The Danforth Art Museum at Framingham State University will launch its Fall 2026 exhibitions on Saturday, September 19 with a trio of artists whose works explore how lived experiences shape who we become and how we respond visually to the world around us: Neal Rantoul, Elizabeth Clark Libert and Suzanne Gainer. 

Over 100 works across photographic media are encompassed in the three exhibitions, which will be on display until December 20, 2026.

An opening reception will be held at the museum on Saturday, September 26 from 6-8 PM. The event is free and open to the public. Themed discussions – part of the museum’s Ruth Stark Sunday Spotlight Series – will take place in November; details shown below.

NEAL RANTOUL: A LIFE IN PHOTOGRAPHS

This exhibition explores Rantoul’s prolific career as a continual practice of risk-taking since he first picked up a camera in the 1970s; transitioning from black and white to color, analog to digital, and from the ground to the air. Themes that have shaped his work are united, including how storytelling is integral to his practice.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1 at 3:00 PM – Meet and talk with the artist

ELIZABETH CLARK LIBERT: BOY CRAZY

This deeply personal mixed media installation explores the effects of past sexual trauma on current parental anxieties. It connects three generations reflecting on lost innocence, resilience and motherhood through an immersive installation of photographs, digital collages and diaristic vignettes. The result is catharsis and empowerment for Libert.

SUZANNE GAINER: EVERY WOMAN AND NOBODY

The unstable terrain of memory is explored through self-portraiture, digital montage and layers of photographic and archival materials. Not purely autobiographical, her images represent the collective, oft-silenced experience of womanhood and survival that resonates across many lives. 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15 at 3:00 PM – Meet artists Libert and Gainer

For more information visit https://danforth.framingham.edu/

Photo Credit: Suzanne Gainer, Optimism, 2024 (outstretched hand lit by sunlight)