Photographic artist Jay Hemphill's work is featured in a new exhibit at the Silver City MuseumSilver City -- The Silver City Museum welcomes local photographer Jay Hemphill's photographic exhibit, "Gila Wilderness by Foot," a stunning collection of more than 20 years exploring and capturing the wild beauty of the Gila Wilderness on foot.
This powerful exhibit, which opens Saturday, September 27, and runs through March of 2026, offers much more than mere landscape documentation. Hemphill's images evoke the profound solitude, immense scale, and raw beauty that define this pristine wilderness landscape. His photographs transport viewers into territories few will ever experience firsthand, revealing intimate moments of wilderness grandeur.
"We are so happy to present the magnificent work of Jay Hemphill," said Museum Director Bart Roselli. "His work is directly in line with one of the museum's key interests, which is the environment and our connections to it. This selection of images will certainly captivate viewers and hopefully enable them to find emotional connections to our region's forests, rivers and protected lands."
Each image represents not only technical mastery but also physical dedication, as Hemphill ventures miles into backcountry with heavy equipment to reach locations accessible only on foot. The resulting photographs capture the essence of untouched wilderness, offering viewers a visceral connection to landscapes that remain largely unchanged since this powerful landscape was designated America's first wilderness area in 1924. In 2024 Hemphill published "The Gila 100," a photographic tribute marking the Gila Wilderness Centennial.
Born in Kansas City in 1978, Hemphill moved to Silver City in 1999 to pursue his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography at Western New Mexico University, graduating in 2002. For more than two decades, he has dedicated his artistic vision to exploring and documenting the wild beauty of the American Southwest. His photographic journey began with 4x5 and medium-format film, before transitioning to digital photography in 2010.
The public is invited to celebrate the exhibit at an opening reception with the artist from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 27 at the Silver City Museum, 312 West Broadway Avenue in historic, downtown Silver City. Light refreshments will be served. Come meet the artist and enjoy community, conversation and an awe-inspiring celebration of the Gila.
For more information, please contact Brittany Beers, community engagement manager, at (575) 597-0230, or
The Silver City Museum serves Grant County residents and visitors, using authentic records of the region's multicultural past to foster informed perspectives on the present. The museum is nationally recognized through its accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums.
Museum admission is free, though a suggested donation of $5 helps support the museum's education programs, collections care and exhibitions. For more information, to donate or learn of volunteer opportunities, please visit www.silvercitymuseum.org , or call (575) 589- 0221.
