Sydney Harris ’25 Chosen for National Juried Photography Exhibition • Sweet Briar College

Sydney Harris ’25 was just lately accepted into the Academy Center for the Arts’ National Juried Photography Exhibition, which is able to open this September in Lynchburg, Va.

The piece, titled “In His Hands,” is a part of the sequence Sydney showcased throughout Inner Landscapes, the 2025 Sweet Briar College Senior Art Exhibition. For this physique of labor, she stepped out of her consolation zone by utilizing intentional digicam motion to discover daring, high-contrast topics by abstraction.

“From a young age, I have been drawn to abstract art—the way it defies expectations and invites freedom of expression has always resonated with me,” Sydney stated. “That spirit of exploration became central to this series. In my journey as a photographer, I have struggled to accept that my artwork is worthy of the term ‘art,’ and working in abstraction was a way to challenge that inner doubt and embrace a more experimental process.”

At Sweet Briar, Sydney was a studio artwork main who delved into a wide range of mediums throughout her creative exploration, touchdown on images as the middle level of her senior assortment.

In His Hands by Sydney Harris ’25
“I had the privilege of working with Sydney in our Senior Seminar, a professional practices course designed to prepare students for artistic success beyond graduation. In this class, Sydney developed a powerful body of photographs for her thesis exhibition, pushing their own notions of what photography can be and how it can serve as a medium for self-expression,” stated Shawn O’Connor, assistant professor and head of the studio artwork program. “It’s inspiring to see that same work now recognized in a juried national exhibition. As faculty, it’s deeply rewarding to see our students’ creativity and dedication celebrated on a larger stage, and I’m excited to follow Sydney’s continued success beyond Sweet Briar.”

The heart’s professionally curated National Juried Photography Exhibition will open with a reception on Sept. 5 from 5-8 p.m., together with a juror discuss at 5:30 p.m. The chosen items will probably be on show till Sept. 25, with the Best in Show Award winner chosen by this yr’s juror, Jesse D. Hoyle, awarded a $1,000 prize.

“I am truly honored to have ‘In His Hands’ included in this exhibition,” stated Sydney. “It means the world to me to share a piece of my creative journey with others and have the encouragement to continue growing as an artist.”