Award-Winning Documentarian Brings Her Powerful Photographs to San Francisco’s Sacramento Street with Gallery Debut

Margaret Cheatham Williams, an Emmy-nominated documentarian, is pleased to introduce her narrative photography to San Francisco design enthusiasts this winter with the opening of her debut gallery. Moxie’s Daughter, A Photography Collection by Margaret Cheatham Williams, will open its doors on January 5 in the esteemed Sacramento Street shopping district. 

Williams has gained recognition for her distinct documentary style that combines storytelling with preservation, a craft honed during her nearly seven years as a journalist at The New York Times. Her work in film examines the intersection of health, family and personal identity, and her journalistic methodology lends a strong sense of place and sentiment. The imagery is rooted in memory, and Williams hopes to evoke a certain aura of romanticism and nostalgia. 

Moxie’s Daughter will showcase the photographer’s unique point of view through a rotating series of themed collections. The inaugural exhibit will encapsulate the idea of thoroughfare. The work features primarily roadside finds from Williams’ cross country-treks - meditations from her days on the road. There are a number of characters represented in these images, highlighted in works such as “Driveway Sessions” and “Ice Fishing,” both found encounters on the backroads of the nation. 

A sense of spontaneity and soul is felt throughout Williams’ craft by way of candid portraiture and landscapes speckled with storied objects, like dilapidated homes and rusted cars. Williams’ almost exclusively shoots on medium format film, whose perfectly imperfect granularity adds its own unique dimension and personality to the already expressive photographs. 

Williams primarily offers her works framed as editioned archival giclée prints. She also offers custom lucite panels, which afford a more modern and sleek presentation, as well as custom iron work. At Moxie’s Daughter, visitors can experience all three forms across pieces thoughtfully displayed under a striking beam ceiling in a cozy yet airy space, drenched in sun by the gallery’s expansive storefront window.  Williams’ hopes to one day hang the works of other photographers also rooted in the journalism field alongside hers -- offering them an avenue into fine art. 

Moxie’s Daughter opens January 5, 2020 at 3356 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94118. It will be open Tuesday - Saturday from 10am - 6pm, by appointment only. Appointments can be made online at MoxiesDaughter.com.