More photos in this evolving exhibit of the Healdsburg homeless
In May, the Paul Mahder Gallery in Healdsburg hosted an art show called, “A Place to Call Home,” featuring portraits of homeless people in north Sonoma County. The show also featured photographs taken by the homeless themselves of their experience of the world. The Healdsburg Tribune has received permission to reprint these photos. The portraits—by photographers Gail Ginder, Pamela Moulton and Susan Nelson—are accompanied by the subjects’ own photos of their lives and, where available, their hopes for the future. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be adding photos of local homeless people (with their photos) to this online exhibit.
DIANE
My hopes are to stay on the beauty path…stay in harmony while I’m going through this. People think I’m out here on purpose. They’re wrong. This is the not “living the dream.”
JAVIER
My hope to be able to do some more photography. I’m looking forward to getting a camera. To be able to photograph the buds breaking, the spring flowers, and the honey bees.
GINA
I would hope for peace of mind for the people that are out there with me. Happiness! I never give up on that…and to see my granddaughter. She’s just a baby, and is stuck in Mexico, so it’s not likely.
JUAN CARLOS
My hopes include being able to change my life and to be able to rent a house and have my family close to me. I would hope that I could work with a company on a regular basis so that I am able to get money and have enough for my child’s future. I would hope to be close to my mother and have time with her.
JULIA
The NSCS housing program gives you time to find a place. It’s great…It gives you courage and empowers you to be more self-sufficient. It’s a dream come true. It helps a lot to have the support to get a job and maybe further your education. You see that you can do it.
JOHN I.
JUANA
JUANA’S HOPE – “My hopes would be for my children and I to have a place to live, to have a good job, and to be able to learn English, but not lose my first language: Mixteca.”
KEITH
IF WISHES WERE HORSES – “I wish I could have more than three wishes. However, maybe I need to focus more on hopes than on wishes.”
MARIANO
LOOKING HOMEWARD – “My hopes are to be able to have a steady job with a regular salary, for me to be able to live well enough and not lose my capacity to work, and finally to be abLe to return to my beautiful Vera Cruz. I miss my family there so much but I know that I go there I could not leave again or return here. Those are my hopes for the future.”
The black and white portraits of the homeless in the exhibition were taken by professional photographers Pamela Moulton, Gail Ginder, and Susan Nelson. In the photographers’ introduction to the show, they explained the genesis and method behind the portraits and photographs:
“An inspiring photographic project conducted in Spartanburg, South Carolina by Pastor Jason Williamson motivated us to put down our own cameras and invite a team of local men and women to become photographers: artists capable of producing truly authentic pictures of their own lives as homeless persons and persons residing in housing provided by North Sonoma County Services. Film cameras were distributed to a total of 13 photographers who were asked to take pictures that would reveal glimpses of themselves and the places where they live and work. The color images presented here have all been produced by this committed group of individuals who were willing to share their personal stories in the form of their photographs and words of hope.
Our own participation in this project involved creation of the black and white portraits taken of the photographers. We have enjoyed working with each of them and appreciate their willingness to be a part of this effort to improve the community’s understanding of just what it means to be in search of a place to call home.”
