Confluence celebrates the coming together of collector Tina Freemans’s extraordinary group of over 1,300 photographs with NOMA’s permanent collection of photography. Freeman began collecting in earnest in 1969, and the exhibition offers a unique survey of photographic history through the eyes of a remarkable collector. 

Occupying five gallery spaces, Confluence includes photographs from over seventy artists, including George Barnard, Ilse Bing, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Keith Calhoun, Julia Margaret Cameron, Imogen Cunningham, George Dureau, Robert Frank, Gertrude Käsebier, Clarence John Laughlin, Sally Mann, Lisette Model, Irving Penn, Josephine Sacabo, Alfred Steiglitz, Doris Ulmann, James Van Der Zee, Edward Weston, Piet Zwart, and many others. Selections reflect Freeman’s gravitation toward lesser-known works by significant artists, promising to broaden our understanding of many photographers. 

Confluence showcases nearly one hundred of the most exciting photographs in the collection, presented together publicly for the first time. Arranged thematically, with an emphasis on formal similarities between individual photographs, Confluence reveals the eye and interests of a collector trained as a photographer. The presentation emphasizes Freeman’s interest in land and seascapes, nude and figure studies, modernism, and a variety of approaches to still-life photography. Confluence includes examples of a wide variety of historical and contemporary photographic processes, with attention to their beauty and material qualities. Visitors to the exhibition can expect some surprising juxtapositions that cross both era and genre, and will leave with a new appreciation for the power of living with photography.

Confluence is accompanied by the publication of a fully-illustrated catalogue, including 185 full color reproductions and a detailed checklist of the entire Freeman Collection, available now for preorder through the NOMA Museum Shop. In March 2027, the exhibition will undergo a partial rotation of new works, promising a refreshed viewing experience and new discoveries.