Yesterday, I had the opportunity to photograph Reemergence, an event hosted by LOOP in Youngstown, Ohio. It was an evening filled with art, poetry, music, conversation, and community. But for me, it was so much more than another event to photograph.
Back in April, I found LOOP while searching for a new studio space. At the time, I was simply looking for a place to work after abruptly losing my studio space in March. What I found instead was a community.
LOOP had recently purchased a building that now houses 30 artist studios, and I was incredibly fortunate to become one of the artists who calls it home. Since moving into the space, I've been surrounded by painters, sculptors, writers, musicians, photographers, and creatives who approach art in so many different ways. Being part of that environment has pushed me to think differently about my own work.
Photography has always been my career, but lately I've been learning to see it as art, too.
That shift led me to submit one of my photographs for Reemergence. Displaying my work in a gallery alongside so many talented artists was both exciting and a little vulnerable. It's one thing to create photographs for clients. It's another to invite people to experience a photograph simply because it exists as a piece of art.
The evening itself was incredible. Visitors explored the gallery, attended a poetry reading, toured open artist studios, connected with local creatives, and gathered over food and conversation. Every room held something different, and there was an energy throughout the building that reminded me why spaces like this matter.
Youngstown has an incredibly talented arts community, and LOOP continues to create opportunities for artists to connect, collaborate, and grow together. I'm grateful not only to have documented this event, but to be part of it.
As both the photographer behind the camera and one of the featured artists, yesterday felt like a full-circle moment. It's amazing how quickly a place can go from being somewhere you stumbled upon to somewhere that genuinely feels like home.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support the artists, share conversations, and celebrate creativity. I can't wait to see what comes next.
Scroll down to see highlights from the evening and some of the incredible artists and moments that made Reemergence such a special event.
