Sarah Stankey: One for the Birds

Sarah Stankey: One for the Birds by Aline SmithsonApril 15, 2013

It is with great pleasure that I present the BFA Thesis project of Sarah Stankey and celebrate her exhibition that opens on April 19th at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. For the past 9 months, Sarah has been a vital part of LENSCRATCH, working with fellow student Grant Gill (who I will feature tomorrow) on the exhibitions, the tumblr site, and much more. It’s with great enthusiasm that I raise a toast to Sarah and to her launch into the fine art photography community. Her project, One for the Birds, reminds us to celebrate ordinary wonders that cross our paths on a daily basis.

Sarah grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and now resides in Milwaukee, where she is studying photography and art history at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. She will receive her BFA in Photography in spring 2013. Sarah has finished her spring semester internship at the Haggerty Museum of Art in Milwaukee, spends her spare time volunteering at the Milwaukee Art Museum and recently became an intern there as well. Sarah wishes to pursue a graduate degree in museums studies and while still continuing her studio arts practice.

One for the Birds

When I was growing up, my travels were limited to visits to our family farm in Minnesota. At the time, the farm held little fascination as it was an annual destination out of my control. As an adult, I now have the freedom to go where I wish and have begun to see the world with a new perspective. My desire to seek adventure and discover the new is a natural evolution of leaving the familial nest, but there is another layer of seeing that is the result of extensive traveling. The world seems filled with infinite possibility, providing me with glimpses into the magic found in the everyday. And the irony is that by moving away from what is familiar has even allowed me to see the worn paths of my childhood in new and spectacular ways. Looking more deeply at my surroundings and what I’ve taken for granted, has revealed the balance between the ephemeral and the eternal.