As a community museum, DuMA believes in cultivating the spark of creativity that exists in all of us. There’s no better example of this commitment than the Dubuque Camera Club exhibitions. For this annual event, members of the Club submit photographs that embody a particular theme to be considered for inclusion in the exhibition. This year more than 130 images were submitted—the largest number of entries to date.

In keeping with the concurrent exhibitions on view at the Museum, this year’s theme is rural life—the people, places, and activities that fill the distinctive midwestern landscape. Sixty-five photographs by Camera Club members will be on view, showcasing a range of perspectives on life on the land around Dubuque and the Midwest. The images run the gamut from nearly abstract atmospheric vistas to documentary-like scenes, all of them capturing their own facet of rural experience. Some photographs highlight the compositional rigor of fields of crops, others the melancholy tinge of the harvest, still others the faces and moods of the Midwesterners that call this area their home.

This year’s presentation is an innovative departure from years past. The photographs will be exhibited as a large collage printed on vinyl to include a larger number of images. This photography “quilt” is a manifestation of the talent and dedication of Camera Club members.