The non-profit organization FotoFocus has opened its inaugural exhibition at the newly established FotoFocus Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Titled Big Tent, the show draws partial inspiration from Amanda Gorman's poem In This Place (An American Lyric). The exhibition will run until 22 August 2026 and presents the work of more than 50 artists. Each photographer's work reflects on the current state of democracy in the United States, illustrating the profound impact of visual imagery.
Curated Perspectives on Democracy
Curated by Briana Ellis-Gibbs, Big Tent brings together a diverse range of photographic works that capture moments of protest, pride, and everyday life. From historical civil rights images to contemporary portraits, the exhibition offers a multifaceted look at American society.
Key Works on Display
- Builder Levy – I am a Man/Union Justice Now, Memphis, Tennessee, 1968. This iconic image from the civil rights era highlights the struggle for workers' rights and racial equality.
- Dawoud Bey – Birmingham Project: Fred Stewart II and Tyler Collins, 2012. Bey's work addresses the legacy of the 1963 Birmingham church bombing.
- Larry Sultan – Canal District, San Rafael, 2006. Sultan captures the suburban landscape of California.
- Fazal Sheikh – Jonah Yellowman (Diné), from the series Exposure, 2022. This portrait highlights Indigenous spirituality and land rights.
- RaMell Ross – Giving Tree, 2012. Ross explores African American life in the rural South.
- Marco Anelli – First American Portrait: Rogina, Bangladesh, 2018. Anelli documents immigrant communities in the US.
- Robert Frank – Political rally, Chicago, 1956. From his seminal series The Americans, Frank captures the fervor of political gatherings.
- Madeleine Hordinski – Midwestern Magic, 2024. A contemporary view of the American heartland.
- Elaine Mayes – Eugene, Panhandle, Haight-Ashbury, 1968. Mayes documents the counterculture movement.
- Mitch Epstein – Border Wall, Nogales, Arizona, 2017. Epstein examines the US-Mexico border.
- John Divola – Dogs Chasing My Car in the Desert, 1996-1998. Divola's series explores isolation and the American landscape.
- Dawoud Bey – Class Pictures: Usha, 2006. Bey's series portrays high school students across the US.
- Stanley Forman – The Soiling of Old Glory, 5 April 1976. A Pulitzer Prize-winning image of a racial incident during a Boston protest.
- Alyse Emdur – Brisio Pintor, Preston E, Smith Unit Correctional Institution, Lamesa, Texas, from Prison Landscapes, 2013. Emdur documents prison visiting rooms.
- Tabitha Soren – Janelle, 2013. Soren's portrait captures a moment of introspection.
- Jill Freedman – Monumental Flute, Resurrection City, Poor People’s Campaign, Washington DC, 1968. Freedman documents the Poor People's Campaign.
- Michael Wilson – Brothers, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2010. Wilson captures family bonds in post-Katrina New Orleans.
The exhibition provides a comprehensive visual narrative of American democracy, from protests and picket lines to moments of Indigenous pride and community. It underscores the power of photography to both document and inspire change.
