Beaufort Art Association presents a memorial exhibit of the photography of Larry Kay
Larry Kay was an active photographer until shortly before his death in April 2021 at the age of 87. Close friend and fellow photographer, Sandy Dimke, with the assistance of Larry Kay’s widow, Charlotte, have curated an exhibit to honor Larry and his art.
The photographic exhibit, “Through His Eyes,” a memorial exhibit of the photography of Larry Kay, will run through Feb. 27, at the Beaufort Art Association Gallery in Downtown Beaufort. The opening reception will be held to coincide with First Friday, from 5 to 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 7. The public is invited.
Larry Kay personified the title “Photographer.” While growing up in Indiana in the early 1950s, he and his brother photographed the Indianapolis 500 and National drag races. During racing season they would photograph during the day then come home each night, head into their darkroom, develop roles of black and white film by hand, then using an enlarger, they exposed the negatives onto photographic paper. Their final process was to make the prints come to life in developing trays. The next day they returned to the track to sell these photographers to eager fans.
Later, Kay worked as a mechanical engineer for major corporations, including Chrysler, where he played a significant role in launching the Grand Cherokee and Dodge Ram platforms. During business travels he honed his photography skills around the world.
When he and his wife moved to Beaufort, he joined the Photography Club and Beaufort Art Association, where he could learn more from others and exhibit and sell his work to the public. Kay served on the Board of Directors of Beaufort Art for several years and was proud to be elected president during that time.
He always had a camera in his hand and shared his talents with the organizations that meant the most to him, especially Beaufort’s model railroad club. He freely volunteered his time and talents whenever the Baptist Church of Beaufort needed a photographer. His love of nature made him well-known for his Lowcountry bird photography. Egrets, herons, spoonbills and shorebirds were his specialty.
For more information on the exhibit, visit www.beaufortart.org.
