The Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery presents Mary Ellen Mark: Ward 81, a photography exhibition on display from January 26 through May 22. In 1976, American photographer Mary Ellen Mark and sociologist Karen Folger Jacobs spent thirty-six days living in the Oregon State Hospital, where they photographed the residents of Ward 81, the hospital’s all-female, high-security psychiatric unit. Their unprecedented access allowed them to create a deeply nuanced portrayal of women navigating psychiatric care in the mid-1970s. Mary Ellen Mark: Ward 81 brings together Mark’s photographs, Jacobs’s newly uncovered audio recordings, and rare archival materials, offering an intimate and expanded view of this landmark documentary project.
