A new exhibition featuring 100 influential works by renowned photographers is now touring museums across the United States. Titled Presence: The Photography Collection of Judy Glickman Lauder, the exhibition showcases images from over 50 artists including Diane Arbus, Dorothea Lange, Richard Avedon, and Nan Goldin.
The collection moves through various styles, ranging from social documentary and street photography to Surrealism and Pictorialism. Each piece aims to offer a grounded look at the human experience. The tour began at the Southampton Arts Center and is scheduled to visit several other locations, including the Sarasota Art Museum and the Lowe Art Museum, over the coming years.
Judy Glickman Lauder, a photographer and philanthropist, assembled this collection based on her lifelong connection to the medium. Her interest began in childhood while working with her father, photographer Irving Bennett Ellis. She notes that her goal for the tour is to share the emotional weight and historical context found within these images with a broad public audience.
Pauline Forlenza, Director and CEO of the American Federation of Arts, emphasizes that this tour aligns with the organization's mission to make fine art accessible to communities nationwide. By moving the collection from city to city, the AFA intends to provide visitors in different regions the opportunity to study these iconic 20th-century works in person.