EYES ON MAIN STREET, WILSON, NORTH CAROLINA (June 1–5, 2023)
I was in Wilson for the opening festivities of Eyes on Main Street, a stunning display of 100 photographs from around the world, each by a different photographer. The images were printed at mural size and hung outside on the walls of the town for 100 days, June 2–September 10, 2023. It was a great honor that one of my photographs, Closing, was included in the exhibition.
Arts organizations are prominently involved in the revitalization of Wilson’s picturesque downtown – a lesson I wish could be learned by San Francisco.
Here are some of the photos I took between and during the events of the opening weekend. Predictably, my eye was drawn to the decaying remnants of the town’s past, rather than to the thriving businesses, colorful public art, and up-to-date cafes scattered in their midst, nor to the homes ringing downtown and the upscale suburbs beyond.
Downtown Wilson
Eyes on Main Street – the exhibition and walkabout
A featured event during the opening weekend was a grand promenade – 120 people walking together through the streets of Wilson to see all 100 photographs. About 20 of the photographers were in the crowd and we each had to speak when the group assembled in front of our own photo. I had really bad stage fright when it was my turn.
The grand opening of the American Center for Photographers
This weekend was also a celebration for the opening of Wilson’s American Center for Photographers, housed in a beautiful new gallery in the center of town, directly across from the Whirligig Park, and spearheaded by the same team as Eyes on Main Street. The inaugural exhibition featured the work of ten photographers. Most of the images were from one-month residencies in Wilson which were sponsored by the Eyes on Main Street organization.
On the outskirts of Wilson
And a few more images
Links
To see all 100 photographs in Eyes on Main Street 2023, click here. (The name of the photographer and the country where they live are listed below each image.)
To see all the images in the American Center for Photographer’s inaugural exhibition, click here.
This is my photograph that was included in Eyes on Main Street 2023. To see all the images in my series, please click here.