Three people, including a sailor in white and two others, walk in a grassy field carrying drums and a trumpet, with a large American flag on a pole waving in the background under a cloudy sky.Memorial Day Drum Corps, Fromberg, Montana | Photo by Steven G. Smith

The Carnegie Corporation named 26 Andrew Carnegie Fellows in 2025, providing scholarships up to $200,000. One of these 26 Fellows is a photographer/cinematographer: Pulitzer Prize winner Steven G. Smith, a professor at the University of Connecticut.

What will this photographer do with Carnegie grant money? What are the end uses of his work?

We caught up with well-traveled Professor Smith (@stevengsmith_pictures) in rural Colorado to learn more. Smith is documenting America for its 250th birthday next year (1776-2026).

The title of Smith’s expansive project is These United States: A Portrait of America in the 21st Century.

“Through visual storytelling,” says Smith, “my goal is to cut through some of the noise, reduce polarization, promote understanding, and challenge stereotypes.”

Two young girls in costumes and white capes hold candles in a church, accompanied by a man in religious attire holding a cross. Religious icons and warm lighting appear in the background.Palm Sunday at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, Willimantic, Connecticut | Photo by Steven G. Smith

Starting in 2023, Smith has taken thousands of photos in 20 states. The Carnegie grant allows him to work full-time on his portrait-of-America project. Smith plans to wrap up documentary research by July 4, 2026.

The project’s goals are:

A tabletop photography book A traveling gallery exhibition A digital multimedia experience integrating still photography, short films, mapping, and narrative text A man in a suit rides a Citi Bike next to a man in casual clothes on a bicycle in a city bike lane surrounded by tall buildings and bright lights in the background.Morning traffic, New York City, New York | Photo by Steven G. Smith Who Is Steven G. Smith?

After completing the master’s program at Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication in 1994, Smith worked as a photojournalist. He was part of the team at the Rocky Mountain News that won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News for coverage of Colorado’s wildfires.

Smith joined the faculty at the University of Connecticut in 2013 and has created a prolific body of work. His award-winning film The Long Goodbye, about a daughter caring for her father with dementia, has been screened at more than two dozen festivals, including the Cannes World Film Festival in 2023.

Smith’s photography and cinematography work have appeared at ESPN, National Geographic, and the Smithsonian. He is the author of Under the Dark Sky: Life in the Thames River Basin, a 2018 photo essay book.

A man with short brown hair and glasses looks thoughtfully into the distance. He is wearing a dark shirt and is lit by soft, natural light against a neutral background.Professor Steven G. Smith What Motivates Smith to Document America?

Smith’s goal is to “remind us of what we share, not just what separates us.”

“I see resilience, pride in place, cultural depth, and a sincere desire for connection,” says the professor. “I am consistently taken back by the diversity of this vast nation and the graciousness of the people I meet.”

A young boy in a cowboy hat and boots sits on a saddled horse, looking at the camera. Another child in western clothing and hat is nearby, with a cloudy sky in the background.
Learning the ropes, Chama, New Mexico | Photo by Steven G. Smith

Inspirations and role models include:

Andrew Carnegie Fellows

The Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program is one of the most respected awards in the humanities and social sciences, allowing recipients to focus for one or two years on critical issues confronting society.

The 2025 class of Andrew Carnegie Fellows is the second year of the program’s effort to build a body of research on political polarization. Carnegie will commit up to $18 million to this effort over three years.

Academics named as 2025 Carnegie Fellows include Political Science Professor Adam J. Berinsky of MIT, History Professor Kathryn Cramer Brownell of Purdue University, Matt Grossmann of Michigan State University, and Cynthia Miller-Idriss of American University.

Fellows are selected based on the originality of their research, its potential impact, and scholars’ plans for communicating findings to a broad audience.

Professor Smith, taking thousands more photos of America, wants to avoid oversimplification.

Four Indigenous men wearing colorful, traditional regalia and feathered headdresses stand together outdoors, smiling and talking, with a natural, sunlit landscape and blue sky in the background.Ute Mountain Pow Wow, Towaoc, Colorado | Photo by Steven G. Smith

“American identify,” he says, “is not defined by a single narrative. It is formed through many stories living side by side.”

Acknowledgement regarding Andrew Carnegie Fellow Steven G. Smith: This publication was made possible in part by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York. The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the author.

About the author: Ken Klein lives in Silver Spring, Maryland; he is retired after a career in politics, lobbying, and media including The Associated Press and Gannett in Florida. Klein is an alumnus of Ohio University and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the Scripps College of Communication. Professionally, he has worked for Fort Myers News-Press (Gannett), The Associated Press (Tallahassee), Senator Bob Graham, and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA).