Christa Bowden’s Artwork Earns an Honorable Mention Citation at the SlowExposures Photography Festival

By Brian Laubscher
September 29, 2025

Christa Bowden, professor of art at Washington and Lee Unversity, participated in the annual SlowExposures photography festival held Sept. 19-21 in Zebulon, Georgia. SlowExposures is an annual juried exhibition that celebrates photography of the rural South, drawing art photographers and photography lovers from across the U.S.

Bowden was one of 47 artists whose photography was featured in the main exhibit, the centerpiece of the entire festival. Her photo of the Brickhill River near Plum Orchard on Cumberland Island, Georgia, was cited as an honorable mention for the main exhibit. The first-place ribbon went to Mark Caceres of Smyrna, Georgia.

In addition to showing in the main exhibit, Bowden was one of six artists who participated in the Pop-Up Tour, a series of solo exhibitions staged in nontraditional venues in-and-around the Courthouse Square in Zebulon.

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The photos displayed in the main exhibit will now travel to the Cochran Gallery in LaGrange, Georgia, where they will be on display throughout the month of October.

Both of Bowden's exhibits featured her photography from the Cumberland Island Project, an effort she undertook along with fellow artists Emily Gómez and Ernesto Gómez to expand the documentation of Cumberland Island and increase awareness of its significance and fragility. They also hope to provide a record for future generations. Cumberland Island is a barrier island located off the coast of Georgia that has escaped wide-scale development, becoming an ecological treasure comprised of marshes, maritime forests and beaches. Bowden has visited the island regularly since 1978 and has been shooting photos of the national seashore for nearly a decade.

A member of the W&L faculty since 2006, she is the recipient of a Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Visual Arts Fellowship and was a nominee for the Santa Fe Prize for Photography. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in photography and film communication from Tulane University and a MFA in photography from the University of Georgia.

Since its founding in 2003, SlowExposures has distinguished itself through its exhibitions that moves beyond typical portrayals of the South. Its core mission is to showcase the Southern narratives through documentary, fine art and photography, reflecting the true character of its landscapes and people.

If you know a W&L faculty member who has done great, accolade-worthy things, tell us about them! Nominate them for an accolade.