A Night at the Museum

A Special Feeling.

Listen to “Woman,” a powerful spoken word piece written exclusively for Clee Images and performed by award-winning Toronto poet and artist Britta B.

There are moments in life when you have to stop and take it all in.

Standing in the Niagara Falls History Museum on opening night, surrounded by my photographs, the people who came to experience them, and the individuals who helped make the exhibition possible, I had one of those moments.

For years, I’ve photographed stories of strength, identity, resilience, and the experiences that shape us. But on this night, I found myself reflecting not only on the journey that led to creating Woman, but everything that happened behind the scenes to bring it to life.

What many people didn’t see was the uncertainty leading up to that evening.

When I fell and realized I had seriously injured myself, the first thing I said to my squash partner was, “This could not have happened at a worse time.”

And honestly, that is exactly how it felt.

The exhibition was approaching. There were prints to edit, details to organize, decisions to make, and an installation to prepare for. Suddenly, everything became much harder.

The months that followed were filled with challenges I never expected. Recovering from surgery. Learning how to move again. Not being able to sit for long. Trying to navigate life while dealing with uncertainty, frustration, and the feeling that so much had been put on pause.

But somehow, piece by piece, things started coming together.

The photographs were printed.

The details were finalized.

The installation came together.

And then came opening night.

It was one of the coldest nights in January, but that did not stop people from showing up. With approximately 65 guests attending the private opening, I was overwhelmed by the turnout. Even the curator commented on how impressed she was that people stayed, connected, and continued to mingle throughout the evening.

It wasn’t just a quick walk through the gallery.

People took their time.

They read the stories behind each photograph.

They listened to the audio poem created for Woman.

They talked about the images, the emotions they brought forward, and the personal reflections they inspired.

That was the moment I realized the exhibition had become something bigger than I had imagined.

The photographs had taken on a life of their own.

What was really cool was what happened over the months that followed.

People who could not attend opening night still wanted to experience Woman. They wanted to walk through the exhibition with me, talk about the photographs, and share that moment together.

That was incredibly special.

And then there were the connections that began online.

A couple from Buffalo, New York, who I had connected with through Instagram, came to see the exhibit. It was the first time we had ever met in person. A friendship had formed through photography before we ever stood across from each other in the same room.

I loved that Mark Foard, a great connection I made through Substack, visited the exhibition while he was in Niagara visiting friends.

These are just a few of the connections that began online and found their way into the gallery.

Perhaps the most unexpected part was hearing from people I had never met at all. People who took the time to email me their thoughts and feelings about the exhibition. People who shared how certain photographs affected them or made them see something differently.

That is crazy cool.

Just days before my fall, I was measuring the gallery space and planning the exhibition. I never imagined that I would be preparing for opening night while recovering from a serious hip injury.

If everything had went injury free, I know I still would have been proud. I still would have been grateful.

But going through what I did changed the way I saw that night.

Standing there, looking around the museum, I wasn’t just seeing my work on the walls.

I was seeing the kindness, patience, and support that helped bring the exhibit to life. I was also seeing the determination that kept me moving forward through the times when I wasn’t sure how I would get there.

And that is what made it so special.

Behind the Scenes

---

Next Up: Beginnings – A look back at the story behind Clee Images — from the early days of figuring things out, finding my voice, and the collaboration that helped shape the photographer I would become.

---

Until next time,
Thanks for seeing the world through my lens. - Clee