Michael Vahrenwald’s The People’s Trust is an excavation of the architecture of urban banks. These financial institutions were built with expensive material and classical motifs, symbolizing the permanence and optimism of the American economy. Vahrenwald documents these formerly grand banks that now house fast food and retail chains, mom-and-pop shops, churches, and other commercial entities. Vahrenwald’s photographs speak to changing wealth, class, and power aesthetics in the United States.

Michael Vahrenwald holds an MFA from Yale University and a BFA from Cooper Union. His work has been shown at the Whitney Museum, The Walker Art Center, The Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Nerman Museum. He has had solo exhibitions in New York, Tokyo, Paris, and Chicago. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Art in America, Blindspot, Dwell, and Architectural Record. Vahrenwald is currently Assistant Professor at Hartford Art School and living in New York City.