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The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts has teamed with the Highlands Historical Society to showcase work by legendary photographer George Masa through June 2, 2019 in the upstairs Loft Gallery. George Masa was a photographer for the Vanderbilt, Grove, and Seely families, creating promotional materials for the area over 100 years ago. Close friends with Horace Kephart and worried that the Smokies were being ravaged by clear-cutting, Masa’s images and Kephart’s texts were used in materials that ultimately saved the Smokies from total destruction. After seeing Masa’s photographs, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. donated funds for lands that eventually became part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This exhibition showcases 15 selected photographs by Masa of the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau as well as current photos taken from the same locations by local photographer Claude Sullivan. The Masa Challenge, an interactive map, invites the public to go out and explore the places where Masa once trekked and take in the natural beauty that still surrounds the area. Participants can then shoot and submit their photos to The Bascom to be included in the Trail Level Education Gallery and on The Bascom’s social media platforms.
Both The Bascom and the Highlands Historical Society are thrilled to offer an exhibit of such historic importance. “Surely one of the signature exhibits of the Highlands Historic Village is the photography collection of George Masa, the greatest photographer of the Smoky Mountains and ‘Father of the Appalachian Trail’ in North Carolina. To have the opportunity to partner with The Bascom and bring it to a wider Highlands audience is a classic win-win situation. Collaborating with another nonprofit is also being a good steward of the trust placed in us by our supporters,” said Osborne Oakley, President of the Highlands Historical Society.
The Bascom invites members of the press and community to the opening reception of its spring exhibitions, including George Masa: Iconic Vistas of Highlands, on Friday, April 12th from 4pm – 6pm. Light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be provided. The Bascom offers free admission to all exhibition gallery spaces. Guests may enjoy these exhibits during gallery hours, Monday – Saturday 10 – 5pm and Sunday Noon – 5pm. Excellent exhibits such as this are made possible through the gifts and service of The Bascom’s members, donors, supporters, volunteers, partners, and friends. The Bascom would like to thank all those that make these exhibitions possible, including its 2019 Year-Round Exhibition Sponsors: Bel Canto, Cathy and Bob Fisher, Delta Air Lines, Ginger Kennedy and Kevin Naylor, Virginia and Mike Campbell, Chaparral Foundation, and Bobbie and Jon Golden. ###