Dreams captured: Pictures of Hope participants showcase their work
May 9—Sierra Arrellin held a camera for the first time last month during the Pictures of Hope workshop at the Albuquerque Museum.
She didn't know ahead of time she would be receiving one, and "I was genuinely excited," she said. "It was a fun, little surprise."
Arrellin, 20, was one of several participants who took part in the workshop, a national program that invites young people who are experiencing homelessness to express their hopes or dreams through photography.
As the Journal reported last month, this is the 11th time Pictures of Hope has been held in Albuquerque. The program was created by award-winning photographer Linda Solomon in 2005 and she has brought it to over 50 cities across the country.
Once Arrellin received her camera, she and the other workshop participants were let loose to go find the photo they felt best captured the feeling or emotion they wanted to convey.
"I was thinking, 'What's going to give me the picture that I want? What's going to make me feel satisfied, make me feel like my message is being seen?'" she explained.
She took pictures of trees, dogs and people, but none of them felt like the right image. Then, she came upon a mother and her young daughter, and it clicked.
Arrellin approached the mother and asked if she could take a photo of the two of them. The mother agreed, and the image Arrellin captured showed the mother's hand holding her daughter's. It was an intimate moment with a much deeper meaning behind it.
"I chose (this image) because I believe what's going to make the world a better place is having more well-rounded people, and how we do that is by having good parents," Arrellin said.
That hope for better parents had a very personal meaning to Arrellin as well. She and her mother are not on the best terms, she said, and it is her hope that this picture will help inspire more parents to seek the resources and services they need to be there for their children.
Arrellin recited this account of her photo and the inspiration behind it before a crowd gathered at the Albuquerque Museum on Thursday, during the Pictures of Hope workshop's exhibit opening. Joined by four of her fellow workshop participants, the group showcased their photos for the gallery to see.
A few displays down from Arrellin's sat a picture taken by Brandon Silva. Framed perfectly in his photo were three classic cars. Silva has always loved classic cars, so when he saw those three parked in Old Town, he couldn't pick up his camera fast enough.
"I need to get that shot," he remembers thinking.
Silva said his dream is to one day be able to work on and restore classic cars, especially a 1969 Ford Mustang Fox body.
"One photo can change your life, and my mission is to create awareness about the problem of homelessness and show these kids that your dreams matter to us, so they know their voice is heard," Solomon said.
After the workshop participants unveiled their photos, Solomon asked them to sign their names on their work and gave them all a copy of the photo to take with them. Each of the workshop photographers had a smile on their face as they left the museum. As she left the museum, Arrellin, with camera in hand, said this photo was just the first of many.
"It feels like I'm opening a door into a new passion of mine," she said. "I'm really used to being in the background, so it's nice to be on the forefront for once."
Gino Gutierrez is the good news reporter at the Albuquerque Journal. If you have an idea for a good news story, you can contact him at goodnews@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3940.
