In the Athenaeum’s Gallery 2, Megan Ledbetter presents The Field (2022-2026), a photographic series and growing body of research exploring and recognizing a potter’s field in Red Bank, Tennessee—essentially a dumping ground and derelict municipal cemetery for the poor and dispossessed in operation from 1890-1912 just on the outskirts of Chattanooga. With new research unearthed in 2020...
In the Athenaeum’s Gallery 2, Megan Ledbetter presents The Field (2022-2026), a photographic series and growing body of research exploring and recognizing a potter’s field in Red Bank, Tennessee—essentially a dumping ground and derelict municipal cemetery for the poor and dispossessed in operation from 1890-1912 just on the outskirts of Chattanooga.
With new research unearthed in 2020 by historian Michael Hitt, Ledbetter began accessing and documenting the sites in 2022. Through generous support from the Current Art Fund (2023-2024), Ledbetter’s The Field combines visual imagery, historical research and ephemera, and community engagement to shine a light on the complex overlapping histories at this abandoned burial ground.
Ledbetter’s large-format photographs document the few remaining burial markers, forged over a century ago, which lay vulnerable upon the ground, referencing an unseen realm beneath the surface. Her lush, black-and-white photographs serve as meditations on the relentless force of seasonal change upon this deeply damaged landscape. They elevate quiet moments of growth, destruction, and rebirth, alluding to the unnoticed decades and the intentional abandonment of the place, while also reflecting upon human fragility and spiritual transcendence. The work harnesses topographical challenges to mirror the historical narrative, exploring dynamic relationships between ecology, history, and cultural deathways. While Ledbetter continues to photograph this ever-changing and dynamic landscape, her focus has shifted toward research and discovery alongside the Nelson Byrd Woltz and Trust for Public Land teams, integrating her work into the 2026 Cultural Landscape Synthesis Report. As a neighbor and member of the Red Bank community herself, Ledbetter’s commitment to engage with The Field will continue to grow and evolve until the project is fully realized.
August 29, 2026 – November 21, 2026
Opening Saturday, August 29, 2026
Media and VIP preview: 3-4pm
Public reception: 4-6pm
Megan Ledbetter (American, b. 1980) is an artist and educator based in Red Bank, Tennessee, whose lens-based work explores personal, cultural, and historical narratives tied to place. She holds an MFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design (2011), a BFA from East Tennessee State University (2008), and a BA from Auburn University (2002). She attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 2013 and was awarded a Resident Artist Fellowship from Anderson Ranch Arts Center in 2014.
Founded in 2021, the Athenaeum is a non-collecting contemporary art exhibition venue affiliated with the University of Georgia and the Lamar Dodd School of Art. Its mission is to support artists, pursue contemporary art and ideas with rigor, and to serve as a flexible space that invites extended looking and encourages critical thinking. We are dedicated to presenting the work of major artists in the field of contemporary art as well as centering under-recognized and emerging artists in the commission of new works and projects.
The Field is supported by UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, The Lamar Dodd School of Art and the Dodd Chair and Athenaeum Support Funds. For support opportunities, contact Lynh Tran, Associate Director of Development lynh.tran@uga.edu
For more information, including images and press packets, contact Rachel Waldrop, Director and Curator, Athenaeum at rachel.waldrop@uga.edu
Megan Ledbetter
