Ford Gilbreath: Our Town After Dark
Blue Sky is pleased to announce January 2025 exhibition: Our Town After Dark by Ford Gilbreath
First Thursday Opening: Jan 9, 5 – 8 PM
In-Person Artist Talk: Sat, Jan 11, 2025
Our Town After Dark is a photographic series started after Ford Gilbreath and his partner moved to a rural town of eastern Washington in 2018, where the night sky and local surroundings sparked his exploration. The town at night is characterized by a mix of artificial and natural light, with elements of both community warmth and infrastructure decay. Through his lens, Gilbreath captures the contrast between isolation and togetherness, evoking reflections on small-town life.
Ford Gilbreath (American, b.1951, he/him/his) began showing his photographs in the Pacific Northwest at the 1975 inaugural Blue Sky Gallery exhibition in Portland, Oregon. Honors received for his work include the Betty Bowen Award from the Seattle Art Museum Friends of Betty Bowen Committee, a No Strings Foundation Grant, an Artist Trust Fellowship, plus purchases and commissions from the Seattle Arts Commission, Kent Arts Council and King County Arts Commission. His photographs are in the collections of the Portland Art Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen Museum in Mannheim, Germany, The Evergreen State College and Peninsula College in Washington State. Ford is currently living in Eastern Washington and making photographs at night.
Organizer
Founded as the Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts by a group of five young photographers in 1975, Blue Sky quickly established itself as an important venue for local photography. In a short period of time, the organization expanded its offerings to include national and international artists, many of whom exhibited at Blue Sky early in their careers. Blue Sky’s special endeavor continues to be the exhibition of emerging and established artists that exemplify the finest in photographic vision and innovation. As such, Blue Sky has earned the accolade as having “the best record of discovering new photographers of any artists’ space in the country.” Today, from our 3,700-square-foot facility in Portland’s historic DeSoto Building, Blue Sky presents 20 – 25 exhibitions annually, maintains a public research library, showcases regional photographers in an annual juried exhibition of original works in its Pacific Northwest Drawers, and offers artist talks and programs — all free to the public.