Photographer Jeff Keefer poses in front of the Harbour Town Lighthouse, subject of many of his iconic Hilton Head Island photos.
The greatest artistic discovery of all might be to find that you are an artist yourself. That’s part of the story of Jeff Keefer and VIVID Gallery, but only a part.
Retiring to Sea Pines after serving as CFO of DuPont, Keefer made time for his love of images.
“I was producing some videos of the Harbour Town Lighthouse, and lighthouse keeper Nadia Wagner needed a still image to display,” he said. “When I saw the ‘freeze frame’ I was stuck by the beauty and power it brought as a photo.”
Keefer realized that still photography was versatile, memorable, and perfect for recalling the experiences people discover on Hilton Head Island, by displaying it in their homes.
“And I saw an opportunity to create art photos as a way to raise funds for medical research,” said Keefer, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 56.
So the former chair of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, and its current Vice Chair, established VIVID Gallery in The Shops at Sea Pines Center to offer art photography to island visitors and residents.
“We donate our proceeds to the Foundation,” he said.
Success led Keefer recently to expand VIVID Gallery, encompassing 3,000 square feet of exhibit space. The gallery is unique in that it displays many of the works in home-like settings.
“People like to imagine how their art photo will look once they get it home,” he said.
