal-News, The Bergen Record, about...time magazine, and freelanced for The New York Post and has worked in the television industry. Earlier in her career Fournier was selected by the Rochester City School District and the University of Rochester to photograph three educational tours to West African countries Senegal and Mali.

Fournier is an active member of NYC-based Kamoinge Inc., an African American photography collective. Through Atria Books/Simon & Schuster, Kamoinge published Sweet Breath of Life, A Poetic Narrative of the African American Family with writer Ntozake Shange. Through Kamoinge and The Soros Institute/ Open Society grant, Ms. Fournier’s photos were on view in “Kamoinge: Revealing the Face of Katrina” in NYC at HP at Calumet Gallery and at the College of New Rochelle, Gordon Parks Gallery. Kamoinge’s most current highly acclaimed book Timeless celebrating Kamoinge's 50th year was published in 2015.

Fournier is a member of SPE, the Society of Photographic Educators.  She was honored by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) for her photography.  Fournier received a Community Service Award from the Rockland County Legislature for the Arts, NAACP, Martin Luther King, Jr. Center and received the 2008 Artist of Award by the County Executive Arts Awards of the Arts Council in Rockland County. Fournier has been Artist-in-Residence at the CEJJES Institute in Pomona, NY. Fournier is working on her personal narrative: a journey into her photography.


Her photographic achievements were recently recognized in Nyack’s News and Views.


http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/2015/03/lai_collette-fournier/

 Fournier’s recent exhibitions include:

Garner Arts Center Membership Exhibition: https://garnerartscenter.org/virtualgallery

Vision 1020 Wilmer Jennings Gallery at Kenkeleba, NYC

MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora “In Conversation Visual Meditations on Black Masculinity” African American Museum in Philadelphia” Oct. 4, 2019 – Mar. 1, 2020

Curator, “Collective Visions” RCC Faculty Photography Exhibition Nov. 2 – 30, 2019, New City Library and “Two From B’klyn”, Collaboration with Fabric Artist MC Kirton, Catalyst Gallery, Beacon, NY, August 2019


Contact Ms. Fournier Photography at 845-352-2648 or 845-304-5465 c www.collettefournierphotography.com fourniercollette147@gmail.com or cfournie@sunyrockland.edu