The largest solo exhibition by Minnesota-born, New Zealand-based conceptual artist and photographer Mickey Smith is opening at the Eisentrager•Howard Gallery Sept. 5.
“Mickey Smith: Morphologies” runs through Sept. 26. An opening reception will be 5-7 p.m. Sept. 5 in the gallery. Regular gallery hours are Monday to Thursday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. The Eisentrager•Howard Gallery is presenting this exhibition in conjunction with Fiendish Plots, 2130 Magnum Circle.
Over the past two decades, Smith has documented significant cultural shifts in academic and public libraries, primarily across the United States, Aotearoa/New Zealand and the South Pacific. Her photography captures the evolution of libraries, from traditional card catalogs and stacks to digitization and the advent of artificial intelligence, highlighting their role as stewards of knowledge.
The exhibition features Smith’s acclaimed projects — "VOLUME," "Denudation" and "As You Will: Carnegie Libraries of the South Pacific" — alongside new video work and an installation made from deaccessioned books, donated to the project by University of Nebraska’s libraries.
Through this confluence of Smith’s oeuvre, “Morphologies” explores the dynamic nature of library lifecycles with striking imagery, including new work from the historic chained library at Hereford Cathedral in England and her trademark — never lit nor touched — captures of in-situ bound periodicals. Smith’s work considers not only the ways in which books are revered, but how libraries adapt to changes, including repurposing buildings and transitioning from physical books to online resources.
In addition to the exhibition, Smith will present the Hixson-Lied Visiting Artist Lecture at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 4 at Sheldon Museum of Art. The lecture is free and open to the public.
