Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU acquires 80 photographs by Kristin Capp

PULLMAN, Wash. - The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Washington State University has acquired 80 photographs by acclaimed photographer Kristin Capp. Drawn from her celebrated portfolios Hutterite: A World of Grace and Americana, this acquisition significantly expands the museum's photography holdings while strengthening connections to the agricultural and cultural landscapes of the Pacific Northwest and the broader United States.

Twenty-four of these works are currently on view in Longer Light: Selections from the Collection, a new exhibition highlighting key acquisitions and works from the museum's growing permanent collection. "This acquisition is highly significant for the museum, bringing us closer to the lived experiences that shape our region and our nation," said Ryan Hardesty, executive director of the museum. "Capp's photographs invite us into spaces that are often unseen, revealing a quiet dignity in daily life and a deep connection to land, labor, and community that resonates profoundly with our land-grant mission."

Created over four years and published in 1998, Hutterite: A World of Grace offers a rare glimpse into the lives of Hutterite communities in eastern Washington. Living in collective-based settlements, these largely self-sufficient farming communities balance tradition and modernity - preserving Anabaptist customs while embracing advanced agricultural practices. Photographs of Hutterite life are uncommon, and Capp's work captures moments of fieldwork, shared meals, and quiet reflection with sensitivity and respect.

The acquisition also includes works from Capp's Americana portfolio, created during extended travels across the country. Working in the documentary tradition, she sought out the quiet poetry of everyday life - photographing rural towns, overlooked spaces, and intimate domestic scenes. From a solitary bedspread in Nantucket to the direct gaze of an adolescent boy in Soap Lake, these images reveal the persistence of local character and the subtle textures of American identity.

Kristin Capp was born in Portland, Oregon in 1964 and grew up in Seattle before studying French and Russian languages in Montreal at McGill University. She began her photography studies soon after and briefly moved to Moscow, Russia to begin a photographic project on Eastern Europe. In 2015, the artist completed an ambitious photography project in Brazil. She currently works in Windhoek, Namibia where she has lived since 2011 and continues to practice and teach photography. Her work is included in collections at the Whitney Museum in New York, the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in Connecticut, the International Center of Photography in New York and the Harvard Art Museum.

This acquisition not only strengthens the museum's commitment to collecting and presenting significant works of art, but also directly reflects Washington State University's land-grant mission to advance knowledge and public service, particularly in relation to uplifting and telling the stories of Washingtonians.

The museum invites visitors to experience these collections within the Longer Light: Selections from the Collection exhibition, and the three other exhibitions currently on view. For more information, visit the museum's website at museum.wsu.edu.

Media Contacts

• Debby Stinson, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, [email protected]