Leslie Lyman Kicks off the 2026 Saint-Gaudens Exhibition Season
Leslie Lyman’s works of art examine the stories of women’s everyday lives. Her exhibition, The Work Beneath the Work, is at the Saint-Gaudens Memorial in Cornish, N.H. The park is the site of Augustus Saint-Gaudens home, Aspet, and his workshop. This exhibition deepens our understanding of the roles, sometimes hidden, that women play in our society. More specifically, it alludes to Saint-Gaudens’ wife, Augusta, whose support was invaluable to the sculptor’s studio. The exhibition closes on Monday, August 3.
Lyman is particularly drawn to the unrecorded hidden work, stories, and material culture of women throughout history. Inspired by the Picture Gallery in the Park, where the home, garden, art works and studios of Augustus Saint-Gaudens are preserved and presented, Lyman addresses the “work beneath the work,” as she alludes to the nurturing and caregiving provided by Augusta, to support the sculptor’s career. A thoughtful selection of objects and settings – old and new – suggest stories worth preserving and retelling to later generations.
Lyman’s practice is one of deliberate documentation, intended to increase awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the enduring and necessary labor of nurturing that helps bring a work of art to fruition. “We know how to celebrate the accomplished artist, the visionary genius,” said Lyman.” We often forget to recognize the labor of others. If biographies truly told artists’ stories, they all would begin by asking: Who helped you?”
About the Artist
Leslie Lyman is an award-winning photographer who has exhibited throughout New England and Great Britain. She earned an MFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design and a bachelor of arts degree from Smith College in American Studies.
About the Venue
The Picture Gallery is located on the park grounds at 139 Saint-Gaudens Road in Cornish, NH. Information about park hours and fees are on the Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park website (nps.gov/saga).
For more information about 2026 exhibitions at Saint-Gaudens Memorial, please visit: https://saint-gaudens.org/exhibitions/. All dates are subject to change.
About the Saint-Gaudens Memorial
Founded in 1919 by family and friends of the sculptor, the Saint-Gaudens Memorial works in partnership with the National Park Service to preserve Augustus Saint-Gaudens’s home, studios, gardens, and collections, and to sponsor exhibitions, concerts, fellowships, and educational programs. Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park is open to the public seasonally from May through October. https://saint-gaudens.org/