DeKalb History Center to host reception featuring quarry photo exhibit

The DeKalb History Center, 101 E. Court Square, Decatur, will host an artist’s reception on Oct. 10, 6 to 8 p.m., for Reclaimed by Nature: The Historic Davidson Quarries of Arabia Mountain during the Atlanta Celebrates Photography Festival.

This exhibit by Virginie Drujon-Kippelen features contemporary photos of a former granite quarry at what is now the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve. Years ago, these quarries were an important part of DeKalb County’s economy. Lithonia granite was used in paving and construction projects, including the Historic DeKalb Courthouse. In the 1970s the Davidson family donated more than 500 acres of this land to DeKalb County for conservation and preservation. Since this land is no longer quarried, it is slowly being reclaimed by nature, although traces of its industrial past remain. This new body of work shades the light on the history of this special place and explores the intricate layers that have shaped its existence.

Drujon-Kippelen is a writer, photographer, and multimedia producer working in editorial, portrait, and commercial photography. Originally from France, she moved to the United States in 1991 and earned a master’s degree in print journalism from the University of Arizona. Drujon-Kippelen is currently based in Atlanta. She has worked as a photo editor at CNN.com. Her editorial photos have been featured in the New York Times. Her personal body of work investigates the contemporary landscape and our perception of nature in the urban environment.