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Brenda Priddy is the featured artist in Goodyear’s Nature’s Beauty exhibit highlighting 34 local artists.
More than 30 of Priddy’s fine art photographs hang in the breezeway between the Georgia T. Lord Library and Goodyear City Hall, 1900 N. Civic Square. Her work, titled “Cuba: The Cars and Culture,” shows classic automobiles, wildlife and Cuban culture in vibrant color.
Priddy moved to the Estrella Mountain Ranch community six years ago and has been an active part of the Goodyear community since.
“Goodyear is a growing and vibrant city, and it’s exciting to watch it grow,” Priddy said, “I love living at the edge of the desert, my neighbors and the people in my community are wonderful, and there are so many nearby parks and walking trails.”
A love for people is reflected in Priddy’s work, capturing portraits of friends and strangers where they feel most like themselves. She started practicing her craft young.
“My brother, Elliot, gave me my first camera when I was four or 5-years-old. It was a plastic-bodied camera that used 120-millimeter film and likely cost less than two dollars. I’ve been taking pictures ever since,” Priddy said.
Elliot inspires her integrity, Priddy said, and she has worked to embody his legacy of it after his passing after a battle with ALS. Elliot and the rest of Priddy’s family are a source of pride for her, she said. With her two adult children, a “bonus daughter” and a young grandson spread across the country, Priddy and her partner travel to see them and “live in a home full of love, furry critters, and toddler toys,” Priddy said.
Priddy attributes her success with fine art photography to a 2014 one-woman show at Chandler Center for the arts. Her six-week exhibit there was reviewed by the New York Times and highlighted on broadcast stations like PBS’s Horizon.
“Create something every day and create things that make you smile. Search for art-related groups in and around your neighborhood and explore what they offer,” Priddy said. She submitted her art to the Nature’s Beauty exhibit after finding the opportunity listed on the Goodyear webpage.
Priddy encourages growth in her own work and to fellow artists.
“Try new things, experiment, break the rules and enjoy yourself,” Priddy said.
An artist reception for the broader Nature’s Beauty exhibit and Priddy’s “Cuba: The Cars and Culture” show will be 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, in the Georgia T. Lord Library.
