Latino Photography Project
The Latino Photography Project grew out of a wish on the part of the Board and Artist Members of Gallery Route One to bring together the English and Spanish-speaking segments of the community through the arts. When Luz Elena Castro, a lively photojournalist from Colombia, proposed in 2003 that she teach photography to a group of Latinos living and working on local dairy ranches, we jumped on the idea. The photographs from this project “Far From Home” were so alive, that we decided to feature the students’ work the following year in an exhibit titled, “Who Opens the Doors of the Town in the Morning?” a photo essay on the people who work on Main Street in Point Reyes. In 2006, the students photographed our community “Bridge Builders” — the educators, health and social services providers whose work bridges the two cultures. Together these exhibits portrayed a bustling, prosperous town.
At the opening of “Bridge Builders,” Rae Levine of CLAM (Community Land Trust of West Marin) proposed that the class work with CLAM to document the housing situations of families and individuals who provide services vital to the life of the area. As we gathered the stories excerpted in this book, we discovered that West Marin’s villages are in danger of losing their status as “real”, functioning towns. We present these images as a call to the community to respond creatively to the need for affordable housing in West Marin.
Nancy Bertelsen, Latino Photography Project Coordinator, 2007
- Nacole, David and Axl
“I’ve decided to stop worrying. It will work out. It has to.” Says Nacole about her pending move from Olema Campground. Her worrying began about 8 months ago, when she started receiving conflicting reports of whether her family could stay or would have to leave.
- Lourdes and Carlos
“Buying a place in West Marin is not an option,” says Lourdes Romo. “We are considering Portland, Oregon or Olympia, Washington. Ideally, we would have some land and a few animals: chickens, two or three horses, geese. A trampoline. I’d like a place within walking distance from work and from the girls’ school.”
- Lisa
Lisa used to visit her grandparents during the summers in their house in Inverness. When she grew up, she decided to move to West Marin. She has watched West Marin change over most of her life.
- Zsuzsanna
After work, Zsuzsanna often sits at a window with a view of the bay, watching the cows during the day and the stars at night. She likes to pick the berries and plums growing on her street.
- Raquel, David and Sofia
Raquel moved to Point Reyes Station following a friend’s advice. She has worked for eight years cleaning houses and has a loyal group of clients. In January she and David, her husband, bought a house in Santa Rosa, but she continues to work in Point Reyes Station, forty miles away. Raquel lives with David, and their three-year-old daughter, Sofia.