Voices of the City Project Photographer

Over the course of the past few months, I’ve served as event photographer for EnJoy Productions and Broadway Center on a civic arts initiative called, “Voices of the City.” The project’s aim was to encourage dialogue between regular citizens from all walks of life and demographics. The participants attended workshops over the course of three months and then had about three months to work independently on finding their “voice” a a citizen of Tacoma. The culminating projects ranged from videos to spoken word, from photographs to sculpture.

As the documentarian for the Voices of the City project, I attended each of the six workshops as a (mostly) silent participant. Often, I sat at the foot of the artists and photographed the process with little or no interaction other than the soft, “click” of my shutter. I garnered a certain level of invisibility which, I think, accounts for the intimate glimpse at this incredible group finding its way toward discovering their unique – and collective – voices. I’ve always felt this work was a call to a certain kind of spirit-keeping, and in this case, the spirit of the entire project was my focus. I hope I’ve done justice to the level of trust, bravery and personal growth afforded by all those who were gracious enough to allow my participation. It was truly an honor.

It was also an honor to have my work featured at Broadway Center’s Fall Free For All, alongside the other “Voices.” Thanks to sponsorship by BCPA and Plywerk, about thirty images from the series was mounted beautifully on bamboo panels and hung in the Theatre on the Square lobby. I’ve always loved that lobby and ever since the days when I’d see shows at the old Tacoma Actors Guild, wanted to have my work on display there.

Here’s a sampling of some of the work on display.  Many more here if you have some time.

 

 

[...] I joined as staff photographer for the Voices of the City project in 2011, I marveled at the journey the participants got to travel. Facing their own, often deeply [...]

Raissa

Of all your work, this is some of my most favorite.

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