Gallery: America 250 Captures a Complex Nation in Photographs
A juried exhibition at Alexandria's Multiple Exposures Gallery explores patriotism, protest, and nostalgia in modern American life.
“Early last year, we were talking about group shows, and I said, ‘You know, we’ve got the semi-quincentennial coming up, maybe we should do that,’” says Tom Sliter, a member of Multiple Exposures Gallery, housed in Alexandria’s Torpedo Factory Art Center. There were no strict parameters for what the collective’s photographers could submit. “We asked what kind of images appeal to you? What do you think your images can contribute to the story of America?”
The exhibition, “America 250,” juried by Andy Holtin, captures the spirit of modern-day America and its enduring patriotism, along with traces of deep-seated nostalgia.
OUR VIRTUAL GALLERY
Step inside our virtual presentation of “America 250” and explore the exhibit.
“The works submitted for this exhibition represented, universally, a distinct set of characteristics: a keen eye for moments and details, an absolute mastery of the techniques and skill of image-making, and, perhaps above all, fluency with the ways in which capturing and framing an image is a form of storytelling,” writes Holtin in his juror’s statement.
“I like the variety in what people saw as America,” says Sliter, whose works include a stunning shot of the space shuttle perched atop a NASA jet as it soars past the Capitol en route to the Smithsonian, as well as an image of a young girl brimming with attitude at a stick horse rodeo during a Montana county fair.
“We’re a country that was born in protest,” he continues. “And so it’s kind of natural that protest shows up in many of the shots. I was surprised there were relatively few of the iconic Washington shots. It was lower-key in many respects — small-town America.”
“And I think it captures both the complexity and the variety, the breadth and depth of America. Not everything — I mean, there’s only 23 pictures or so — but it’s not just monumental flag-waving. There’s patriotism here, but it’s a little more nuanced and deeper in meaning.”
For Sliter, belonging to Multiple Exposures Gallery has been “tremendously supportive” of his work as a photographer. “The infectiousness of their devotion to the craft of photography is amazing,” he says. “It’s very uplifting. Because we all have different styles of photography, you learn from everybody.”
“America 250” runs through July 26 at Multiple Exposures Gallery, Studio 7, on the first floor of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union St. in Alexandria. The gallery is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit multipleexposuresgallery.com.
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