Artemis Journal Book Launch Featuring Artist Gregory Crewdson

Join us for a night of art and poetry as Artemis Journal launches their 2025 edition featuring cover art by internationally renowned photographer Gregory Crewdson.

The journal’s theme is “homeward bound” and honors the legacy of beloved poet Nikki Giovanni, who lived in Blacksburg but had a profound impact across the nation and beyond through her work. Giovanni contributed to Artemis Journal for more than 40 years.

Crewdson’s work Morningside Home for Women graces the cover of this year’s journal. The photograph is a newly acquired work for the Museum’s Permanent Collection donated in honor of the Museum’s upcoming 75th anniversary in 2026. The work was generously acquired through the support of The Dorothea Leonhardt Fund at the Communities Foundation of Texas, Inc. in honor of the Inaugural Taubman Leadership Travel Group.

About Gregory Crewdson:
Gregory Crewdson’s photographs have entered the American visual lexicon, taking their place alongside the paintings of Edward Hopper and the films of Alfred Hitchcock and David Lynch as indelible evocations of a silent psychological interzone between the everyday and the uncanny.

Often working with a large team, Crewdson typically plans each image with meticulous attention to detail, orchestrating light, color, and production design to conjure dreamlike scenes infused with mystery and suspense.

While the small-town settings of many of Crewdson’s images are broadly familiar, he is careful to avoid signifiers of identifiable sites and moments, establishing a world outside time.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Crewdson is a graduate of SUNY Purchase and the Yale University School of Art, where he is now director of graduate studies in photography. He lives and works in New York and Massachusetts.

About Artemis Journal:
Now in its 48th year of showcasing artists and writers of the Blue Ridge Mountains and beyond, Artemis Journal highlights the creative voices who uphold the values of the Greek lunar goddess for which the journal was named. As the archetype of the mother goddess, Artemis was the protector of wild animals, the wilderness, young women, and childbirth. She was known as a carrier of light.

Evening Schedule:
5-6 pm: Enjoy the open galleries and cash bar
6-7 pm: Artemis Journal poetry reading and discussion of the book cover with Gregory Crewdson
7-7:30 pm: Book signing with Gregory Crewdson
Until 9 pm: Open galleries and cash bar continue

Tickets:
Adult Members: $20
Youth/Student (Middle and High School) Members: Free
Adult General Public: $25
Youth/Student (Middle and High School) General Public: $5
Luminary Ticket – includes reserved seating, drink ticket, and signed Artemis Journal: $80

Advance registration is required for the Journal Launch.

The galleries are open and free all evening for those not attending the event.

Artemis Journal cover art: Morningside Home for Women by Gregory Crewdson