“West of Here,” a photography exhibition showing off the landscape of Kansas and the wonderful men and women of the cattle industry is on exhibit at the Lee Dam Center for Fine Art, Marysville. Rachael Gray Sebastian, a 2004 graduate of Valley Heights High School, is the artist whose photographs are on display.
A reception to meet the artist will be Sunday, October 3, from 3-5 p.m.
The reception is open to the public; refreshments will be served.
Sebastian was introduced to photography by her mother, Sally Gray, an editor and reporter for the Marysville Advocate.
“I would go with my mom on her news assignments,” she explained. “She often shot pictures, too, and taught me the basics. I had a 110-film camera that was pink and purple. I started 4H photography in first grade, shot for the Valley Heights yearbook, then shot for the University Daily Kansan at KU.”
Sebastian’s family provides inspiration for her photography.
“Being the daughter of a journalist and cowboy plays into my work a lot,” she said. “I get a lot of inspiration from the beauty of Kansas and the diverse population of its people.”
Sebastian lives in Horace, Kan. with her husband, Sid, and six-year-old son, Grady. She has lived in western Kansas for the last decade and over the last few years has developed her photography business. Her body of work showcases some of the Kansas men and women in the beef industry who work as ranch managers, cowboys, and horse trainers. This show also features Kansas-centric images such as sunflowers, bison, barns, and landscapes.