Beatrice Hamblett at The Writer’s Center

Today I visited The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland to see “You Don’t Know Me,” a solo exhibition of photographs and stories by DC photographer, Beatrice Hamblett. The exhibition opened March 6 and will be on view until April 18 with an Artist Talk on March 27 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Joram Piatigorsky Gallery at the Center.

Ready for this? I was floored by this exhibition! In fact, this is easily one of the top, if not the best photography show that I have seen in a loooong time.

We are told that:

“You Don’t Know Me,” introduces viewers to a cross-section of people— fisherman, hunters, church-goers, people living in small towns and “hollers—who reflect the spirit of Appalachia. With this five-year project, Hamblett hopes to bridge the gap between urban and rural people at a time when division runs deep throughout the US. 

This show does that and more. The images are all memorable, and are all eye-opening to not only Americans, but to anyone who has never set foot in Appalachia and relies on Hollywood and politicians to describe a region and a people who are close to the heart beat of our nation.

In the show, Hamblett not only showcases her photographic skills – she’s a darkroom photographer who flexes her old-school skills and displays that enviable geekyness of the silver gelatin crowd when she tells me that “all photos are silver gelatin prints, developed and printed in my own darkroom. Film: Ilford HP 5 120 shot with a Hasselblad 501 CM camera. Paper: Ilford Multigrade Fiber-based paper,” but she also exposes her equally enviable ability to capture the essence and soul and presence of a special and important segment of our people in this great nation.

Helping Hands, Squire, WV

You will come out of this exhibition not only lucky to have been exposed (no pun intended) to a great photographer, but you’ll also will learn a lot about our fellow Americans from that fabled region; a beautiful and powerful presence in our nation, captured in intelligent and important photographs.

One of the walls at The Writer’s Center

Beatrice Hamblett is also one of the artists selected for the Women Artists of the DMV survey show coming later this September to eight DMV art venues, including The Writer’s Center.