Are waffles from the Waffle House still as tasty when you aren’t enjoying them at one of the many iconic southern diner locations? In other words, do the waffles make the house? Or does the house make the waffles?
On September 26, you’ll have an opportunity to find out for yourself at Student Night: Waffle House Party at the Georgia Museum of Art, a free event for University of Georgia students. The event’s theme is a nod to the exhibition “Waffle House Vistas.” Featuring the photography of Micah Cash, it pushes viewers to consider the view outside, from the diner’s vantage point looking out through the large glass windows. The night’s activities will include an artist talk by Cash and an opportunity to experience the exhibition, with a sweet ending of free waffles, catered by none other than Waffle House.
While many people are taken with what they observe inside while dining at the establishment, Cash’s focus on the outside world is unique. The exhibition is an extension of a project that he began in 2018 and was ultimately published in a book by the Bitter Southerner. In an initial article, published in the Bitter Southerner’s magazine, he explains his fascination with vistas at the Waffle House:
The natural landscapes beyond the windowpanes are as diverse as the perspectives and stories of each guest. Yet the similarities of the restaurants’ interiors echo across states and time zones. These familiar, well-worn interiors make guests think about what they have in common, and the differences of the outside environment call to mind their different experiences.“At its best, Waffle House creates a sense of belonging unlike most other places. Waffle House does not care how much you are worth, what you look like, where you are from, what your political beliefs are, or where you’ve been so long as you respect the unwritten rules of Waffle House: Be kind, be respectful, and don’t overstay when others are waiting for a table,” he said. “Besides, everyone who has ever stepped foot in a Waffle House has a story to tell: Perhaps it involves a late-night study session in college or a joyous pit stop on the way home from a concert or sporting event. Maybe it was a bad breakup over waffles or an early morning breakfast with your bridal party before your wedding. For me, it is the first time my son tried a chocolate chip waffle. The look on his face when he realized that chocolate and syrup taste great together was one of pure delight and discovery. Or the first time my father took me to a Waffle House around the age of 12. I sat at the counter mesmerized, watching the cooks sling hash browns and respond to shouted orders in what seemed like a secret language. These photographs require that personal relationship. I don’t set the stage for where these photographs are made so much as I witness the greater context of the interaction. Instead, the circumstances are gleaned from the viewers’ past experiences and personal relationship with Waffle House.
If you’re in need of a new Waffle House story to file away in your personal arsenal of stories worth retelling, the museum’s Waffle House Party has all the makings of a unique story that you’ll be sharing for years. After all, who wouldn’t want to be regaled with a story about the time a museum exhibition about Waffle House made you contemplate this southern landscape and truly appreciate the joy that a Waffle House waffle can bring, no matter the location.
The event is hosted by the Georgia Museum of Art Student Association with generous support from the UGA Parents Leadership Council. You can register at: https://bit.ly/waffle-house-party.
Not a UGA student? Looking for more events to attend at the museum?
Be sure to visit us on September 21 for our Fall Open House and help us celebrate our fall special exhibitions, including “Mind the Gap: Selections from the Permanent Collection,” “Joel Sternfeld: When It Changed,” “The Artist as Witness” and more. Stop by for Family Day from 10 a.m. to noon, enter to win door prizes throughout the day and enjoy curator-led tours of “Mind the Gap” from 2 to 3 p.m. Register at https://bit.ly/open-house-fall24.
Authored by:
Jessica Luton
