Photography by Guy Mendes
The finishing touches are underway at Lexington’s Headley-Whitney Museum for Shades of Compassion, an interactive and multi-photograph exhibit featuring the work of notable photographers such as Ansel Adams and Imogen Cunningham. The museum is the first stop for the international traveling exhibit, which will run April 8 through June 18.
“To premiere this inclusive, thought-provoking and inspiring exhibition of work by international photographers is certainly an honor,” said Christina Bell, executive director and curator for the Headley-Whitney Museum. “And bringing light and understanding to a subject that is as much needed as compassion is truly the most important part of this exhibit.”
The exhibit, which features 50 photographs from 41 photographers, is part of the Shades of Compassion Foundation’s mission to create and support compassion-related initiatives worldwide.
Compassion and Science
The widely accepted definition for compassion is “sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings and misfortunes of others” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
But Foundation President Dr. Jon Kolkin takes it one step further.
“Compassion is the intention to help anyone who might benefit, whether it is self or whether it is others, out of a true concern for their well-being and not what I can get out of it,” Kolkin said. “I think it has come to the forefront now, more as something that people feel is urgently needed.”
Kolkin said this exhibition is unique in how it motivates a person to act. The 50 images on display don’t necessarily show human suffering and destruction. Rather, they are meant to stir positive emotions.
“We wanted to make sure that whatever we put together was based on what really works, not kumbaya ideas that we pat ourselves on the back and then it doesn’t go anywhere,” Kolkin said. “Trying to motivate people toward socially relevant causes by exposing and bombarding them with all this tragedy is counterproductive … [The photographs] are specifically selected to motivate people out of a true sense of caring, so they’re more positive images, more where we can connect with our hearts in a positive way … rather than with destructive emotions.”
The photographs are categorized across three perspectives: environment, humanity and spirituality. Each perspective is accompanied by Meditation Stations as well as Pause Stations for deeper exploration. An Action Station at the end of the exhibition will provide visitors online resources, including local nonprofits, to further promote compassion in their community, as well as a writing area where they can share their thoughts and emotions.
Expanding on the Exhibition
To complement the international exhibit, the Headley-Whitney is featuring the work of photographer, author and preservationist Linda Bruckheimer. The Other Side of the Story will present photographs Bruckheimer has taken on her many world travels.
The Kentucky native is no stranger to the Headley-Whitney, and her exhibit, A Colorful Crowd, recently appeared there. Bruckheimer said she wasn’t sure her work would “fit in” with the Shades of Compassion exhibit, as it was a change of pace from the previous exhibit and the photos her Kentucky collectors are more familiar with.
“But inspiration struck quickly,” Bruckheimer said. “I began editing the hundreds of photos I’ve taken through my years of travel, and I was quite surprised at what developed. As this reality blossomed before me, my reticence turned to excitement. I was so anxious to give these individual photos a torso, one that would evoke a myriad of feelings and connectivity.”
A self-proclaimed “tagalong” when her husband, television and film producer Jerry Bruckheimer, travels to shoot a movie, Linda said she looks for “the grit, the character, the innards of the region” she’s visiting, providing her with what she calls “an embarrassment of photographic riches” in her portfolio.
“All these locations and the people who populate them, the life they live and the emotions they generate, were too good to leave under cover,” she said. “They also tell a bigger story—one that captures the stark differences in cultures and landscapes yet tethers them together with the proverbial common thread.”
Adding a Bluegrass State Touch
To further deepen the exhibit experience, Bell curated a collection of work by Kentucky photographers, including James Baker Hall, Melissa Watt, Bill Roughen, Deirdre Lyons, Marcia Hopkins, Boo Hardy, Chris Yarber, Maja Willow Linden and Guy Mendes.
Like Bruckheimer, when first asked to contribute, Mendes told Bell he wasn’t sure his work would fit in.
“I told Christina [Bell] that when I go out to photograph, I don’t go out thinking, ‘I’m going to be compassionate today,’ ” Mendes said. “I’m looking for the light and the light on the surface of the planet here. I’ve been photographing for many years now, and I’m still looking for the next beautiful image, whether it’s of a creek or someone’s parlor.”
Eight of Mendes’ photos are included in the exhibit, showcasing the beauty of Kentucky and the world, and the compassion needed to keep it that way.
“Kentucky is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and part of my practice involves getting out into the wild places in Kentucky,” he said. “There’s a reverence for Mother Earth that I think one has to be wise to be compassionate about it. It’s the only home we have, and we’ve fouled it in many ways and many places, but we’ve also been saving it, too.”
Bell invited Community Inspired Lexington to be a part of the exhibition. The North Lexington nonprofit provides enrichment programs to local youth ages 8-18. Photos contributed to the Shades of Compassion exhibit were taken by the students in the Community Inspired Digital Photography program.
“Our students are excited for the opportunity to be a part of this exhibit and highlight our program that helps foster their creativity,” said CIL co-founder and director Rebecca Webb.
Leaving Inspired
By the time visitors to the Headley-Whitney Museum have finished examining what Shades of Compassion and its accompanying exhibits provide, organizers hope they leave with their own view of what it means to be compassionate.
“It’s different for everyone, and different things will resonate with different people,” Kolkin said. “It’s a personal journey. Everyone’s journey is different, and we always need to respect that, and part of the exhibition is respecting different points of view and being open to that … From my perspective, compassion is the cornerstone to finding true happiness.”
Shades of Compassion Exhibit
April 8-June 18
Headley-Whitney Museum
4435 Old Frankfort Pike, Lexington
859.255.6653
Museum Hours
Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: $10