Persona: Photography and the Re-Imagined Self

February 19 - May 10, 2026
Hostetter Gallery

Imagine you could be a different version of yourself. What parts of your identity might you reinvent?

Since the 1920s, artists have used photography to create and share alter egos that are distinct from their public-facing identity. Persona: Photography and the Re-Imagined Self gathers historical and contemporary images by artists from across the globe who engage with a character, an icon, an avatar—a persona. Ranging from playful to political to provocative, the 80+ works in Persona: Photography and the Re-Imagined Self time-travel and gender-bend, mythologize, mask, and mirror. They are an invitation towards empathy and creativity. They represent possibility.

Our Persona collection features art books, photography-forward gifts, and mirrors galore.

How will you re-envision yourself? 

Please note: Persona: Photography and the Re-Imagined Self is no longer on view.