A few months ago I wrote a Storied Charlotte blog post about the publication of the Spring 2026 issue of Litmosphere: Journal of Charlotte Lit. In my post, I wrote that “the issue is profusely illustrated by stunning photographs by Charlotte photographer Amy Hart.” Well, I am pleased to report that these photographs are now on exhibit in the Projective Eye Gallery located in UNC Charlotte’s Dubois Center.
The exhibition will kick off with a free public reception on September 24 at 6:00 p.m., at the Projective Eye Gallery in the Dubois Center, 320 East 9th Street. Amy will talk about her work, and several local writers featured in the show will read from their works. Registration is requested, here.
The exhibition will run until October 16, 2026. More show info is here.
I contacted Kathie Collins, the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Charlotte Lit and the Editor-in-Chief of Litmosphere, and I asked her for more information about this exhibition. Here is what she sent to me:
We loved working with Amy Hart on the Spring 2026 issue of Litmosphere: Journal of Charlotte Lit earlier this year and were thrilled to get the call from UNC Charlotte about partnering to exhibit Amy’s photos, along with the paired poems and story excerpts, for a run at the Dubois Center’s Projective Eye Gallery. It’s always a joy to share the power of literature with community members and an even more rewarding experience to bring literature in conversation with other art forms. This exhibit and the September 24th Reception and Poetry Reading mark the first of what we hope will be many collaborations with the University.
In addition to being a talented photographer, Amy is a fantastic writer and a diligent curator. She took great care to match images with poems and stories in ways that elevate or bring some new awareness to both. Amy is a longtime Charlotte Lit member and a generous volunteer. We couldn’t be happier that her photography is getting the kind of recognition it deserves, and we’re hopeful this exhibit will help bring awareness of Charlotte Lit and Litmosphere to new audiences. Speaking of which, the Fall 2026 issue of Litmosphere, featuring some fabulous new poems and stories, along with outstanding artwork by Jill Goldman-Callahan, goes live on Monday, September 21. Readers can read both issues at https://litmosphere.charlottelit.org.
I also contacted Amy Hart, and I asked her for more information about her work as a photographer. Here is what she sent to me:
The images I treasure most are the ones that look more like paintings than photographs and are created without effort—just a bit of magic and the fine art of paying attention. It’s pure poetry when it happens.
I search for simplicity, unobscured vistas, open spaces that breathe the vibrant energy and calming spirit of our natural world. In stillness, there is peace, in peace everything connects harmoniously. In any setting, my intention is always to capture the essence of the moment. When capturing a landscape or still life outdoors, I hope to share a sense of connection to this life force that brings us all back to our only true home—planet earth and the pulsing universe beyond.
As I’ve focused on the Litmosphere project, both the publication and the art show, it’s been a balm to sink back into the person who got me into photography in the first place: a creative artist who looks at the world and sees astounding beauty, imagining it all as a watercolor painting—a little hazy, dreamy, and quiet. It’s an honor to share the poetry of imagery with you.
I am deeply grateful to Charlotte Lit co-founders, Kathie Collins and Paul Reali, for inviting me to curate my personal fine art and work collaboratively with them to find the visual resonance between the artwork and Litmosphere’s brilliant poetry and prose. I am also deeply grateful to the UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture for mounting the Litmosphere art show in their beautiful gallery in Uptown Charlotte. Thank you.
I congratulate everyone involved with making this exhibition a reality. This exhibition is a collaborative effort involving Amy Hart, Charlotte Lit, UNC Charlotte’s College of Arts + Architecture, and the DuBois Center. As I see it, such collaboration requires a sense of community, and my Storied Charlotte blog is all about celebrating community.
