'Language Of Light' By Suzanne Williamson On Display At FMoPA

TAMPA, FL — The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts is hosting the works of landscape artist Suzanne Williamson in an exhibit titled "The Language of Light," on display in the Community Gallery through April 3.

Williamson is an American artist working primarily in landscape photography, creating works that illuminate layers of beauty and pain in places over time. This exhibition focuses on her images tracing the shoreline of Tampa Bay in the hours before and at sunrise, which she combines to make luminous color-washed photographs.

A closing reception and a chance to meet the artist will take place Friday, March 25, at 5 p.m. Afterward, at 6 p.m., Williamson will discuss her process.

In her series, "Sunstrips," Williamson captures the shoreline of Tampa Bay in the hours before and at sunrise, focusing on the shifting of colors that are produced between night and day. These images are stacked vertically against one another to develop a narrative of light and materiality, resembling strips of film.

In "Sunlit," Williamson takes individual sections from her previously mentioned "Sunstrips" images to encapsulate and intensify the glowing presence of light during sunrise. These images generate new juxtapositions of figure and ground while also creating contrast between light and darkness. While each image appears abstract, they are all linked to the exact origin and are part of the transition of colors formed by sunlight.

Williamson studied anthropology and photography at the State University of New York at Purchase and later studied photography at the International Center of Photography.

Within the United States, Williamson has shown in eight states, including Florida, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Additionally, she has shown internationally in Italy and Germany.

Her photographs are in many museums and private collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas; the Central Park Conservancy, New York City, New York; and the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, France.

Her work has been featured in numerous publications, including ARTnews, Creative Loafing and the Tampa Bay Times. Most recently, her photograph "Sunshift Yellow Blue Yellow (2020)" served as the cover for "The Abstract Image," an exhibition catalog for the Praxis Photo Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Williamson received four residencies and fellowships, including the pre-eminent artist retreats, MacDowell (Peterborough, New Hampshire) and Yaddo (Saratoga Springs, New York). In addition, she has served on the board of MacDowell as president of the Fellows Committee.

In Florida, Williamson was the recipient of two Florida Creative Capital workshops in 2011 and 2012. In 2019, Williamson received a Hillsborough County Individual Artist Grant, which inspired her creation of the work in the 2018 exhibition with writer John Capouya, "Shadow & Reflection: Visions of Florida’s Sacred Landscapes," at the Appleton Museum, Ocala.

FMoPA is a museum dedicated to exhibiting important photographic art as central to contemporary life and culture. FMoPA also enriches the community by operating outreach programs to educate children and adults.

Founded in 2001, FMoPA occupies the atrium of the architecturally significant Cube building at 400 N. Ashley Drive, Cube 200, in Tampa's Waterfront Arts District. It is one of fewer than 10 museums in the United States dedicated exclusively to photography, and one of two such museums in Florida.

The museum is home to high-impact community programs, such as the Children's Literacy through Photography program for at-risk children, as well as adult photography classes, workshops and children's summer camps.

The museum is open six days a week with enhanced safety protocols. For information on exhibits, classes, workshops, becoming a member and museum hours, click here.

Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for students, military and seniors and free for members. Click here for tickets.