Invigorating Possibilities

It was energizing to curate this exhibition because youthful adventure and liberation pulsate through the submitted photographs. Importantly, these submissions also equally radiate with intimacy and individuality, and I appreciate the vulnerability and honesty shown. Taken with ever-ready smartphones as students explored the city, the photos fall roughly into two types. First, diaristic documentation of sights, friends, and selfies record an instance in time distinct to each student. Second, thoughtful, careful seeing captures lyrical moments of beauty, soul, or grit. Many of the photographs in this book were featured in the public exhibition, Centenary in Paris, at the R.W. Norton Art Gallery in Shreveport, from August 20 to September 4, 2022. In winnowing down this exhibit to only one fifth of the submitted photographs, I’ve tried to maintain the overall spirit and vitality of the whole of the submissions. I can best describe that spirit as invigorating possibilities, and it leaves me brimming with hope. Thank you to all of the students for sharing your Paris. Finally, I extend special gratitude to Lewis Norton, Emily Feazel, and the gallery team at the R.W. Norton Art Gallery in Shreveport.

Shea Hembrey Assistant Professor of Art