The Tomayko Foundation in Pittsburgh has named photographer Jacob Pesci as the recipient of its inaugural 2024 Tomayko Award, marking a significant milestone for both the foundation and the Pittsburgh-based artist. The award recognizes Pesci’s compelling photographic practice and supports his solo exhibition, Divine Appointments, which runs through January 16, 2026, at the foundation’s Liberty Avenue gallery.
Photographer Jacob Pesci’s Solo Exhibition at Tomayko Foundation
The inaugural award establishes the foundation as an emerging force in the region’s vibrant arts ecosystem.
Founded on principles of artistic excellence and community investment, the Tomayko Foundation operates through juried and guest curation processes designed to promote the highest quality of contemporary work. The foundation maintains an apolitical approach while demonstrating a commitment to supporting individual artists and strengthening Pittsburgh’s cultural infrastructure through partnerships with local universities including Point Park and Carnegie Mellon University.
Implementing a New Honor
“The Tomayko Award is the Foundation’s signature award, and we are so excited to be able to support Jacob through the award and a solo exhibition,” says Nina Friedman, Director of the Tomayko Foundation. “As this is our first time administering the award, we are even more excited about the prospect of how this program will impact our artist community going forward. We hope to continue to support artists like Jacob well into the future.”
Pesci’s winning project documents a transformative six-week, 10,000-mile solo journey across the United States undertaken in Spring 2025. The resulting exhibition features thirty one photographs that place him firmly within the lineage of American road trip photography—a tradition pioneered by Robert Frank’s The Americans and continued through the work of artists like Stephen Shore and Alec Soth.
This genre has long served as a mirror to the nation’s soul, capturing both the mythic landscape and the complex realities of American life. Pesci’s contribution to this tradition is deeply personal, informed by his military service in California where he was immersed in what he describes as a culture of hyper-vigilance and extremism.
Through the Lens of Photography
Photography has become Pesci’s tool for dismantling the rigid systems embedded within him during military service, allowing him to rebuild through curiosity, grace, and understanding. Divine Appointments captures politically charged sites—military bases, oil refineries, the border wall in El Paso, TX—alongside quieter moments: highway overpasses, cemeteries, intimate portraits of families and friendships.
His travels through small towns, Native American reservations, and desert landscapes are punctuated by what he calls “divine appointments,” spiritually significant encounters that signal possibility for transformation. The exhibition embodies Pesci’s attempt to document (and reconcile) both the divisions characterizing contemporary American culture and the loving connections that persist within communities.
A limited edition artist book accompanies the exhibition, offering Pittsburgh audiences an opportunity to witness both the launch of a significant new award and a powerful body of work that reflects today’s America.
The award continues with Brynda Glazier announced as the 2025 winner and art enthusiasts will be able to enjoy her solo show at the gallery in December 2026.
Story by Samantha Leon
Photos Courtesy of Tomayko Foundation
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