Silver in Press/Political / 2026 / Press / Political

• Prize
  Silver in Press/Political
• Photographer
  Cynthia Johnston, United States
• Date of Photograph
  2024 - 2026
• Website
  http://www.cynthiajohnstonphotography@gmail.com
• Instagram
  @cynthiagjohnston

Over thirty years ago, I left Wisconsin to begin a research career in Massachusetts. Despite living in Boston for many years, I felt rooted in my hyphenated East Coast-Midwest identity until the 2016  election of Donald Trump. My nostalgic view of “home” collided with the realization that I probably would not feel welcome in much of Mid-America. My disillusionment gradually morphed into an enduring curiosity about the states in the nation’s middle. That curiosity has kept me photographing in the Midwest since 2018.

Cynthia Johnston is a fine arts photographer with an interest in work which examines personal identity and cultural identification. Her current project is “Somewhere in the Middle” which is a collection of photos taken throughout the “non-coastal” states of the US.

Awards 16th Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers; category: Editorial & Current Affairs series in 2021.
Jurors: Barbara Davidson and Elisabeth Biondi

3rd Place in 2021 Primary Colors, New York Center for Photographic Art, Virtual Exhibit. Juror: Ann Jastrab