Common Ground: Photography, Place, and Community
September 17th - December 5th
This exhibition features 15 photographers who have chosen Somerville as their home. The works on view range from documentary to conceptual and are united by the perspective of artists living and working within this evolving urban environment. “Common Ground” explores how artists navigate and contribute to Somerville’s shifting identity, examining the relationship between place, community, and creative practice. Photographers such as Hannah Altman, Tynan Byrne, and Iaritza Menjivar explore layered identities and notions of community while Greer Muldowney, Yorgos Efthymiadis, Amber Tourlentes, and Charan Devereaux examine the urban landscape, unionized workers, and gentrification in Somerville. Brian Truglio, Henry Cataldo, Mary Kocol, and Ken Richardson also document specific moments in time in their chosen city and beyond. Sharon Harper, Dana Mueller Robinson, Stephen Tourlentes, and Lucie March interrogate our relationships to the built and natural environments.
Together, these works reveal how vibrant and creative Somerville’s photographers are while reminding us how a photograph can be an object for contemplation, bear witness, serve as social, political, and environmental commentary, as well as bring forth untold stories of diverse identities.
Check the website for a series of events and programming:
Programming
Opening reception, September 17th, 6pm - 8pm. For tickets click here.
Ivan Abarca-Torres, Curator
Ivan Abarca-Torres, PhD, is a Somerville resident, researcher, educator, and former diplomat, as well as a community organizer with Padres Latinos of Somerville Public Schools and a board member of local cultural and community organizations. He was also the co-curator of “Museo Inmigrante” at the Somerville Museum and a recipient of the Latino Excellence Award from the Black and Latino Caucus, Massachusetts State House in 2024.
