With Rapture & Astonishment is a photography exhibition that takes its name from a quote by American artist, botanist, and ethnographer William Bartram, which he made upon reaching the summit of Wayah Bald in May of 1775. Here he “beheld with rapture and astonishment, a sublimely awful scene of power and magnificence….”

On view in the Circle Gallery at the University of Georgia through Sept. 12, this dynamic exhibition reflects the visual experiences of twelve artists as they traveled in Bartram’s footsteps. Each artist worked in the spirit of curiosity, exploration, and wonder while reimagining this well-traveled landscape. Featuring images from coastal Georgia to North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, With Rapture & Astonishment invites viewers to enter an intimate world where Bartram’s trail is alive and waiting to be met and listened to anew.

A public reception for With Rapture and Astonishment will be held from 3-6 p.m. Aug. 5 in conjunction with the 2023 Bartram Trail Conference. 

Featured artists include:

Anna G. Norton

Beate Sass

Brent Martin

Eric William Carroll