Sarah Eckstine is a photographer from Western Maryland currently pursuing her MFA at Illinois State University where she teaches photography. She received her BFA from The Maryland Institute College of Art in 2020. where she was the recipient of the Jim Burger '82 Senior Thesis Project Award.
Sarah’s work is focused on her long standing struggle with chronic illness and chronic pain. She has interstitial cystitis, a chronic bladder disease, and was diagnosed with the sexual dysfunctions vaginismus and vestibulodynia after years of being misdiagnosed and not having her pain believed by doctors. She works with artistic practices such as digital and analog photography, alternative processes, and writing, to create self-portraits and autobiographical work about the subjects surrounding chronic illness, sex: both in its pain and pleasure, and her process of healing both physically and mentally. Furthermore, her work helps to open the door for more discussion about female sexual dysfunctions.
Her work has been featured in Filter Photo's Back on the Shelf Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois, the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts annual photography exhibition where she received the 2nd Place Juror's Award in 2021, McLean County Arts Center, the Midwest Center for Photography, as well as shows on ISU's campus including University Galleries Student Annual in 2022 and 2023, a group exhibition at the Rachel Cooper Gallery, and a solo show 'Crosses Across America' at MICA in 2020.
In addition to her fine art practice, Sarah is a staff photographer at CaliberTV, providing live coverage of concerts for a wide genre of musical clients.
