It is Longing to be Seen
Centa Schumacher
October 3 – November 15, 2026
Centa Schumacher (b. 1986, Fresno, California) is a lens-based artist based in Pittsburgh. She has had solo exhibitions at the 707 Gallery, Silver Eye Center for Photography, and Bunker Projects in Pittsburgh. Her work has also been featured nationally in group exhibitions.
Departing from the use of the camera as a factual recording device, I create photographs with a lens I constructed from cast-off glass elements. This lens, by distorting light and perspective, serves as a tool that allows me to access a different form of reality. With it I can see visible light in a way unaided eyes cannot–like the Hubble and Webb deep space telescopes capture gamma and X-rays to bring us otherwise-imperceptible images of the universe. In It is Longing to be Seen, I turned this lens onto two subjects that feel very different–the cold light of space pushing against the lush yielding of flowers in bloom–but with observation their similarities become known. Luminous orbs bloom from the dark in familiar petaled forms, and strange eyes gaze out from the innermost centers of flowers.
The resulting photographs are printed onto fabric and cut open, revealing another layer of photographs beneath the surface. These openings are bound in place with minute hand stitches, which keep the aperture permanently widened, much like a photograph pauses a moment into infinity. This creates the opportunity to gaze simultaneously into the observable world and a brilliant unknown. As one world is split apart, it reveals the other. Neither is “real” on their own, but together they create a shifting, living thing that surrounds all experience, from the recognizable and the experiential into the intuited. The veil is parted to reveal what has always been, showing a truth finally allowing itself to be witnessed.
Wonder what other works we’ve featured? Check out our list of past displays!
Call for Exhibit Proposals
Calling all artists, creatives, and collectors! The Sewickley Public Library is seeking proposals for engaging exhibits in their display cases for the 2026 season. The display cases are ideal for solo exhibits or small group shows. There are eight display cases, roughly 46”h x 45”w x 11”d each with removable shelves. 2-dimensional work as well as small 3-dimensional objects may be displayed. Exhibits last approximately 6 weeks. Visual artists working in any media, as well as those with collections of art or artifacts to display, are encouraged to apply.
Fill out our Exhibit Submission Form for consideration.