Bristol, Rhode Island, 201
The College of Charleston's Department of Studio Art presents "Peter Kayafas: Four Decades on the American Road," an exhibition of work by renowned photographer, publisher and 2019 Guggenheim Fellow Peter Kayafas. On view through October 3, the exhibition is curated by Elizabeth Bick, College of Charleston associate professor and area head of photography.
An artist talk will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the Simons Center for the Arts, room 380, followed by an opening reception at 7:00 p.m. in the Simons gallery (room 151). Both events are free and open to the public. The Simons Center is located at 54 Saint Philip St., Charleston, S.C. 29401.
Spanning 40 years of continuous exploration across the United States, the exhibition highlights Kayafas’ long-term investigation into American culture, land and identity. Drawn from thousands of images captured over four decades, the selection reflects what Kayafas terms "introverted patriotism," a quiet, focused commitment to discovering essential human truths while resisting nostalgia and facile stereotypes.
"My agenda has not been simply to find what I am looking for, but to really see what there is to see—to allow myself to be surprised by the people and the places, and especially the photographs I make of them," Kayafas said. "...I have an abiding faith in the power of photography, when applied with conscious concern in a focused way over a long period of time, to reveal essential aspects of humanity and culture that would otherwise remain camouflaged in caricature."
The exhibition and artist talk are sponsored by the Frances Grimball Gaud Fund Endowment.
About the Artist
Peter Kayafas is a photographer, publisher and teacher based in New York City, where he serves as director of the Eakins Press Foundation. He is a Guggenheim Fellow (2019). His photographs have been widely exhibited and are in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art; the Brooklyn Museum of Art; The New York Public Library; the Museum of the City of New York; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the New Orleans Museum of Art; and the Art Institute of Chicago, among others. He taught photography at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn for 21 years and currently teaches at New York University. He is the Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Corporation of Yaddo, and Chair of the Board of the PhotoWork Foundation. He has published five monographs—The Merry Cemetery of Sapanta (2007); O Public Road! Photographs of America (2009); Totems (2012); and The Way West (2020), and Coney Island Waterdance (2021).
About the Curator
Elizabeth Bick is a photographer and both associate professor and area head of photography at the College of Charleston. She has curated multiple photography exhibitions at the Simons Gallery, including works by Allen Frame and Jennifer McClure.
About the Department of Studio Art
The Department of Studio Art in the School of the Arts at the College of Charleston fosters creative, technical and academic growth across five core areas: drawing, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. Situated in the heart of Charleston’s vibrant arts district, the department integrates hands-on studio practice with a rigorous liberal arts curriculum. Led by a faculty of active, practicing artists and dedicated educators, the program prepares students for professional creative careers through personal mentorship, studio experimentation and regular gallery exhibitions.