February 10 – April 16, 2022
Main Gallery
After Los Angeles went into lockdown in early March 2020, Maggie Shannon began following four midwives as they navigated entirely new protocols caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The midwives’ practices shifted to protect their patients, themselves, and their own families as they responded to calls from terrified women hoping to deliver safely in their own homes.
By photographing midwives, Shannon explores what it means to bear life in a time of sorrow and grief. The pandemic has disproportionately affected women, and this project illuminates some of the burdens women must bear. These stories of connection, care, and birth feel especially healing.
Maggie Shannon is a photographer specializing in portrait and documentary work. Maggie tells stories of small communities and their social rituals in order to elevate marginalized voices and build a more inclusive world. Her approach is rooted in honesty, empathy, and endless curiosity. Hailing from Martha’s Vineyard, she received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in Photography, Video and Related Media and is now based in Los Angeles, California. Maggie was selected as a 2018 PDN Emerging Photographer and was named one of Magnum’s 30 under 30. She is a member of Women Photograph and her work has appeared in American Photography 35, 36 and 37. Her first book, Swamp Yankee (2016), told the story of New England shark fishing.
