Separate Together

The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic has affected us in incalculable ways. As a division of Daytona State College, the Southeast Museum of Photography is keenly aware of the impact it has had on student life. When campuses across the country closed for the Spring semester, many BFA and MFA student exhibitions were reluctantly cancelled. Seeing these graduating students have the opportunity to show the culmination of their years of hard work taken away was heartbreaking.

This summer, the Southeast Museum of Photography put out an open call to any graduating students working in the medium of photography whose in-person thesis shows were canceled as a result of the pandemic. We received over 50 entries from students across 22 states from 34 institutions. The quality of the entries was simply outstanding as we accepted more than 125 pieces, which ran the gamut from traditional silver gelatin prints to experimental new media and alternative processes. Along our walls, you will see a diverse display of portraits, landscapes, documentary photography, still lives, and conceptual self portraiture. From cyanotypes to mixed media collage, the work on display offers a glimpse into the vast possibilities of photography from an inspiring collection of emerging artists.

By offering an alternative venue to showcase their work, we have connected with national institutions to collectively celebrate 2020 graduates from all over the country. We also enlisted the help of five current students and recent graduates from Daytona State College and the University of Central Florida who assisted with the curation and installation of this exhibition. As such, the Southeast Museum of Photography proudly presents Separate/Together: A Collective Student Exhibition.

Click here to watch a gallery walk-through of this exhibition.