The 50 States Project: Where We've Been

Join artists Kate Fleming and Tom Woodruff of The 50 States Project for an opening reception to view and celebrate their virtual exhibition, Where We've Been.

The 50 States Project began as a road trip to all 50 states, but has now grown to become something much larger: a study of before and after in a country irreversibly altered by the events of 2020. Tom has shot over 50,000 frames and Kate has made well over 100 paintings since the beginning of the project in the Fall of 2019. The exhibition will encompass the work Kate and Tom have made both on the road and at home in social isolation, capturing something essential about the American experience at this specific moment in time.

Although they can’t share their paintings and photographs in person just yet, the web-based format of the virtual exhibition provides a behind-the-scenes look at the artists’ process. The exhibition will include video, sketchbook pages, contact sheets, postcards, maps, and memorabilia collected along the way.

About The 50 States Project:

In November of 2019, artists Kate Fleming and Tom Woodruff set out to document America by visiting all 50 states in one year. Painting and photographing their way across the country, Kate and Tom conducted serious artistic inquiry into the present state of the nation, learning and sharing the stories of our fellow Americans and engaging with local communities throughout the project. After seventeen states and five months on the road, the pandemic forced the artists to return home to Arlington, Virginia — and the 50 States Project suddenly became an opportunity to document America both before and after the crisis of a generation. Kate and Tom continued to paint and photograph their experiences of social isolation as 2020 unfolded. Now the pair are looking ahead toward getting back on the road in 2021 to capture a very different nation from the one they began traveling in 2019. Once complete, The 50 States Project will serve as a record of a pivotal moment in American history.

Contact: 50states@chaw.org