Michael Foley

Michael FoleyBioMichael Foley was born in Dublin, Ireland in November 1944. It was during his university years in Dublin studying Philosophy that he discovered the magic of photography, playing a leading role in the development of the college’s camera club and its exhibitions. On graduation he took up a career in education and, through his interest in photography, gravitated to audio visual media in teaching. In 1972 he began working in the Education Department in University College Dublin (UCD), a college of the National University of Ireland. In 1985 he was the founder and first Director of the university’s Audio Visual Centre, which besides providing a production service for the university was also engaged in European research partnerships in the application of new technologies to education and training. He and his team became well known in Europe for advancing the use of satellite broadcasting, videoconferencing, TV, and the Internet for aiding access to education and knowledge. In 1997 he was invited to join the World Bank Institute in Washington DC to contribute to the design and implementation of what became known as the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN), becoming Lead Distance Learning Specialist in 2003. Throughout his time as an audio-visual and distance learning specialist Michael never lost his interest in photography, taking his camera with him while travelling on projects for UCD and the World Bank. In the ‘70s he was Vice-President and Exhibition Secretary of the Photographic Society of Ireland (PSI – founded 1854), exhibiting regularly in their annual exhibitions. His first public solo exhibition was in 1983 in Dublin, entitled “Burma Now”, a travelling show of 60 black and white and colour prints from Myanmar, then called Burma. Several trips for the World Bank to Kabul, Afghanistan in 2002 resulted in an exhibition called “The Streets of Kabul” in the lobby of the World Bank in Washington DC in March 2003. It was a fundraiser for the Asciana schools for street children in Kabul at the request of Rula Ghani, then a member of the spouses’ association of the World Bank, now First Lady of Afghanistan. Michael’s travels in South Asia generally in those years led to a World Bank Art Program permanent exhibition of his work called “Face-to-Face: Messages from South Asia”. The exhibition was sponsored by the South Asia Presidency of the World Bank. While in Washington Michael was a member of the National Press Club (NPC) and was Vice-Chair of the Photo Committee. In 2009 the NPC hosted a public exhibition of his work from South Asia in the lobby of the club. Called “Faces of South Asia”, it was part sponsored by the World Bank Art Program, and opened by the Irish Ambassador to the US. The US Library of Congress holds 100 of Michael’s photos from Afghanistan and Pakistan in their archives. Michael retired in 2012 from the World Bank and moved back to his native Dublin. Brief bioMichael FoleyBorn 15 November 1944, Dublin, IrelandEducation: BA Philosophy, MA EducationCareer: Education Department University College Dublin 1972 - 1985Director, Audio Visual Centre University College Dublin 1985 – 1997Lead Distance Learning Specialist, World Bank 1997 – 2012Exhibitions:Burma Now 1983, Dublin The Streets of Kabul, 2003, World Bank, Washington DCFace-to-Face: Messages from South Asia, World Bank Art program permanent exhibitionFaces of South Asia, National Press Club, Washington DC 2009Repositories:100 Photos of street life from Afghanistan and Pakistan 2002 – 2010, US Library of Congress