The author reflects on a week spent in Beaver Dam, WI, their hometown, discussing the concept of belonging. Reconnecting with the community, they participated in a program by AAUW and enjoyed heartfelt interactions with locals, including old friends and neighbors. Despite the loss of parents, the warmth of the community reaffirmed their sense of belonging. Continue reading My hometown
For this series, we are partnering with longtime friend and journalist Barry Yeoman. Based in Durham, North Carolina, Barry has lived and worked in Louisiana and has written extensively about the complexities of culture, environment, and economy along the state’s coastline. You can learn more about Barry’s work here. Together, we crafted the arc of the series and identified the specific people to interview. Barry … Continue reading Still Here: Stories from a fragile coastline
In Northern Ireland, we coordinated several studio days in different locations around the country. We wanted to hear stories of healing in the wake of their sectarian violence known as the Troubles. As we often do, we partnered with existing groups who are already doing good work on the ground in an effort to amplify voices of hope and healing. We partnered with the Women … Continue reading Northern Ireland studio
I was in Northern Ireland with a group and students and staff that was convened by the Conversation Project at Willamette University, an initiative on campus to “cultivate capacity for honest, transformative dialogue.” Also in the room were folks from the Center for Engaged Compassion, the Center for Inclusion and Belonging, and the Corrymeela Community, who hosted our gathering and has been involved in reconciliation … Continue reading Corrymeela
I am just back from a week in Northern Ireland, and of course my body thinks it is noon while it’s still the wee dawn hours here in Minnesota, so I’m doing my best to be productive, though perhaps not profound, as I start to process this whole experience. On the last day of the trip, I took a walking tour with Arthur Magee of … Continue reading Walls
I spent time in New York City last week. Meetings, reconnecting with friends, gallery hopping, networking. It was a chance to refill my creative cup and to imagine new possibilities. After all, our new book has been out for two months now. My head is filled with all sorts of “what’s next” scenarios. Maybe it’s the small town Wisconsin boy in me, but I am … Continue reading NYC
We spent a few days with the Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center, a resource hub to help connect people with services and resources around housing security. We set up our studio and asked, “What do you want people to know?” The goal is to craft an answer that is 25 words or less, so that the text fits on the person’s portrait. But of course there … Continue reading listen
I was pretty sure it wasn’t possible. My client asked me if I could do a series of remote portraits for him and I asked, “What’s that?” Well, hang on…let me back up a little bit. I was supposed to travel to D.C. this spring to produce a series of portraits and stories for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network. They were spearheading an effort … Continue reading Remote portraits
On Wednesday, I went to 38th and Chicago, where George Floyd was killed by police Monday night. Yesterday, I returned with a bare studio kit, set up on the sidewalk and asked a simple question: “What do you want to say?” The memorial on the sidewalk had grown since the day before. The street was now covered in messages of grief, determination and hope. A … Continue reading Listen
We visited Rutgers University for their Leadership Week and asked, “What do you want to be remembered for?” Continue reading Rutgers University
