Backyard Battlefields: Ashley Michelle Hannah, BA '20

Presented by the Department of Art & Art History, Backyard Battlefields, a solo pop-up exhibition by distinguished alum Ashley Michelle Hannah (BA '20), explores the intersection of personal and historical trauma through the lens of battlefield trees. This photo series investigates how trees absorb and represent the violence they witness, mirroring the artist's experiences of grief and sorrow from childhood.

Thursday, October 24 | 11am-5pm

Friday, October 25 | 11am-4pm

Ashley Michelle Hannah is a visual artist exploring connections between land, memory, and trauma. She studied photography at Stanford University, where she graduated with a B.A. in Art Practice with Honors. She is currently an M.F.A. candidate in Photography at The University of California, Los Angeles.

During her time at Stanford, Hannah received the John Shively Fowler Award in Photography, Robert M. Golden Medal for Performance in the Humanities and the Creative Arts, and the William W. And Janet F. Crandall Beagle II Award for her work in photography.

After graduating, Hannah worked as a studio assistant for Sally Mann while developing her series Backyard Battlefields. She is currently in her second year of graduate school, where she continues to investigate photography's relationship to land and memory.

This pop-up exhibition is being held in conjunction with our alum open house event and Stanford Reunion Homecoming.

Image: Ashley Michelle Hannah, Backyard Battlefields, 2021. Archival pigment print, 30 x 30 in. Courtesy of the artist.

VISITOR INFORMATION: The Miller Discussion Room is located in the McMurtry Building on Stanford campus at 355 Roth Way. Visitor parking is available in designated areas and payment is managed through ParkMobile (free after 4pm, except by the Oval). Alternatively, take the Caltrain to Palo Alto Transit Center and hop on the free Stanford Marguerite Shuttle. If you need a disability-related accommodation or wheelchair access information, please contact Julianne Garcia at juggarci [at] stanford.edu (juggarci[at]stanford[dot]edu). This exhibition is open to Stanford affiliates, alums, and the general public. Admission is free.

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