The Meaning of Home

New Exhibition | October 23, 2021 – July 31, 2022 | Yarbrough Gallery

In March 2020, COVID-19 radically changed every aspect of our daily lives, both in the United States and around the world. Daily routines and interactions fell apart as people struggled to adjust to the new reality of social distancing and staying home to protect each other.

As our daily lives changed, the COVID-19 pandemic transformed our homes from personal spaces to multi-functional ones. Our homes became classrooms, offices, and social spaces as people struggled to remain connected and productive. Colleagues, classmates, friends, and extended family digitally joined us for a variety of virtual activities. As the functions of our homes evolved, so did its meaning.

This exhibition, co-curated by Curator of American Art Jonathan Frederick Walz and Director of Education & Engagement Lucy Kacir, explores this evolution through photography. The first part of the exhibition contains a selection of photographs from the Museum’s permanent collection that shows how artists have depicted home throughout the years. The second section will digitally display crowdsourced photographs from residents of the Lower Chattahoochee River Valley, the result of a public call for entries. Throughout the chaos of the past 18 months, our relationships with our homes have changed as our lives have changed. By contrasting these two sections, the curators hope to document this shift and encourage reflection on the lessons to carry forward.

George W. Dudley, Jr., Yellow House

Seale, Alabama, 1982, cibachrome print on paper, Gift of George W. Dudley, Jr., The Columbus Museum G.1991.17.268

The Meaning of Home Photography Open Call:

The Columbus Museum is hosting an open call for local photographers from all backgrounds and communities to show their work as part of the exhibition The Meaning of Home. Digital photographs that address the subject of “home” and how our ideas of home have changed since early 2020 will be projected within the exhibition. Images will be selected from the submissions by Jonathan Frederick Walz, Ph.D., Director of Curatorial Affairs and Curator of American Art and Lucy Kacir, Director of Education and Engagement.

Submission Deadline: at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, September 23, 2021,

Please note: Selected works will be shown electronically as part of digital slideshows in the Museum’s Yarbrough Gallery from October 23, 2021 through July 31, 2022. The Columbus Museum will not use submitted or selected works for any other purpose than this exhibition without consent of the artist, and the electronic files will be deleted after the presentation. Submission of work does not guarantee inclusion in the project, and selection of the work for this project does not indicate the work has been acquired by The Columbus Museum.

For more information regarding submissions, visit columbusmuseum.com/exhibitions/upcomingexhibitions/the-meaning-of-home-photographyopen-call.html

Cover Image: Chuck Hemard, Wynnton Girls, 2007, chromogenic print, Museum commission made possible by the generous support of the Hardaway Endowment Fund, The Columbus Museum G.2009.31.1