On the weekend of Sept. 13 and 14, St. Olaf showcased the talent of college alumnus Dominic Presa ’25 with his photo exhibit, It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect. Last year, Prsa received the Gimse “Striving for Peace on Horizon’s Brim” Art Endowment, which enabled him to bring this project to life. The endowment provides funding to students seeking to create projects that reflect uplifting events and inspire joy.
The Art Barn welcomed visitors with warm lighting and, notably, leftover takeout bags scattered on the floor. At first glance, these might have seemed out of place, but as viewers read the project statement and examined Presa’s photographs, the installation revealed it was all a culmination to show that the world didn’t have to be perfect for it to be beautiful, flipping the traditional narrative of what an art show can be.
At the event, Presa cited photographers Roy DeCarava and Mark Steinmetz as major presentations. This is because Steinmetz did a project on a summer camp, which Presa’s photo gallery heavily includes. The exhibit includes photos not only from Presa’s time as a counselor at YMCA Camp Olson, but also his time while he was abroad in Barcelona.
He took these photos as an attempt to show the community in these different places. In particular when asked about his inspirations and intentions with these pieces Presa made it clear that he “wants people to be a little bit more connected to each other after seeing the photos, and to create a welcoming environment that is endearing.”
As a past camp counselor Presa knows how important it is to keep children safe and his care with the 3,000 photos he took from Camp Olson shows just that. The gaze of these photos show nothing but a love for protecting these kids and preserving these important moments — something that isn’t always followed through with modern photography, where many people in photos just feel like bodies.
Overall, the exhibit exemplifies the Gimse Art Endowment’s mission, showing that the St. Olaf community can inspire thoughtful, meaningful art and reassure artists that perfection is not a requirement for beauty.
