Floyd Memorial Library’s (539 First St., Greenport, 631-477-0660) summer art exhibition, A Portrait of America: Documentary Photography at 250 Years, has been extended until Sunday, Sept. 6, and if you haven’t yet seen it, it is well worth a trip to Greenport.
Sally Grant, the exhibition’s curator, designed the show to offer a reflection on the United States’ 250th anniversary this year, following in the tradition of iconic American photographers like Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans and Robert Frank.
Twenty-one photographers are represented in the exhibition — familiar faces from Greenport and Long Island like Linda K. Alpern, David Benthal, Jeremy Garretson, Thomas Halaczinsky and Ian Wile to the well-known late photographers Herbert Talerman and Leonard McCombe (who, interestingly, founded Briermere Farms).
Jeremy Garretson’s photographs, Left: American Girl, and Right: The American Classroom, are both part of the photo exhibition. (Photos Courtesy of the artist)
As Grant notes, “the photographs in A Portrait of America capture the country’s myriad of people. They chronicle those of different colors and ethnicities; the young and the old; the haves and the have-nots; people at work and at leisure. Even in pictures of landscapes and abandoned buildings, the human presence is palpable. Together, the works document a country of parades and protests; of epic landscapes and small, run-down towns; of glitz and glamour and everyday life; and of hopes and dreams, toil and disappointment.”
Rosario Rodriguez’ fascinating series of three videos captures culture and community on the East End, featuring the annual NoFo Kids Connect Basketball Tournament in Greenport and the Grand Rodeo that took place at the Shinnecock Indian Nation.
Installations by Rosario Rodriguez, left, and Ian Wile, right, at the A Portrait of America exhibition. (Photo Credit: Stephanie Villani)
Ian Wile presents photos and ephemera from his Lost in America project, focusing on the classic American road trip, while Estefany Molina and Peter Treiber Jr. collaborate on Tales from the Quarantine, with poetry paired with photographs taken on Plum Island.
David Benthal pairs two large-scale portraits, one of a Trump rally and the other of a LGBTQ parade, while Dennis Chalkin’s spectacular enhanced digital photograph called Making the Pizza is surely one of the most intriguing images you’ve seen lately, or maybe ever.
Jeremy Garretson shows color portraits with a patriotic bent and a sampling of his Faces of Greenport series, which can be seen upstairs in the library, while Shinnecock artist Jeremy Dennis is represented by his staged color photographs that comment on Native people’s histories and experiences on Long Island.
In short, there’s a range of interesting work in the exhibition that will appeal to everyone as the viewer catches a glimpse of the different neighborhoods, cultures and peoples of the United States.
The Floyd Memorial Library is open from Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays from 1-5 p.m. Please note that the exhibition space is multi-use, so call the library at 631-477-0660 or check the library’s calendar here before your visit to determine if the room is in use.
