Photography Atelier

Janis Hersh

Season Prelude 

Driving up Route 6 in early spring to Truro, I scan the sides of the road to see what’s open. How does this seaside town, three miles at it’s widest, ready itself for an influx of summer residents and visitors? I’ve spent parts of so many summers here, and many  places hold personal meaning to me: a restaurant where my son had worked in the kitchen, a motel where guests at my daughter’s wedding had stayed, and a small museum, which presents Truro’s history through the stories of its people. 

My photography focuses on the largely un-noticed scenes and transitions that occur as the town wakes from a very long and quiet time.  Structures so close to the sea need constant repair, patching and painting.  When a building isn’t heated in winter, artifacts must be protected from mold and mice; rooms are “put to bed” for the winter, dressed and readied in spring.  A host of local carpenters, volunteers and employees address these needs, year after year. 

Through my work I feel a deeper connection to this community, which has figured so strongly in my life. We don’t often appreciate all that’s happened before another summer starts and we visit again. 

Artist Bio

Janis Hersh lives and works in Arlington and Truro, MA. In her photography, she seeks to explore and tell the stories that are always there beneath the exterior, and to create relationships with her subjects. 

Hersh has studied with Emily Belz, at the Griffin Museum of Photography and Arlington Center for the Arts, and participated in Atelier 26 at the Griffin. She has also studied narrative story telling in workshops with Mary Beth Meehan at Truro Center for the Arts. Hersh will have a solo show of her series A Year on a Farm at the Lexington Community Center Gallery in 2018. Group exhibits include Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Griffin Museum, Cotuit Center for the Arts, and Truro Center for the Arts.

Contact Janis Hersh