The Rolling Exhibition: a photo documentary that narrates a story of human curiosity (Kennedy Center Hall of States)

May 29 – July 20, 2008

by Kevin Connolly

“The job of any photographer, or anyone who can call themselves an artist, is to make people question what they do on reflex. To make people question a value or an idea that's so common, that people haven't really looked at it yet. And so, right now, what I'm standing for-it's that."

Kevin Connolly travels the world on his skateboard, photographing the stares of others. The photographs narrate a story of human curiosity driven by the need to interpret who he is, and why. Connolly, who was born without legs, has documented aboard a skateboard more than 32,000 photos of the stares he attracts.
     He holds his camera low, attaching it to his wrist by a buckle, and aims the lens instinctively-from his near-to-the-street position, he is unable to look through the viewfinder. He has collected an abundance of perspectives as he moves through a world of shifting impressions driven by different cultures.
     “People really need to be able to tell a story, to be able to place you in a context within their own world. The narratives change from country to country."
     Connolly, who will soon graduate from Montana State University, possesses an ambitious independence that has been part of his character since the beginning.
     "My parents made the decision to not put me in a wheelchair or a hospital. They just took me home."

For more information on the Connolly’s photo documentary, The Rolling Exhibition, visit therollingexhibition.com.

Kennedy Center Hall of States
May 29-July 20, 2008

VSA arts, in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, presents a talk by Kevin Connolly on June 2, 2008, 12-1:30 pm, at the S. Dillon Ripley Center Discovery Theater.

For more information and to RSVP, call (202) 628-2800 or visit vsarts.org.

VSA arts will host “The Rolling Exhibition” in the Hall of States of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The photo documentary narrates a story of human curiosity as captured by artist Kevin Connolly. The Kennedy Center Hall of States is open from 10 am - 10 pm daily.