Two UF Alumni to Exhibit Photography in Lea Gallery

Photographs by University of Findlay alumni Monica Jorge ’15 and Matt Marrash ’08 will be exhibited in the Lea Gallery from Sept. 30 through Oct. 25. A reception will be held Monday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m.

Jorge’s images depicting people in compelling moments compliments Marrash’s work from his Ohio Uninterrupted project, which focuses on Ohio nature preserves.

Jorge, who earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting and graduated from the International Center for Photography in New York City, covers news, politics, and social issues on local and national levels for publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and NPR. Her work is also influenced by photographs she has taken of family members and others closest to her. “I continue to document communities close to me, from children in their formative years in rural Ohio to elderly family members on the silent and emotional journey to being full-time caretakers,” she explains.

“Oftentimes, a particular story is informed from my personal experiences dealing with trauma or having a tie or commonality to the people in front of my camera,” she continued. Forming bonds with her subjects is central to her visual creativity.

Marrash, who earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from UF and now works at Midwest Camera in Columbus, Ohio, works at an “intentionally slower pace” for his creative endeavors than what the digital world now dictates. His tools include an old wooden camera and large pieces of film “to evaluate every detail in the scene and carefully construct each photograph,” he said.

For Ohio Uninterrupted, Marrash explored and documented Ohio’s state nature preserve system, which includes some of the only places that have been left in their natural state. “These lands are underappreciated, underfunded, but rich with a subtle beauty that I hope you can see through these photographs,” said Marrash. “If you live in Ohio, you have the power to keep these places preserved through an opt-in tax refund contribution,” he noted. Proceeds from any prints purchased from this project go to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Natural Areas and Preserves fund.

The Lea Gallery, located in the Virginia B. Gardner Fine Arts Pavilion, is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. All exhibitions are free and open to the public.