In a climate of uncertainty and hatred toward immigrants, Gainesville artist Renee Hoffinger, 65, brought light to their stories in a photo exhibition Sunday.
“Immigrants of Gainesville” was sponsored by Welcoming Gainesville and Alachua County (WG&AC). It was shown at Emmanuel Mennonite Church, located at 1236 NW 18th Ave.
Hoffinger said her favorite story was about an immigrant from Senegal called Baye. She would often see him working at Publix and then Lucky’s Market, but knowing his story was truly rewarding.
“Many of the people I interview are immigrants,” Hoffinger said. “With everything that is happening with (President Donald Trump’s immigration) policy, I think it’s important to show these positive figures.”
One of the challenges she faced making the exhibition was convincing subjects to tell their stories.
“It had some little obstacles but the process was mostly fun,” Hoffinger said.
She is the administrator of the “Humans of Gainesville” page, which is based on the “Humans of New York” photo book and blog that presents New York City residents.
“I started ‘Humans of Gainesville’ about six years ago,” Hoffinger said. “A few times a week I would go out, find someone, take their picture and interview them.”
The exhibition drew a crowd of about 70 people, including members of WG&AC, united in the spirit of sharing the pictured subjects’ stories.
WG&AC, which formed in 2015, has programs like a book club and a conversational table for people to learn English, said Richard MacMaster, 83, the chairman of the organization. These are meant to show the importance of immigrant communities.
The biggest struggle for the events is money, MacMaster said. The funding for the Sunday event came from a grant by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. WG&AC printed and framed the pictures.
The exhibition will be open for the upcoming months and can be accessed Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
“It is so important to acknowledge everyone's story,” Hoffinger said. “Diversity makes a community richer, stronger and better.”
Renee Hoffinger, 65, stands by her photos at the "Immigrants of Gainesville" exhibit.
