1804 Exhibition Opens September 2nd at The VisCom Focus Gallery

ATHENS, Ohio — 1804, a solo exhibition of photographs by Rich-Joseph Facun, opens Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at The VisCom Focus Gallery at Ohio University. Hosted by The VisCom Focus Gallery with support from Liars Corner Press, the exhibition features photographs from 1804, Facun's newest monograph and the final volume in a trilogy exploring geography, economics, and cultural change across Southeast Ohio.

Opening Reception

The VisCom Focus Gallery
Schoonover Center 250
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio

Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Gallery opens at 5:30 PM

After the opening reception, photographer and storyteller Roger May will moderate a conversation with Facun about 1804, followed by an audience Q&A. The evening will conclude with a book signing.

About the Exhibition

For more than a decade, Rich-Joseph Facun has photographed the place he calls home—the Appalachian foothills of Southeast Ohio. As both an Ohio University alumnus and university employee, he has experienced firsthand how the university shapes life throughout the region.

1804 grew from Facun's desire to better understand his connection to an institution that creates opportunity while profoundly influencing the surrounding community. Working as both an insider and an observer, he explored the tensions, interdependencies, and shared aspirations that define the relationship between town and gown.

The exhibition brings together photographs from 1804, the final monograph in Facun's trilogy, following Black Diamonds and Little Cities. Together, these projects examine the evolving intersections of geography, economics, history, and identity across Southeast Ohio, inviting viewers to reflect on the complex role institutions play in shaping the places we call home.

Rooted in personal experience, 1804 is a meditation on place, identity, and the reciprocal relationship between a university and the Appalachian community it calls home.