Joan O’Beirne: Detachments

Exhibition Dates:  July 4 – August 31, 2025
Reception:  Friday, July 11th, 5-8pm

Artist Talk:  Sunday, August 10th, 5pm
Free & open to the public, @ VCP!

Now on view at VCP, this compelling solo exhibition by local artist and educator Joan O’Beirne blurs the line between truth and fiction through a uniquely tactile photographic process. Using acrylic gel lifts, Joan transfers printed images onto new surfaces, creating delicate, translucent compositions that fold, wrinkle, and tear—turning imperfections into narrative elements. Her Self-Portrait series merges her own face with thrifted figurines, grappling with identity, power, and the uneasy realities of aging in a shifting political world. Both experimental and deeply personal, the work invites viewers to sit with discomfort, examine constructed realities, and reflect on the stories we choose to tell.

About the Artist:
Joan O’Beirne is a photographer, educator, and gallery director based in Brattleboro, VT. She holds an MFA in photography from the University of New Mexico and currently heads the photography department at Greenfield Community College. Her work has been widely exhibited across New England and explores themes of identity, transformation, and storytelling through experimental photographic processes.