A special photography exhibit opens Sunday at Featherstone Center for the Arts. The exhibit features photography from the Vineyard Gazette through the years, and separately, the work of eleven photographers who currently contribute pictures to the newspaper.

The photographs are as varied as the photographers themselves, from stunning black and white seascapes by Alison Shaw to richly iconic images by Peter Simon dating to the hippie era. Mark Lovewell’s award-winning news photography from some of the Island’s most memorable events will also be on display, as will Lanny McDowell’s unparalleled avian photography. That’s just to name a few.

This is the first exhibit of Gazette photography in decades — and choosing the images was an arduous task. Many were left on the cutting room floor. We could not include all the marvelous photographers who have and continue to shoot pictures for the Gazette, simply because there are too many.

In that way the exhibit is imperfect, but seen through the lens of photojournalism across decades, it is nevertheless a snapshot of something we hope you will agree is important.

Titled Eyes of the Island, the exhibit opens on Sunday at four o’clock at the Francine Kelly Gallery at Featherstone. Refreshments will be served. The exhibit stays up until October 22.

Come have a look, and tell us what you think.