Exhibit Opening: The Phenomenology of Water

Reception: November 1, 2-4 pm Exhibit runs from November 1, 2026 – January 8, 2027 Upstairs Artspace welcomes lifelong educator, conservationist, and photographer Martha Strawn to the gallery as its 2026 Distinguished Alumni Artist for an immersive showing of her work, THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF WATER: WORKS BY MARTHA STRAWN. The show opens Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, with a free community reception from 2–4 pm. The culmination of a long-term personal project exploring the connection between water and consciousness, this exhibition will feature over 80 large format color and black and white photographs and three new video works that capture Strawn’s lifelong passion for conservation, ecology, and water. It will be accompanied by the publication, The Phenomenology of Water, representing the contents of the show, which is available for purchase. Archival photographic prints of works in the show are also for sale. Upstairs Artspace is located at 49 S. Trade St., Tryon, NC, and Strawn’s work will be on display through January 8, 2027.