Adams Theater and Specialty Minerals Inc. Present Photo Exhibit

ADAMS — A special photographic exhibit highlighting Adams’ industrial heritage is coming to the Adams Theater’s lobby from May 28 to Sept. 5, with an opening reception on May 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., which is free and open to the public.

The show, titled Up Close at the Limestone Plant: Industrial Photography in Adams, MA, features fine art photography by Thaddeus Kubis and a 1990 archival series by Stephen Szoradi, both chronicling the history and legacy of the Specialty Minerals Inc. (SMI) plant and limestone quarry, which has operated in Adams since 1848.

The Adams Theater collaborated with SMI to present this powerful look at the industrial history of Adams and the people behind it. SMI has employed generations of local residents and contributed significantly to the regional economy, but its commercial activities sometimes overshadow the steady beauty of the plant and quarry.

Inspired  Charles Sheeler’s photographs of Ford’s River Rouge plant, Kubis’s work conveys the contrast between the complexity of modern industrial operations and the stark elegance of the site’s natural and manmade structures.

Also on display are a series of photographs and texts compiled in 1990 by photographer Stephen Szoradi, who profiled past SMI employees who had already retired by 1990. The series captures a unique moment in time that reflects the lived experience of the many employees who have kept the Adams mine running for over 175 years.

For more information, visit www.adamstheater.org/events.