Connecting Paths-Solo Gallery Show by Artist Brian Passey.

In August 2016, writer and photographer Brian Passey and his wife, Cammie, embarked on a cross-country road trip to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

The trip had two primary goals: See interesting places and visit loved ones. For 12 of the 16 nights they stayed with friends and family members across the country.

Passey documented the 6,000-mile, 17-day trip through the photography and words found in the exhibition, “Connecting Paths,” that will be on display from March 1 to March 29, 2019 at the Roene B. DiFiore Center for Arts and Education in St. George. Short essays accompany 39 of the 54 photos in the exhibition. The majority of the photos are mounted on six maps of the United States.

“This is more than just a photography show,” Passey said. “It’s the story of a road trip. It’s about the beautiful places we visited but also the wonderful people we love.”

The trip began in in the deserts of Utah before crossing the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains, reaching its easternmost point in our nation’s capital. From there it became a tour of the Deep South, taking in characteristically southern cities like Savannah and New Orleans. The final stretch returned to the familiar territory of the Southwest.

“It is designed to be a visual journey where viewers experience the road trip with us via words and images,” Passey said.

“Connecting Paths” was first exhibited in 2017 at Dixie State University in the Dolores Doré Eccles Fine Arts Center.

Passey is a public relations specialist for Scottsdale Arts in Arizona, where he promotes Scottsdale Public Art, Scottsdale Arts Education & Outreach, and select events for Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. He is also a freelance writer, editor, and photographer who contributes to The Independent and ArtsToZion.org in Southern Utah.

For 13 years, Passey wrote about the arts, culture and scenery of Southern Utah for The Spectrum & Daily News, during which time he also contributed regularly to St. George Magazine and was the Utah correspondent for USA Today.

Passey was born in Cedar City and raised in Sunnydell, Idaho. He earned an associate degree in journalism from Ricks College in 2001 and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Idaho in 2004. During the summer of 2004 he was a writing fellow at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Florida. He now resides in Phoenix with his wife, Cammie, an educator.

The Difiore Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It is located at 307 N. Main St., St. George. For information visit DiFioreCenter.org or call 435-673-4206.