Trust Me

Dawoud Bey: Street Portraits is the first standalone museum show to explore a transformational phase of the celebrated photographer and 2017 MacArthur Fellow Dawoud Bey's work. The show features 38 portraits he took between 1988 and 1991, when he collaborated with Black Americans of all ages whom he met on the streets of various American cities. He asked a cross section of people in these communities to pose for him, creating a space of self-presentation and performance in their urban environments. Bey used a large format tripod-mounted camera and a unique positive/negative Polaroid film that created both an instant print and a reusable negative. Bey considers photography an ethical practice that requires collaboration with his subjects. As part of every encounter, he gave each person a small black-and-white Polaroid print as a way of reciprocating and returning something to the people who allowed him to make their portrait.. Street Portraits is organized by the community the photographs were taken in: Brooklyn; Washington, D.C.; Rochester; Amityville; and Harlem. Defying racial stereotypes, the resulting photographs reveal the Black subjects in all of their psychologically rich complexity, presenting themselves openly and intimately to the camera, the viewer, and the world. Image: Young Man Resting on an Exercise Bike, Amityville, NY, from the series Street Portraits, 1988. Pigment print. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago. © Dawoud Bey

1000 Dreams seeks to change harmful refugee narratives through a storytelling project that tells the stories of 1000 refugees across the world. 1000 Dreams is entirely authored by storytellers with a refugee background. Witness Change, the organization behind 1000 Dreams believes that for the narrative to change, the lives of refugees have to be authentically represented – their voices must be heard. They have hosted a series of intensive storytelling workshops, training people with refugee backgrounds on how to make portraits and conduct interviews. With these new skills, the refugee storytellers collect testimonies from other refugees. Their stories amplify the voices of refugees and provide insights into their individual lives and the emotional impact of current policies and attitudes. About Witness Change: Witness Change (@witness_change) produces highly visual storytelling on seldom-addressed human rights abuses. The non-profit organization exists to improve life for marginalized groups by amplifying their stories. Their projects have reached more than 250 million people worldwide and have been on the cover of National Geographic and Time magazine. Witness Change’s current projects include Where Love Is Illegal, stories of discrimination and survival from the LGBTQI+ community, and In My World, a campaign to amplify stories of people living with mental health, psychosocial, intellectual, and cognitive disabilities.

Scott Strong Hawk Foster, a Native American photographer with proud ancestral ties to the Hassanamisco Nipmuc, Mohegan, and Cherokee nations, brings his deeply personal vision to the Central Massachusetts Artist Initiative (CMAI). His installation showcases a selection of images from his ongoing series, Ways of My Ancestors – We Are Still Here, a powerful tribute to the strength, pride, and enduring presence of the Eastern Woodlands People of Southern New England. Foster’s work predominantly features Nipmuc(k) individuals, the original stewards of Central Massachusetts, northern Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Through his lens, he captures both the resilience and cultural richness of his community, ensuring their stories and traditions remain visible and honored in the present day. Image: Scott Strong Hawk Foster, Scrapping, Herring Pond, September 3, 2023, archival inkjet photograph. Courtesy of the artist. © Scott Strong Hawk Foster

In 1955, two photographers received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation for U.S. survey projects: Robert Frank and Todd Webb. Frank’s cross-country trip by car would result in the celebrated book “The Americans.” Webb was awarded a grant to walk, boat, and bike across the United States to depict “vanishing Americana, and the way of life that is taking its place.” Though the men had no knowledge of each other during the application process, both secured a recommendation from famed photographer Walker Evans, and both completed their cross-country surveys—though in radically different ways. Frank’s resulting work became a landmark text in the history of photography, and Webb’s project remains almost entirely unknown. Robert Frank and Todd Webb: Across America, 1955 brings together both 1955 projects for the first time. In some instances, Frank’s and Webb’s images are strikingly similar—both men took photographs of the highway and dim, smoky barrooms. Because each was unaware of the other’s work, these similarities can be traced to popular cultural trends and shared ideologies. Both men, after all, engaged in projects that challenged the idealistic purity of the “American Roadtrip.” Radically different photographs made in the same location reveal the photographers’ diverse perspectives and approaches. Frank’s grainy, off-kilter style was matched with his harsh examination of the darker side of American life. An immigrant born in Switzerland, Frank (1924–2019) harnessed his outsider perspective. The tender, carefully composed images created by Detroit-born Webb (1905–2000) celebrated the individual oddities of the American way of life. Ultimately, comparing the work of these photographers reveals the complexity of their projects and the impossibility of capturing a singular vision of “America.” Image: Between Lovelock and Fernley, NV 1956 © Todd Webb Archives

The opening line of L.P. Hartley’s 1953 novel, The Go-Between, "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there," captures the complex and often elusive nature of history. It suggests that time alters our perception, making the past a distant, unfamiliar land. In contrast, William Faulkner’s famous assertion, "The past is never dead. It isn’t even past," implies that history remains ever-present, shaping the present in ways we may not always perceive. The artists featured in Time Travelers engage with these contrasting views, using their work to explore the interplay between memory, folklore, history, and the reclamation of lost or forgotten narratives. They reimagine elements of the past, often incorporating traditional craft techniques, repurposing antique objects, and reinterpreting ancient stories. Central to this exhibition are two large-scale installations, both part of the Art Center’s permanent collection: Cheese by Mika Rottenberg and The Boat People by Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn. Rottenberg’s Cheese, constructed from what appears to be old barn wood and small television monitors, draws inspiration from the real-life Sutherland sisters, who became famous for their long hair. In a surreal, offbeat twist, Rottenberg transforms the sisters into fairy-tale figures who literally produce food from their renowned hair. Her work touches on themes of objectification and commodification of women’s bodies, using humor to highlight the forgotten lives of individuals whose unique experiences still resonate today. Nguyễn’s The Boat People takes the viewer to the future, where a group of children explores a post-apocalyptic world. In this cinematic, episodic film, the children collect relics from a nearly lost history, attempting to piece together the past from the remnants they find. Their interactions with these objects are both existential and ritualistic, providing a poignant commentary on the way history is interpreted through fragments and memory. As viewers, we are invited to reflect on the very real tragedies these children can only begin to understand, creating a powerful connection between the past and present. Image: The Boat People (film still), 2020 © Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn

The years 2024 and 2025 mark the 60th anniversaries of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, two landmark pieces of legislation that fundamentally changed life in the United States for many marginalized groups, including people of color, women, individuals with disabilities, the elderly, and others previously denied equal rights. These Acts represented the culmination of nearly a century of advocacy and activism. By Dawn’s Early Light reflects on the historical backdrop that led to these transformative laws, drawing from the U.S. Constitution's Preamble and the rights laid out in the First, Second, and Fourteenth Amendments. Each gallery of the exhibition showcases selections from the Nasher's permanent collection that engage with these foundational documents, exploring questions about nation-building, the right to assemble, the ownership of weapons, the pursuit of the American dream, and the ongoing process of defining "we the people." The exhibition encourages viewers to consider what values they hold dear and how they use their voices to safeguard those values when casting their votes. The title of the exhibition, drawn from the national anthem, serves as a metaphor for a new beginning, symbolizing the hope for fresh opportunities to collectively imagine and shape a better future. Featured artists include Kathryn Andrews, Adrián Balseca, Bill Bamberger, Roger Brown, Diego Camposeco, Kennedi Carter, Mel Chin, Dario Escobar, Leonard Freed, Genevieve Gaignard, Scherezade Garcia, Titus Brooks Heagins, Barkley L. Hendricks, Ken Heyman, Henry Horenstein, Dapper Bruce Lafitte, Michelangelo Lovelace, Danny Lyon, Mary Ellen Mark, Vik Muniz, Kambui Olujimi, Bill Owens, Gordon Parks, Fahamu Pecou, Ad Reinhardt, Gary Simmons, Jaune Quick-To-See Smith, Erika Stone, Lou Stouman, Sage Sohier, Sarah Sudhoff, Hank Willis Thomas, Burk Uzzle, Nari Ward, Antoine Williams, Fred Wilson, Purvis Young, and George Zimbel. Image: Diego Camposeco, Tabaco (Tobacco) from the series Diego Saves the World, 2015 (printed 2016). Collection of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. Museum purchase, 2021.11.2. © Estate of Diego Camposeco. Image courtesy of the artist’s estate.

A Breathtaking holds a peculiar power in its unfinished nature. On one hand, it speaks to the majestic and sublime, suggesting visions of grandeur that take the breath away in awe and admiration. On the other, it hints at a sudden interruption, a gasp at realizing the meaning of fragility. The unfinished phrase becomes a lens into emotional landscapes that leave us suspended between beauty and the unknown. ​ Julien Chatelin’s exhibition reflects this very tension, offering a poetic exploration of the ephemeral, the delicate, and inevitable transformations. His images carve out spaces of openness and suspense, leaving room for infinite possibilities while subtly hinting at loss or silence. ​ The works on view delve into territories in transition, where contrasting forces collide. Topographies are charged with opposing energies, revealing a silent battle between cities and nature, humanity and its environment. These spaces carry a profound ambivalence, suggesting both fecundity and sterility, promise and emptiness. In this interplay, Chatelin explores the tension between stillness and movement, the visible and the invisible, the vast and the intimate, capturing the fractured realities of contemporary society. Through the dual display of vernacular and the distress of fragmented societies, A Breathtaking offers a singular reading into capitalist development, inviting reflection on the complexities of growth and decay. Meaning, in this exhibition, is not made through completion but through the spaces in between, where contradictions find their voic

Penumbra Foundation proudly presents The Puppet Master, a solo exhibition by Diana Michener. This evocative series delves into the complex dynamics between a father and daughter, exploring themes of control, intimacy, and silent understanding. Michener describes the project as a mysterious collaboration between the two figures: “The daughter became the puppet, the father the puppeteer. They worked in silence, each following an unspoken script. They had their own intentions—just as I had mine.” These enigmatic photographs invite viewers to reflect on the unseen forces shaping relationships, leaving space for personal interpretation. “Photography thrives on open narratives,” Michener explains. “You may not see my story, but perhaps you will see your own—and that excites me.” The Puppet Master will be on view from February 27 through May 15, 2025. About the Artist Diana Michener (b. 1940, Boston) is an acclaimed photographer known for her introspective and poetic imagery. Based in Paris and Walla Walla, Washington, she studied at Barnard College in New York before refining her craft under the mentorship of Lisette Model at the New School for Social Research. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including the retrospective Silence Me at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP) in Paris (2001), Morning After Morning at the Photo Museum of Ireland (2001), Dogs, Fires, Me at Pace/MacGill in New York (2005), Figure Studies at Nature Morte in Berlin (2010), and Anima, Animals at MEP (2016–2017). Michener’s photographs are held in major museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Centre Pompidou, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She has published extensively with Steidl, producing numerous books such as Silence Me (2001), Dogs, Fires, Me (2005), Figure Studies (2011), A Song of Life (2018), Trance (2020), Bones (2022), Mortes (2023), and Mirror (2024).

Sebastião Salgado, reflecting on his experience with the Nenets during his Genesis project, said, "There is so much love in their lives: wife to husband, husband to wife, for their children. Everything around them makes their life very rich, and they tell each other such nice stories." This captures his deep admiration for their connection to nature and to each other, reinforcing the spiritual and essential nature of their existence. Sebastião Salgado’s passion for the Nenets stems from his broader quest to reconnect with untouched territories and communities deeply rooted in nature. After witnessing profound human suffering in his previous projects, such as Exodus, Salgado embarked on Genesis to restore his faith in humanity and nature. The Nenets, a nomadic people of northern Siberia, live in harmony with their environment, dependent on reindeer for survival and maintaining traditions despite the harsh Arctic climate. Their life, defined by reindeer herding, is one of simplicity but rich with love, spirituality, and connection to the land—elements that deeply resonated with Salgado. During his time with the Nenets, Salgado was struck by their resilience, adaptability, and intelligence, particularly the symbiotic relationship between them and their reindeer. He admired how they endured extreme cold, managed to navigate vast white landscapes, and preserved their culture in a rapidly modernizing world. Through his lens, Salgado captured the beauty of their way of life, which he saw as a powerful reminder of humanity's lost connection to nature and the land. This project renewed his sense of hope and purpose, showcasing the importance of preserving the world's untouched cultures and ecosystems, while highlighting the Nenets’ deep spiritual ties to the natural world, something Salgado believes is essential for our own survival.

For Shore|Lines, Chicago-based artist Regina Agu (b. Houston, Texas) presents a large-scale panoramic installation at the Museum of Contemporary Photography as part of an exploration of placemaking and community memory—tracing sites and legacies of historical Black North American migration through an expansive tradition of the panoramic form. This Joyce Foundation Award (2023) special project and collaboration, focuses on connecting the landscapes, materiality, and human histories of the Gulf South region to the Great Lakes. Drawing on methods of field work and landscape photography, Shore|Lines examines waterways and natural environments as defining sites of Black life and belonging. This investigation grounds itself in close conversation with Chicago-area land and Great Lakes region environmental advocates and ecologists of color—community historians and academics, members of sailing clubs, librarians, archivists, geographers, and families that live and work along these long-storied bodies of water. The exhibition includes an artist book” documentation that Agu refers to as a “field guide,” connecting her Midwest and Gulf South experiences of the landscapes. Shore|Lines is proud to bring together discourses of Black geographies, landscape photography, and site-specific land histories, using the methodology of landscape panorama as a format for relating ideas and themes of Black cultural memory connected to place. This project uniquely explores and documents a nuanced assemblage of sociocultural geographies and cultures that connect to the Great Migration of the 20th century, in a way that is rarely considered within the wider visual lore or heritage narrative of the Great Lakes. Asha Iman Veal, MoCP Associate Curator. Regina Agu (American, b. Houston) is a visual artist, writer, and researcher based in Chicago, IL. Agu was raised between the United States, the Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Africa, and Switzerland. Her interdisciplinary practice includes conceptual and material inquiries into memory, history, representation, and Black geographies. Her work has been exhibited at the New Orleans Museum of Art, New Museum, The Drawing Center, the High Line, Project Row Houses, FotoFest, the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, among other venues. Agu is a 2023 Joyce Award winner with the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago. Agu has received an Artadia Houston award, grants from Houston Arts Alliance, The Idea Fund, a SEED grant from The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, and the Center for Art and Social Engagement at the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts and Project Row Houses fellowship at the University of Houston for her research project Friends of Emancipation Park. Agu holds a BS from Cornell University and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Five years after the start of Broadway’s Great Intermission—the 18-month period when the Covid pandemic forced theaters to close—Mark S. Kornbluth has released new images in his historic portrait series DARK. DARK comprises large-format photographs of Broadway theaters that quickly became symbols of the resilience of New York City, and a poetic tribute to the power of the arts for healing and human connection. While the buildings themselves awaited the return of actors and audiences, Kornbluth saw the opportunity to shift the spotlight to these sentinels of Times Square, many of them architectural marvels who play understudy to the incredible talents they house. Trained as a professional actor, with close friends affected by the unprecedented interruption of live performances, Kornbluth began the series as his own artistic homage to the age-old mantra “the show must go on.” ENCORE is a reprise of Kornbluth’s 2023 solo exhibition that features beloved photographs from the original collection as well as several new releases on view for the first time. Collector favorites like Richard Rodgers, in which the Hamilton marquee poignantly declares “History is Happening in Manhattan,” are on view alongside The Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre, nearing the end of its record-setting run. Kornbluth took his photographs at night, with streetlights serving as stagecraft, and theater signage as dialogue. There are no passersby in the images, but each artwork nevertheless comes alive with its own sort of humanity. Kornbluth succeeds in capturing the presence of absence, and in doing so, reflects a shared and profound experience. Theaters depicted in ENCORE include Ambassador, Barrymore, Belasco, Booth, Kerr, Lyceum, Lunt-Fontanne, Music Box, New Amsterdam, Radio City Music Hall, Shubert, and more. Broadway productions include legendary shows such as Chicago, Moulin Rouge, The Music Man, and West Side Story. The large-format photographs, printed as dye sublimations on aluminum, are immersive and luminous testaments to the grandeur and indomitable spirit of New York. This is an encore performance not to be missed.

Luke Oppenheimer is a documentary photographer and visual storyteller from rural Oklahoma, with a background in agroforestry and sustainable farming. His work explores the relationships between rural communities, the landscapes they inhabit, and the wildlife they coexist with, revealing how these forces shape each other’s destinies. Having lived and worked extensively across Latin America, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, Luke’s photography is deeply rooted in personal connections and immersive storytelling. Ottuk chronicles life in a small shepherding village in the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan. What began as a month-long project in 2020 grew into a five-year immersion, during which Luke was welcomed into the community and adopted by a local family. The series captures the villagers’ struggles and joys, shaped by their dependence on livestock, resilience against unforgiving winters, and the enduring traditions that guide their way of life.