Come visit us! EMU's Margaret Martin Gehman Gallery is located on the ground floor of EMU's University Commons in Room 179. With exhibits from students, alumni, and faculty and staff, the gallery is open to the public from 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday-Sunday. Want added to our email list for exhibition updates? Email gallery@emu.edu and say 'Add me.'
View past and upcoming shows at the links above. View our current show below.
Wild Heart:
Bringing empathy and grace to environmental storytelling
Often in conservation and science storytelling, we believe that if we make information easier to understand more people will care. This has led to a visual approach that leans heavily on documenting process, keeping photographer and viewer at an emotionally safe distance and presenting versions of stories that don't do justice to the stakes involved. In this presentation, we will dive into the heart of environmental storytelling, showing how vulnerability and curiosity can allow us to tap into deeper and more universal value sets to more adequately convey what life is like for wildlife and people navigating an ever-changing world. Some of the stories we will explore involve the heartbreaking choice scientists must make when trying to save one owl at the cost of another, the camaraderie and joy of life amid ruins as scientists study the return of the birds, and what you can accomplish if you stop taking yourself too seriously, as did one scientist who decided to become a deer. Along the way, you will learn how to tap into your curiosity and creative processes and unlock new ways of seeing the world.
Morgan (Mo) Heim is a wildlife photojournalist, filmmaker and adventurer focusing on coexistence and how human-influenced environmental change impacts wildlife. She holds degrees in zoology and environmental journalism, which she draws upon in her search to find the beauty, humor and perseverance in wildlife stories. She is the founder of Neon Raven Story Labs, a storytelling and strategy platform for conservation, and in 2020 co-launched Her Wild Vision Initiative aimed at raising the voices of diverse women in the craft of conservation visual storytelling. Morgan is a Senior Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers. Numerous commendations for her work include being named a National Geographic Explorer in 2024 and awardee in Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Mo lives in Astoria, Oregon, where the waves are big, the mountains close, and the weather not nearly as bad as everyone thinks it is.
Stuart Landis is an oil painter currently residing in the Shenandoah Valley. He has had his artwork shown in galleries throughout the valley, as well as winning the Artist's Choice for the 2022 Deck Show and Artist Choice award for the 2023 Greetings From Harrisonburg exhibition. Originally from Arlington, Virginia, he graduated with degrees in fine art and science at EMU, and went on to earn his Masters of Occupational Therapy at JMU. He is currently working as a licensed Occupational Therapist OTR/L. To inquire about prints or commissions contact stuart.landis.art@gmail.com or find Stuart on Instagram @s2landis
