“I met Sonya Woodman while working on a project about Cape Cod's female wild oyster harvesters. The work of a wild oyster harvester is physically demanding and dependent on tides and weather. ‘Every day is an adventure and everything is constantly shifting,’ Sonya told me during our shoot. Her transition from shellfish grants to wild harvesting was sparked by a profound moment under a full moon one night. Walking through the waves, bathed in moonlight, she said she felt an indescribable connection to nature. I was so struck by her words and the deep bond she shares with the ocean she relies on.” - Julia Cumes

When done right, a photo can be a powerfully moving work of art, telling the story of a person and a place at a singular moment in time. This is where Julia Cumes excels. It is through her lens that the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod’s 2024 Artist of the Year is able to add depth, clarity, hope, connection, and understanding to the human experience.

Whether it’s capturing images of women facing the painful diagnosis of breast cancer, volunteers working to rescue dolphins on Cape Cod beaches, or the aftermath of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, there’s a breadth of emotion to Julia’s work that cannot be expressed in words.

Cumes is a beacon for how an artist can make a profound difference through their art, shining a bright light into the human experience. She epitomizes what we want out of the Artist of the Year — someone who moves us to think about our place in the world and the role each of us can play in shaping it for the better.

Cumes, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University, an MFA in writing from Cornell University, and a master’s degree in photojournalism from Syracuse University, has had her work published in The New York Times, Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, Associated Press, and USA Today. Photograph: 30"x40" archival pigment print (36.5"x 50" matted and framed).

Watch Julia here!

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