Huntsville, Ala – The Huntsville Museum of Art is pleased to present the exhibition Homeland: Photographs by Barry M. Goldwater, opening July 10. Representing Senator Goldwater’s most iconic images of western landscapes and Native Americans, the exhibition will feature 22 photographs, some of which have never been on view in the Southeast, and one sculpture. His works will be on view through September 25, 2016.
A man of many talents—politician, ham radio operator, western art collector, pilot, major general in the Air Force Reserve, businessman and photographer—Sen. Goldwater represented Arizona in the U.S. Senate for almost 30 years. In 1964 he received the Republican Party’s nomination for president and is now celebrated as the founder of the conservative movement that led to the election of Ronald Reagan.
“On a professional and personal note, I am happy to once again present the alluring photographs of Barry Goldwater,” Christopher J. Madkour, the Museum’s Executive Director, said. “In 2000, I organized an exhibition of Goldwater’s photos at the Southern Vermont Arts Center, and it’s rewarding to have this opportunity to expose a wider audience to his works.”
While many people may know him from his political career, few people are aware of Goldwater’s talent as a photographer, an interest which began at a young age. In 1934, when he was 25, his wife Peggy gave him a 2-1⁄4 inch Rollieflex camera, and photography became his passion. The Goldwater family came to Arizona in the mid-19th century and established themselves as
both businessmen and civil servants. Influenced by his mother, Goldwater’s love for Arizona ran deep, and he documented its landscape and indigenous people from the 1930s until his death in 1998. Over a span of 30 years, during his travels, he took more than 15,000 photographs.
“My goal is to reintroduce my grandfather to the world as the extraordinary photographer he was by showcasing his images in selected international venues,” said Alison Goldwater, his granddaughter who is helping organize the exhibition. “He carried a camera with him everywhere he went, and there is no other individual who has documented Arizona’s vast southwestern landscapes and Native Americans as he did.” Alison added: “He once said, ‘My photography has taken me over, literally, every mile of the
Southwest, over both poles and every major country on the globe, but it is to Arizona that I turn for my inspiration and what I think has been my best work. It is my desire to share with future generations the Southwest that I love.’”
Goldwater was an associate member of the Royal Photographic Society, as well as a member of the Photographic Society of America. He frequently contributed his photographs to Arizona Highways and published several books featuring his works.
This exhibition is organized by the Huntsville Museum of Art and Alison Goldwater. It is supported by GoldwaterPhoto, which manages the Goldwater photography collection.
Huntsville Museum of Art general admission is FREE for members and children 5 and under. Admission for nonmembers is $10 for adults; $8 for military, teachers, and seniors with a valid ID; $5 for children ages 6 and up and students; and $7 per person for groups of 10 or more. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m. The museum is closed to the public on Mondays and some major holidays.
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