Lost Feather, 2023, pigment print, 24 × 24 inches

Deb Dawson was introduced to Maine 30 years ago while honing her photographic eye and craft at Maine Media Workshops + College before completing her BFA in Photography at the University of Southern Maine. Embarking on a series of adventures as an archaeological and museum photographer in Carthage, Tunisia, she later returned to explore Maine’s craggy coast while earning her merchant mariner captain’s license. This time, living close to the land and sea solidified Dawson’s deep appreciation for the natural environment. To better tell the story of the changing landscape and coastal communities, Dawson developed her narrative voice at SALT Institute of Documentary Studies in 2018. These varied experiences now seem to coalesce into a poetic vision, conveying Dawson’s sense of awe at the beauty found while contemplatively observing our changing world.