A Place of Wonder is a retrospective exhibition celebrating The Do Good Fund’s 14-year history of collecting and exhibiting images that evoke the distinctive character of the contemporary American South. Focused on contemporary photography documenting the region from the postwar period to the present, the collection aims to inspire conversations that deepen our understanding of how the South’s history, geography, and people shape its present realities and its futures. Bringing the work of Guggenheim Fellows alongside that of emerging photographers, the collection invites us to consider what connects us and what sets us apart. Through those many lenses, this exhibition explores Places, Faces, and Spirits, inviting us to recognize familiar truths and uncover new perspectives.
In the 80 years since the end of World War II, the American South has been shaped by profound changes, enduring traditions, contradictions, and competing ideas about what it means to call this place home. What persists is an instinct to preserve, to hold on to a sense of identity, to find meaning in the character of this place. The challenge is to let wonder coexist with discomfort. These photographs do not, and together cannot, offer a single definition of Southern culture. Rather, they reveal why the South continues to hold such a powerful place in the imagination while challenging us to see beyond the stories we already know.
Inspired by the lyrics of Lonnie Holley’s song, Back for Me, this exhibition celebrates - in the words of Holley - humanity’s love / mountain highs and valley lows / our place of wonder.