Séance: Photographs by Shannon Taggart

October 31 through December 9, 2023

For the past twenty years, American artist Shannon Taggart (born 1975) has documented Spiritualist practices and communities in the United States, England, and Europe. The resulting body of work, Séance, examines the relationship of Spiritualism to human celebrity, its connections to art, science, and technology, and its intrinsic bond with the medium of photography. This exhibition presents forty-seven haunting images from the series, revealing the emotional, psychological, and physical dimensions of Spiritualism in the 21st century. 

Séance: Photographs by Shannon Taggart was organized by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in collaboration with the Pensacola Museum of Art. The exhibition was curated by Beth Saunders, Curator and Head of Special Collections at UMBC, and Anna Wall, Chief Curator of the Pensacola Museum of Art. The exhibition and related events at Opalka Gallery are presented in collaboration with The Women’s Institute at Russell Sage College.

Events

Friday, November 3: Talk and Reception

5:30pm: Shannon Taggart will present a talk on her work

6:30pm to 8:00pm: Reception in the gallery

Music provided by the Alan Thomson Jazz Trio.

Saturday, November 4, 2pm:

A Conversation on the Intersection of Spiritualism, Feminism, and Art

with Shannon Taggart and Dr. Ann D. Braude, Director of Women’s Studies in Religion at Harvard Divinity School.

Friday, November 17: PechaKucha

6:30pm snacks, 7:00pm talks.

PechaKucha is a slide show of 20 images, each auto-advancing after 20 seconds. Short talks about anything by interesting people. Beer provided by Druthers. Snacks by Honest Weight Food Coop.

Friday, December 8: Dance

7:00pm

Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company performs at Opalka in the Séance exhibit.