Last Thursday I visited the Akron Art Museum to view its new exhibit, “Marilyn Stafford: A Life in Photography.” (The art museum offers free admission every Thursday and is open until 9 p.m.)
The exhibit catalogs Stafford’s photography career, from her work photographing fashion models and post-war life in Paris in the 1950s to her coverage of Lebanon in the 1960s, the Algerian War of Independence and the Bangladesh Liberation War.
Stafford was born in Cleveland and started out as an actress before taking up photography in the late 1940s. (The first portrait she took was of Albert Einstein.) Her career spanned four decades. Stafford died in January 2023 at age 97.
I was unfamiliar with Stafford’s work beforehand, but I left with a newfound appreciation for her captivating photography and her commitment to capturing the lives of everyday people, from children in the streets of France to Algerian families living in refugee camps.
“Marilyn Stafford: A Life in Photography” is on view at the Akron Art Museum until Sunday, July 14.
Your weekend plans
The 38th annual Akron Antiquarian Book & Paper Show kicks off Friday at the John S. Knight Center. The event is hosted by the Northern Ohio Bibliophilic Society and will feature booksellers specializing in rare and collectible books, maps and prints. The show runs from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $5, or $3 for students.
Give your furry friend a chance to sniff out some treats Saturday at Akron Dog Park’s Easter egg hunt. Treat-filled eggs will be sprinkled throughout the park, which is located at 499 Memorial Parkway. Guests have two time slots to choose from: 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets are $15, and registration is required. (All of the proceeds will go to maintaining and operating Akron Dog Park.) Bunny ears optional but highly encouraged.
Also on Saturday, the “Celestial Bodies” photography exhibit opens at F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm Visitors Center. The exhibit, which is on view through September, features the work of photographer Kathy Neugebauer. (Get a sneak peek of her work here.) Neugebauer will share her nighttime photography tips and recommendations during a Q&A session. The reception is from 1 to 3 p.m. and is free to attend.
