Sarasota Art Museum to present exhibition showcasing iconic works by 20th-century photography titans
Renowned images by Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, Danny Lyon, Gordon Parks, and more celebrate the full spectrum of the human experience
Gelatin silver print, 16 x 20 in. Portland Museum of Art, Maine. Promised Gift from the Judy Glickman Lauder Collection, 25.2001.1. Courtesy of the artist.
Sarasota, Fla. — Photographs are, as the theorist Roland Barthes wrote, “certificates of presence,” verification that a moment, a person or a place existed. From the adoration of a loved one or the wonder felt before nature to the hardship of labor or the devastation of war, photographs can be imprinted with the totality of human experiences. On view October 18– April 4, 2027 at Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design, Presence: The Photography Collection of Judy Glickman Lauder embraces that totality, examining the deeply humanistic history of photography through seven thematic sections.
“This collection features some of the biggest names in photography from the past century, and we are thrilled to bring artworks of this caliber to Sarasota,” shared Virginia Shearer, executive director of Sarasota Art Museum. “Beyond the big names, I think visitors are really going to be moved by the sheer holding power and emotional presence of the images themselves. At the heart of this exhibition is authentic and compassionate storytelling surrounding what it means to be human. I hope visitors leave with a deeper connection to themselves and our world.”
Featuring approximately 100 photographs by over 50 artists, this exhibition explores the concept of presence through tender portraits, awe-inspiring landscapes, candid photojournalism and spontaneous cityscapes. From the anonymous to the celebrity and from the everyday to era-defining events such as the Great Depression, the Holocaust and the Civil Rights Movement, Presence captures the full spectrum of the human experience. Drawn entirely from the collection of photographer and humanitarian Judy Glickman Lauder, the exhibition—co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and Portland Museum of Art, Maine—creates a dialogue among an array of photographs by some of the most beloved and influential practitioners of the 20th century, including Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, Danny Lyon, Gordon Parks and James Van Der Zee.
In addition to cultural influences, materials and process are central to the artists’ work. Fueki’s images dance with an interplay of painting, drawing, and cut paper, carving out familiar scenes, which honor but aren’t tethered by the everyday. Using materials like mulberry paper, glitter, and graphite rubbings on wood panels, Fueki’s paintings often have a “jewel-like” quality that responds to the light, and feel more constructed than painted. Fueki’s large-scale mixed media panels move fluidly between figuration and abstraction and are at once intimate and expansive, customary and cosmic.
“Museum visitors will have the opportunity to see famous photographs they recognize up close and personal for perhaps the very first time,” shared Shearer. “For example, Dorothea Lange’s Migrant Mother (1936), picturing a woman flanked by her two young children during the Great Depression, is one of the most iconic and recognizable photographs in the world. Visitors will be able to experience this arresting image, regarded as the most popular social documentary photography of all time, right here at SAM, among many others.”
The approximately 100 “certificates of presence” in this traveling exhibition encompass a complex, sophisticated affirmation of humanity and the experiences of joy, love, faith, grief, cruelty, pain, excitement, justice and wonder. They also raise questions that tap into our emotional lives. What accounts for photography’s persistent power? How does it access our most intimate experiences? What makes us continue to look, and what are we hoping to find when we do?
Presence: The Photography Collection of Judy Glickman Lauder is not only significant for the caliber of artists and works featured in this exhibition; it’s also significant to SAM’s founding vision to inspire appreciation and understanding for the art of our time.
“People have come to know Sarasota Art Museum as a destination for contemporary, 21st-century art—a place where they can experience cutting-edge, immersive installations that burst off the gallery walls,” continued Shearer. “SAM is also committed to deepening visitors’ appreciation for 20th-century art. This is important because it gives guests vital historical context for what came before, and ultimately sets the stage for the art of today.”
Sarasota Art Museum is one of only four venues in the country where this prestigious traveling exhibition can be seen in the next two-and-a-half years. Presence: The Photography Collection of Judy Glickman Lauder will be on display at Southampton Arts Center in Southampton, New York, from July 25–September 27, 2026. After its Sarasota presentation, the show will continue to Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina, where it will be on view from May 28–August 29, 2027, before traveling to Lowe Art Museum in Miami from September 30, 2027–February 26, 2028.
Presence: The Photography Collection of Judy Glickman Lauder is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and Portland Museum of Art, Maine, and curated by Anjuli Lebowitz, PhD, Judy Glickman Lauder Curator of Photography, Portland Museum of Art, Maine. This exhibition is generously supported by Ellen and Robert Grimes.
About Sarasota Art Museum
Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design (SAM) is the city’s only Museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art. Founded in 2019, SAM features an ever-rotating lineup of world-class exhibitions, dynamic programs, and enriching educational offerings, and serves as a creative gathering place for curious minds from across the Gulf Coast, Southeast United States, and beyond. Housed in the historic former Sarasota High School, the Museum has revitalized and reimagined the towering landmark and architectural treasure, connecting Sarasota’s past with its present. Today, SAM is home to 15,000 square feet of gallery exhibition space, where nationally touring shows, as well as curated and commissioned exhibits by both renowned and emerging artists, deepen visitors’ appreciation for 20th- and 21st-century art. More at SarasotaArtMuseum.org
About American Federation of Arts
The American Federation of Arts is the leader in traveling exhibitions internationally. A nonprofit organization founded in 1909, the AFA is dedicated to enriching the public’s experience and understanding of the visual arts through organizing and touring art exhibitions for presentation in museums around the world, publishing exhibition catalogues featuring important scholarly research, and developing educational programs.
About Portland Art Museum
The Portland Museum of Art, located blocks from the working waterfront in Maine’s largest city, seeks to tell multifaceted stories through art. From free school tours, family activities, curator talks, and tours of the Winslow Homer Studio—it’s all happening at the PMA.