The pair worked with Eric’s wife, Bethany Crino Staswick, to create “60625,” named for the Chicago zip code in which North Park University is located. The three are students at the school. Staswick attended First Covenant Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Larson attended Arvada Covenant Church in Arvada, Colorado.
For the project, which began last August, the photographers shot pictures of individuals wearing clothes they normally wear in Chicago as well as dress from their native countries. The photos are then set side-by-side.
“This is about how people move from one culture to another,” Larson says. The subjects represent cultures from every continent.
The photographers hope the exhibit will encourage visitors to consider the challenges and joys of living in a multiethnic setting as well as what it takes to transition from one culture to another.
Being in the 60625 zip code provided the photographers a unique opportunity. The zip code is considered one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse in the country. “We didn’t have to go international to do an international photo project,” says Staswick, who hopes to some day travel overseas.
The ties to North Park also made the project easier. All of the subjects are university students, staff, faculty or alumni.
The exhibit will be displayed in the Brandel Library on the North Park campus. A reception celebrating the opening will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, January 21. The exhibit will run through mid-April.
The photographers as well as several subjects will make presentations during the reception. Native food from several countries also will be served.
The students funded the project themselves, but plan to apply for grants so that they can expand the exhibit and have it displayed in different parts of the city. Part of the expansion would include shooting photos of school children from different cultures.
Editor’s note: The accompany photo from the exhibit shows Mai and her daughter, Julia, who represent the area of Jerusalem and Palestine, which they consider home.
