UA Honors College Brings Southern Photography Exhibit to Marion

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama Honors College, in partnership with the Do Good Fund, will host an opening reception for the exhibition “Eternal Moments: Photographs of the South,” Friday, May 15, in Marion, as part of the 57 Miles Initiative.

The event is free and open to the public. The reception is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Smith Building.

Gallery talks will take place at 6:30 p.m. featuring Chip Cooper, photographer and artist-in-residence in the Honors College, and Lauren Henkin, the Do Good Fund’s first artist-in-residence in Greensboro.

Henkin’s work is included in more than 20 institutional collections, including Cleveland Museum of Art, Portland Art Museum, Smith College Museum of Art, Yale University and Brown University’s Bell Gallery.

The exhibition features selections from the Do Good Fund collection and will showcase the work of more than 30 Southern photographers.

Cooper, curator of the exhibit, said he was drawn to the photographs because of their ability to capture timeless moments of Southern life.

“These unique images have been created by some of the South’s best photographers,” he said. “They probably pose more questions than answers. And that’s what good photography is. It pushes the boundaries of what we know and takes us into feelings.”

The exhibition will be free and open to the public from May 15 to the end of July at the Smith Building Gallery.

The Smith Building Gallery is at 301 Washington St. in Marion. After the opening reception, the collection may be viewed by appointment. To make an appointment, contact the Perry County Chamber of Commerce at 334/683-9622.

For more information about this exhibition, contact Chris Joiner of the Honors College at chris.joiner@ua.edu or phone 850/698-9175.

Founded in the summer of 2013, 57 Miles is a campus-community partnership between The University of Alabama Honors College and Perry County. Through 57 Miles, the distance between UA and the Perry County community, Honors College students have year-round opportunities to give back to communities in need, learn about the Black Belt’s history and put education into action.