Year-long photo exhibit focused on Appalachia to open in Corbin Thursday

This image, taken by Jamie Carter Barnes of the Appalachian Photo Society, is one of many that will be on display starting Thursday … part of a year-long exhibit that will be housed at The Corbin Center.

A group of photography enthusiasts is partnering with the Corbin Tourism and Convention Commission to install a free year-round exhibit in town that celebrates the beauty of Appalachia.

“Autumn Falls in Appalachia” will be on display to the general public beginning Thursday and will feature the work of eight photographers from the Appalachian Photo Society. It is the first of three installments in an ongoing series that will be on display through the end of January 2017 at The Corbin Center off Cumberland Falls Hwy.

“It will be a collection of photographs that show the natural wonders of Appalachia … We are really trying to tell the story of Appalachia pictorially,” said Maggy Kriebel, Director of the Corbin Tourism and Convention Commission.

“I think this is a great way to celebrate the arts in our community. The folks from the APS have put a lot of time and effort into this exhibit to make it great.”

A special reception will be held at The Corbin Center Thursday at 7:00 p.m. to kick off “Autumn Falls in Appalachia.” The public is invited to attend. Light refreshments will be served.

Photographers that contributed to the display will be on hand to answer questions and talk about their work.

The photos will be displayed along an entire long wall at the front of The Corbin Center, easily seen by anyone who walks in the building. Kriebel said she hopes this will become something nice for people who live here to enjoy, but also pique the curiosity of tourists.

Peggy Yeager, Co-President of the Appalachian Photo Society, said southeastern Kentucky’s natural beauty is a constant inspiration for members of the club.

“I’m not so sure there is any area of the country that can compare,” Yeager said. “A lot of people, even though they have lived here their whole lives, they don’t recognize the beauty sometimes and how wonderful this area is for its diversity of plant and animal life.”

She said club members enjoy getting outside and “preserving this area of Kentucky” in photography so that people will “take a greater interest in caring for our part of the state.”

Both Yeager and Kriebel said the exhibit will change in three to four months, and is most likely to feature new photos corresponding with the current season.

“Autumn Falls in Appalachia” will be open to the public every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and every Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.