As viewers looked at the photographs, they discussed the work with the photographers, friends and family.bm
The exhibition, which opened on Friday’s Gallery Walk, shows highlights of photographs from a project involving Bloom Magazine, Shalom Community Center and New Hope for Families. Malcolm Abrams, the editor-in-chief of Bloom, kickstarted the project.
A group of people from Bloomington’s homeless community were given cameras and photography lessons. Their photos of Bloomington were featured in the issue of Bloom for the months of December and January.
Martha Moore, one of the owners of Pictura, said half of the profits go to Shalom or New Hope for Families and the other half goes to the artists.
“I think that’s a really wonderful arrangement, and we’re really pleased to be able to participate and help make that happen,” Moore said.
Gallery director Lauren Kniss said the exhibition will run for two months.
Kniss said she has enjoyed working with Shalom and helping people experiencing homelessness.
“We’ve met a lot of the artists that are featured in the show, and they’re so excited,” Kniss said. “It’s been an honor to be a part of.”
Kniss said her favorite part of the exhibition is seeing the photographers view their work hanging in the gallery.
Ron Shuler, a photographer featured in the exhibition, said the project gave him the opportunity to revisit an old hobby.
“I like taking pictures,” Shuler said. “I’ve been doing it for a long time. I had to give it up for a while because I went through the military, and I came back home to Bloomington. This little opportunity came up, and I decided this was something I wanted to do.”
Shuler’s photographs included images of a bird on a cross, which he said he chose because of its double spiritual meaning. Another photograph shows what used to be his grandfather’s property. He said he chose the location because he has many memories of it.
Moore said she likes the quality and content of the photographs.
“We were amazed at the high quality of the photographs and the interesting variety of subject matter,” Moore said. “Some of the photos are hard and painful, but there are also photographs that are very lovely, so it kind of runs the gamut.”
Emily Pike, a gallery visitor, said she came to the exhibition because she has friends whose work is featured in the exhibition.
It’s an exciting way to think about different perspectives of Bloomington, Pike said.
“I think it’s really interesting to see the different parts of the city that maybe I didn’t know as well,” Pike said. “I think it’s really interesting to see the things that stand out to different people and catch their eyes.”
More than 5,000 photographs were taken for this project, Moore said. And the staff of Pictura looked at several hundred. It was interesting to see the subject matter they chose, Pike said.
Moore said meeting the photographers was a gratifying experience.
“I think the most important thing is being able to meet the artists, learn their stories and talk to them about what they were thinking when they took the photographs,” Moore said.
