Central Oregon Adventures

Today on my way back to Portland I am riding with my camp friend "Piper." He assists with the photography workshops and is a true inspiration at camp with his lovable quirkiness that is immediately endearing and inspiring. His personality and sense of style create spaces for youth to be unique and less confined by the rigorous notions of how we should do coolness and gender, which is so crucial to middle school and high school students who are bombarded with narrow definitions of humanity in general. I love that!

All year, he worked with my camp roomie Sister J. Rey on a project called "Hello Neighbor" in North Portland and Central Oregon. If you live in around those parts it is quite possible that you have seen the beautiful portrait banners hanging on sides of buildings or displayed in business windows. They are so beautiful. Youth photographed and interviewed members of their community, asking them a multitude of questions about their histories, their connection to the community and their dreams. A very powerful project, sparking all kinds of interest and dialogue.

So today we are taking the scenic route through the central Oregon cities, so Piper can photograph the banners in their display environments throughout Bend, Redmond, Terrebonne and Madras, and I am along for the ride checking out the towns I will work with next year through Caldera during the Year of Spoken Word. I am excited to see what I will help create with this year's project. Piper and Sister J. Rey have set the bar pretty high and I hope to do something equally impacting with the word.

I will try to post an album of Central Oregon shots in a folder soon, feel free to check them out! During July and August I am torn between missing home while I am at camp, and missing camp after I am gone…

Thanks for the ride Piper!