Artist-in-Residence Nate Larson plans to share stories and create new ones at Loyola Maryland
Nate Larson, Loyola's 2026-2027 artist-in-residence, has traveled around the world with his work in photography. His most recent project brought him to Argentina to make photos and experiences with incarcerated young people.
“I'm really grateful that they've embraced me,” Larson said about the young people he's connected with. “I see [the project] as an opportunity to help people imagine different realities for themselves.”
Larson's work will be on display in an exhibition, “Nate Larson y El Puente: On Juvenile Incarceration in Argentina, 2026-2027 Artist-in-Residence Exhibition,” in the Julio Fine Arts Gallery from Thursday, Oct. 8–Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026. Larson will give an artist talk at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27, in McManus Theatre, with a dessert reception in the lobby to follow.
“There are so many different ways that people experience incarceration and experience the world,” Larson said. “I want people to imagine the lives of others and to think about the circumstances that people go through. I am hoping that it also connects with some of the conversations that we have in Baltimore.”
Even though Baltimore is thousands of miles away from Argentina, Larson recognizes that in both places there are people in underserved areas whose resources and choices are limited.
As artist-in-residence at Loyola during the 2026-2027 academic year, Larson will work in collaboration with students and other members of the Loyola community to make portraits of people who are sometimes less visible at Loyola, including those who are more behind-the-scenes on campus.
“I am hoping it can be a true dialogue back and forth with members of the community,” Larson said. He is excited to work with students from any background and lean into the individual strengths of each student. Through the work, he hopes to emphasize empathy.
Originally from West Lafayette, Indiana, Larson has traveled around the world capturing photos for his project, Geolocation. He loves visual storytelling.
“There's something about the power of a still image that can really communicate effectively to one's heart in ways that words don't,” said Larson, who is area head and full-time faculty in photography and assistant chair of animation and media arts at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.
Loyola's artist-in-residence program invites an artist to campus each academic year to connect with students and offer their exciting new perspective.
“I wanted to provide opportunities for our community—students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the wider Baltimore area—to interact and create with artists whose work is particularly engaging for our community,” said Megan Rook-Koepsel, gallery director and curator in Loyola's Julio Fine Arts Gallery. “I know our community will learn new approaches, techniques, and ideas as we bring to life the residency project over this academic year with Nate Larson."
Find gallery hours more information on the Julio Fine Arts Gallery site and information about the exhibit on The Bridge.