Opening Aug. 13: Photographer Belva Hayden’s show is a journey around the world
August 8, 2025 | By Waterbury Roundabout
Painted by Salt. Photo by Belva Hayden
In a new solo exhibition at Axel’s Gallery, Waterbury Center award-winning wildlife and adventure photographer Belva Hayden serves up a feast of rich images captured on her travels around the world from Alaska to Madagascar and beyond.
Titled “In the Balance: Stories of Survival, Stillness and Spirit,” the show opens on Aug. 13 and will be on view through Sept. 6 at Axel’s Gallery and Frame Shop at 10 Stowe Street.
Through her images, Hayden invites viewers to experience the world through a lens attuned to the fragile beauty of life on the edge. Photographs share scenes from Madagascar, Southeast Asia, Alaska, and more, offering a visual meditation on coexistence—between wildlife and humans, tradition and modernity, chaos and quiet. The exhibition announcement suggests that “each photograph reveals a moment suspended between vulnerability and resilience, illuminating the delicate relationships that define our shared world.”
Motherly Love. Photo by Belva Hayden
Hayden puts it this way: “From animals navigating shrinking habitats, to communities adapting to rising waters, every image speaks to adaptation, endurance, and the spirit of survival.”
The exhibit came together literally at the behest of the community. Last year, Hayden was recognized for her blend of fine art and documentary photography when she was awarded the 2024 People’s Choice Award in Axel’s Annual Photography Shoot-Out contest. The nod further cements her connection to the local creative community while giving her an opportunity to share her work that’s deeply rooted in immersive travel, cultural respect, and a commitment to conservation.
The variety in the collection Hayden has chosen for this exhibition takes the viewer along on her travels through the watchful eyes of a lemur in Madagascar to a fisherman framed beneath a drifting net. Each image is an invitation to linger and see a slice of the world with wonder. Hayden posits that “In the Balance” is more than a showcase of wildlife photography. “It’s a quiet call to notice, to honor, and to protect,” she said.
The show opens Aug. 13 with a free reception planned for 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 15. Hayden will be in attendance and available at 7 p.m. to discuss her work, tricks, techniques, and their inspiration. Light snacks and refreshments will be offered. All are welcome.
More information is online at AxelsGallery.com. See more of Belva Hayden’s work online here.
Flowers From Above. Photo by Belva Hayden