AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/tag/photography/)
The “Everyday Activists” project entails interviewing and taking photos of West Side heroes who are too often unheard and overlooked. Once the pandemic has subsided, organizers plan to hold two in-person exhibits – one in Austin and the other in Oak Park. Another project titled “Austin has the Mic” also aims to empower Austin residents to share their stories and help depict the community in a more authentic and positive light.
An online, interactive exhibit called The Sisterhood explores ideas of grief, justice and healing through photographs and vignettes written by mothers who have lost a son to gun violence. The stories of 11 Chicago area women are shared in the free exhibit created by Unsilence.
Photographer Sasha Phyars-Burgess recently discussed her work “UNTITLED,” a photographic exploration of race, class and space in Austin, at the Oak Park Public Library. The project was supported by a short-term summer fellowship from the Black Metropolis Research Consortium.