The "Give Back" Project

An integral part of Exposures is the "Give Back" Project. It's unassuming, compared to the enormous photographs and intense video, but has potential to be much more far-reaching. By providing self-addressed, stamped envelopes and cards for visitors to take with them, I'm hoping people will take some time to think about how they give back to the Earth where they live, whether it's an urban, rural, or some other environment that's in-between. I'll then compile and share these thoughts, projects, ideas and conjectures through a web site, mailing lists, and a series of ultra-cheap 'zines that can be widely distributed. Hopefully, this will serve three purposes:

• Those who are giving back will feel some sense of recognition for their efforts.
• An information exchange will grow up around the participants, inspiring new ways of working and creating a network of support.
• People will feel encouraged just by the sheer numbers of people who are thinking about and tackling these issues.

Is it political? Not really. I don't care who you voted for if you're really interested in taking care of where you live and giving back to the Earth. I'm not telling you to be interested if you're not ... although it might be an interesting exercise for you to notice just how many people are interested.

Is it personal? Sure. The environment is important to me, and I want people to understand why.

Is it preaching to the choir? Hey, I like to think of it as singing with the choir instead. And like most choirs, it's never a bad idea to be open to new voices. It's my hope that maybe some will emerge.

If you want to be involved but can't make it to the show, email me and I'll send you a "Give Back" card with stamped, self-addressed envelope.