In-Town Gallery will feature a new body of work by E. Michon Wong, an award winning digital photographer. This special exhibit entitled “Reverence and Joy” will run through the entire month of September.

Gallery visitors can meet the artist at a special “First Friday” reception on Friday, Sept. 1, from 5-8 p.m.

The core photographs in this series will include various images of lotus shot from the artist’s personal collection and a few painterly quality photo montages (layered images) that depict other subjects.

“My work reflects a lifetime artistic journey to capture joy and reverence in life, nature, and spirit” said Ms. Wong. “The photography is expressed through a continuum ranging from realistic to abstract to digital collage. I remain inspired by the words of my mother who had a very difficult life but told me to remember that sometimes we need hyacinths for the soul. In a way, I believe and hope that some of my pictures are like hyacinths for the soul.”

As a subject matter, Ms. Wong finds the lotus both physically and spiritually intriguing. “It’s a beautiful flower with large leaves that grows in murky, muddy water, yet comes out straight. The flower only lasts three days. The bud opens on the first day and by the third day, the petals drop and the pod begins to grow. It’s also an edible plant that many Chinese people enjoy. Its leaves can be used to wrap rice for steaming; the roots are edible, and the seeds can be used in deserts. The seeds of the lotus are also called ‘Chinese Viagra.’ This flower has uniqueness in terms of symbolism. In Eastern art, the lotus represents many positive things including uprightness, overcoming of diversity, and purity of character. It’s a mysterious plant in how it works, one that gives immediate satisfaction and continual intrigue.”

Ms. Wong’s awards include first place in photography at the 2003 Cardinal Valley Expo. Her work has been shown at various venues including AVA, Memorial Hospital, Dalton Creative Arts Guild Festivals, and In-Town Gallery. Most recently, one of her lotus images was used on the cover of the 2006 Art for Healing invitation catalog.

Her work also is being exhibited by the Tennessee Arts League Gallery in Nashville, where she will be the featured artist for the months of August and September.

In-Town Gallery features original paintings, sculpture, photography, jewelry, pottery, wood, glass, and fiber art from over 30 professional regional artists. The gallery is located at 26-A Frazier Ave. between the Market and Walnut Street Bridges in Chattanooga’s trendy North Shore area.

In-Town is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays 1-5 p.m. and on the first Friday of each month until 8 p.m. For more information, call (423) 267-9214.