Chad Cochran: The Portrait Sessions, Sally Otto Gallery, BAYarts Cultural Center, February 13–April 4

Raised in Fredericktown, Ohio—a rural town of 1,800 marked by barns, aging farmhouses, and fading roadside signs—Cochran grew up immersed in both quiet landscapes and loud music. While rural life unfolded outside his window, Cochran spent countless hours inside his bedroom listening to songs, carefully transcribing lyrics, and surrounding himself with concert posters. In high school, he picked up a guitar and then continued playing in bands throughout college.

Cochran relays that years later, after spending time in Oklahoma, he returned to Ohio, where he has remained ever since. On his fortieth birthday, he was given a camera and found his way back into music. What began as photographing rural scenes shifted decisively when a musician asked him to take her portrait. That moment sparked an ongoing passion, centered on documenting musicians with honesty and intimacy.

The Portrait Sessions exhibition features musician portraits created in a variety of environments (studios, backstage, pop-up tents) and captured in the moments just before or after performances. These images aim to strip away spectacle and present artists as they are: focused, vulnerable, reflective, and human. The exhibition also includes selected works from the I Didn’t Want To Tell You series, a collaborative mental health series developed with musicians to create space for candid conversations and help reduce stigma surrounding mental health.

Cochran feels his work is at the intersection of music, portraiture, and storytelling. Over time, this approach has led to features in Rolling Stone, Billboard, Guitar Player, Spin, and No Depression. Select concert photographs are archived in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and one image has been displayed in Times Square.

According to Cochran, “at its core, my photography is about the connection between artist and audience, image and sound, visibility and vulnerability. Through portraiture and collaboration, I continue to explore how music shapes identity.”

The Portrait Sessions is on display through April 4 in the Sally Otto Gallery, located in the Cultural Center.

BAYARTS
28795 Lake Road
Bay Village, Ohio 44140
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440.871.6543

EVENTS:

The Portrait Sessions, through April 4, Sally Otto Gallery

Annual Juried Exhibition Opening, 5-8pm March 13–April 4, Sullivan Family Gallery

Annual Advanced Student Pottery Show, May 9–May 30, Sullivan Family Gallery