Event Description

Longtime friend of Blackberry, William Hereford is an American photographer living and working in Uruguay. Originally from rural Virginia, his work has been widely exhibited and published. He has won many awards including the American Photography Awards and the IACP awards as well as honors at the AOP, APA and the Brooklyn Museum.

This exhibition is open for viewing in The Keep from April 17, 2026, through December 31, 2026.* 

*Pending exhibition location is not being utilized for any event, wine tasting or private group.

Artist Statement

SUSTAIN

For 50 years Blackberry Farm has been a leader of land management and environmental stewardship. Their business model is dependent on the health of the rolling hills, streams and forests that surround it. Financial success and environmental activism are rarely correlated, yet Blackberry Farm sustains.  

I believe the perpetual use of credit, borrowing from the future to pay for the present, is a driving force in the commercial development of raw land and the use of unsustainable practices that are destroying our environment. Throughout all my work, I seek out communities and systems that exist in a closed loop, living within their means without taking from the future. In this regard, Blackberry Farm is an anomaly.

Throughout the American Civil War battlefields there are "Witness Trees." Trees that quietly bore witness to various battles and sustained to the present day. For me, their existence is a testament to environmental conservation, sustainability and a quiet reflection on our own lives and those that came before us. 

In this series of photographs I seek to honor the places we inhabit, the spaces, trees, rivers and views that have watched 50 years of love, loss and joy pass through them. 

Click here to learn more about William's process and the creation of his exhibition.