Margy Dudley was raised in New York City where she first picked up a camera in grade school. New York provided a visually rich venue for developing a photographic eye, especially street photography which became her passion. Henri Cartier-Bresson’s work has always been her strongest inspiration.

After graduating from Wheaton College in Massachusetts in 1980, she worked in the advertising business in New York until starting a family and later moving to Durango, Colorado with her husband and four sons where they have lived for the last 17 years. Living in Colorado has provided access to the wilderness and outdoor adventures, both important aspects of her life. The cultural adventure of travel has also played an important role in Dudley’s photography; she has explored many exotic locations including Peru, India, China, Myanmar, Bhutan, Tanzania, Senegal, Mali, Morocco, Greenland and Turkey.

Dudley opened the Open Shutter Gallery in Durango, Colorado 15 years ago as a place for photography lovers to gather and show their work in the community. The exhibits showcase mainly contemporary photography from around the world while periodically including the classics by master photographers such as Paul Caponigro, Elliott Erwitt and Henri Cartier-Bresson. She has juried multiple exhibits in Denver, Colorado and Santa Fe, New Mexico and has also hosted international juried exhibitions at the gallery. The Open Shutter also serves as a center for education, providing digital and travel workshops. The exhibits in the gallery have expanded to include many well known photographers such as Nick Brandt, Phil Borges, Pentti Sammallahti and from countries as far away as Germany, Finland, Iran and Thailand.