Westover Gallery to Feature Photo Exhibition on Environmental Issues

“Sustainable” – an exhibition created by husband-and-wife photographers Dan Mead and Sally Eagle that is intended to explore environmental issues facing the earth and society today – will be on display in Westover School’s Schumacher Gallery from December 10th through January 9th. 

In their artists’ statement, the photographers said the exhibition examines “some of the issues we should be considering as shareholders of the planet. As the absolute number of human beings continues to grow exponentially, and the demand for resources required to sustain those growing numbers also increases, we are becoming acutely aware of the price we may have to pay for this growth. This exhibit is not intended to pass judgment on the choices we make, but it will, hopefully, encourage a dialogue about how we might best help ourselves while helping the Earth at the same time. 

“Sustainability is a concept that can be applied in many different contexts,” their artistic statement continues. “By definition, to sustain is to nourish and support. Without adequate resources, anything that might have been sustainable at one time may no longer be possible, whether it be an animal, plant or nonliving element. Right now is an important time on our planet to consider what is or is not sustainable, and whether it makes a difference to us as a species and/or the planet as a whole.” 

Based in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Mead, a former educator turned psychotherapist, and Eagle, an entrepreneur and the first Executive Director of the Berkshire-Taconic Community Foundation, first photographed their travels for personal enjoyment, and subsequently to document them for family and friends. “Over the past 35 years,” they said, “the process of editing and selecting photographs to be viewed by others enticed them to focus more intently on vividly capturing the essence of the landscapes, the wildlife, and the cultures they encountered and the scenes they witnessed.”

Since the advent of digital photography they have had the opportunity to both travel extensively and to study with and learn from some of the leading landscape and wildlife photographers in the country, including David Muensch, Jack Dykinga, and John Shaw.  

Beginning in 2008, they began exhibiting their award-winning work in schools and communities in the Northeast, and their photographs have appeared in a number of international nature publications. Mead holds a B.A. from Union College, an MALS from Wesleyan University, and an MSW from Smith College; Eagle holds a B.A. from Stanford and an MBA from Babson College. 

The Schumacher Gallery is open Mondays through Fridays from noon until 5 pm and Saturdays from 1 to 5 pm; it is closed on Sundays. The Schumacher Gallery is located on South Street in Middlebury. Visitors must access the gallery at the main entrance of the School.