UC Clermont Art Gallery features 'Reclaiming Your Outside Voice' by Judi Bommarito as part of FotoFocus 2024

An opening reception will be held on Oct. 1 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the UC Clermont Art Gallery, Snyder room 140. Following the reception, an artist talk will take place from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in Snyder room 142 and online via Zoom (Zoom details to be announced soon).

Bommarito describes “Reclaiming Your Outside Voice” as a photographic journey that intimately explores the relationship between a daughter and her mother, shaped by the challenges of mental illness. This evocative collection captures the transformative power of photography as a catalyst for healing and understanding.

Intricately woven into this visual narrative are the notes her mother leaves behind, like breadcrumbs of emotion, for Bommarito to discover. These handwritten messages form an intimate dialogue, offering insights into her mother’s inner world, her desires and her struggles. The notes become a poignant manifestation of their emotional connection, transcending the confines of mental illness and affirming the universal need for connection.

“As viewers immerse themselves in these images and the stories they tell, they may find echoes of their own experiences and a deeper appreciation for the power of compassion, connection and forgiveness,” said Bommarito.

Bommarito is a Detroit-based visual storyteller and documentary photographer. She has served as an adjunct instructor at the College for Creative Studies since 1999, where she also earned her bachelor’s degree in fine arts. As a photographer, her work has received numerous awards both nationally and internationally.

For more information about the exhibition and artist, please visit judibommphoto.com.

The UC Clermont Art Gallery is in the Snyder building on the college’s campus at 4200 Clermont College Drive, Batavia, Ohio. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., or by appointment. Learn more at ucclermont.edu/community-arts.

Featured image at top: “Setting Her Free” by Judi Bommarito. The artist’s work will be on display in the UC Clermont Art Gallery as part of the FotoFocus Biennial backstories Oct. 1-Dec. 13. Image/Judi Bommarito