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Mimi Plumb's 'Blazing Light' Exhibition at High Museum of Art Showcases Decades of Photographic Work

exhibition · 2026-04-10

Opening on May 10, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta showcases 'Blazing Light: Photographs by Mimi Plumb,' which features more than 100 images from her extensive career that spans over fifty years. This exhibition includes 26 newly acquired pieces and highlights Plumb's artistic journey from her 1970s work 'The White Sky' to her latest project, 'The Reservoir.' Born in Walnut Creek, California, in 1953, Plumb has served as a professor at both Stanford and San José State University. Her photography, which is part of significant collections, examines the relationship between the environment, society, and individuals. Organized by Gregory Harris, the exhibition will travel across the country. Plumb's accolades include Guggenheim fellowships and numerous exhibitions.

Key facts

  • Mimi Plumb's first solo museum exhibition 'Blazing Light' opens at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta on 10 May.
  • The exhibition includes over 100 photographs, with 26 recent acquisitions, spanning from the 1970s to the present.
  • Plumb was born in 1953 in Walnut Creek, California, and studied at the San Francisco Art Institute.
  • Her work is held in major collections including the High Museum of Art, SFMOMA, and LACMA.
  • The exhibition will tour nationally to Ithaca, West Palm Beach, and Chicago.
  • Plumb has received fellowships such as the Guggenheim and the John Gutmann Photography Fellowship.
  • Gregory Harris, the High's curator of photography, organized the show, with Director Rand Suffolk praising its relevance.
  • Plumb's photographs explore themes of suburban life, environmental degradation, and human resilience in the American West.

Entities

Artists

  • Mimi Plumb
  • Sally Mann
  • LaToya Ruby Frazier
  • Catherine Opie
  • Harry Callahan
  • Dawoud Bey
  • Walker Evans
  • Ilse Bing
  • William Christenberry
  • Simon Cartwright
  • Lucas Foglia
  • Greg Harris
  • Erin Hoyt
  • Alan Rothschild
  • Jewett Rothschild

Institutions

  • High Museum of Art
  • San Francisco Art Institute
  • Stanford University
  • San José State University
  • Guggenheim
  • John Gutmann Photography Fellowship
  • Pier 24 Photography
  • Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
  • Light Work
  • San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art
  • Aesthetica Magazine
  • Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University
  • Norton Museum of Art
  • Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago
  • Chico Review
  • Patrick Family Foundation
  • Donald and Marilyn Keough Family Foundation
  • Lenscratch

Locations

  • Atlanta
  • United States
  • Walnut Creek
  • California
  • San Francisco
  • Ithaca
  • West Palm Beach
  • Chicago
  • New York
  • Boston
  • Florida
  • Illinois
  • Berkeley
  • Truckee Canal
  • Sears Point
  • Highway 4
  • Pyramid Lake
  • San Rafael
  • Brewster Street
  • Treasure Island

Sources