Tommy Nigbor is a self-taught fine art photographer based in Grand View, Wisconsin. He bought a camera for a trip to Europe in 2017 and taught himself to use it. Photography became a serious practice alongside his career as a physician assistant. He retired after thirty-two years in medicine.

His current series, Erasure, is made in the woods and small towns of northern Wisconsin, in snow, fog, and full night. In daylight, weather removes distance and scale. At night, he works with a flashlight, revealing part of a scene and leaving the rest in darkness.

His work has been exhibited at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Miller Art Museum, A Smith

Gallery, PH21 Gallery, Praxis Gallery, and PhotoPlace Gallery. His photograph Comfort received the Directors’ Award from A Smith Gallery in 2026. He has a solo exhibition there in April 2027.

Each photograph is a single exposure. No composites or AI-generated elements are used.

Recognition

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

• Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art (WMOCA), 10th Annual National Juried Exhibition,

Breach, juror Philip Salamone, 2026

• Miller Art Museum, 51st Juried Annual, Kept, jurors Debra Brehmer, Kimberly Burnett, and

Cristian Andersson, 2026

• A Smith Gallery, “Forgotten,” Comfort, juror Ann Mitchell, 2026, Directors’ Award

• A Smith Gallery, “Perspective,” Relic and Breach, juror Debra Klomp Ching, 2026

• Praxis Gallery, “The Shadow Aspect,” Bones, juror Ann Jastrab, 2026

• PhotoPlace Gallery, Open Call, Breach, jurors Tognarelli / Hoffman, 2026

• Praxis Gallery, “Black & White,” juried exhibition, 2022

• Pablo Center at the Confluence, Someplace, 2022, Honorable Mention

• Praxis Gallery, “Open Theme,” juried exhibition, 2020

AWARDS & HONORS

• reFocus Black & White Photography Award, Top 40, juried selection, Ward, 2026

• Minimalist Photography Awards, Editor’s Choice; Honorable Mention, Night category,

Reclaimed, 2026

• Minimalist Photography Awards, Honorable Mention, Aerial category, Breach, 2026

• MonoVisions Photography Awards, Honorable Mention, Fine Art Series (Erasure Day +

Ward), 2026

• MonoVisions Photography Awards, Honorable Mention, Fine Art Single, Ward, 2026

• PhotoPlace Gallery, “After Dark,” Honorable Mention, Ward, juror Lance Keimig, 2026

• Minimalist Photography Awards, Honorable Mention, 2020

PUBLICATIONS

• A Smith Gallery, “Forgotten,” hardbound exhibition book, Comfort, 2026

• A Smith Gallery, “The 27,” hardbound exhibition book, Breach, 2026

• PhotoPlace Gallery, “After Dark,” hardbound exhibition book, Ward, 2026

GALLERIES CARRYING EARLIER WORK

• Plum Bottom Gallery, Door County, Wisconsin

• Bell Street Gallery, Bayfield, Wisconsin

• Brickyard Pottery & Gallery, Shell Lake, Wisconsin