Hakan Axelsson: The Highlands Family Exhibit Oct. 31 through Nov. 30

Galerie Fotoland is pleased to present Håkan Axelsson’s series, The Highlands Family: A View of Longview’s Front Porch Community. We invite you to come see these prints hanging in the first floor lobby of the Daniel J. Evans Library building through November.

Galerie Fotoland is located on the first floor of The Daniel J. Evans Library Lobby at The Evergreen State College.

Change the Perception

The Highlands is a neighborhood of Longview, Washington. The local press and official statistics paint a dark picture of a community disproportionately affected by drugs, gang violence, and teen pregnancy.

In 2010, the median household income for residents of the Highlands was a mere $24,300 and the unemployment rate had reached 18.2%.

In an effort to change the perception of the community, the Highlands Neighborhood Association worked with Axelsson to develop an inspiring visual narrative of the residents who call the Highlands home.

As a native of Sweden, Axelsson brings his own cultural perspective to this sensitive portrayal of low income Americans. He currently resides in Olympia, Washington. Axelsson created the work as his final project for Evergreen’s Documentary Photography class in 2011.

For more information please contact Photography Intern Kathleen Moloney at molkat11@evergreen.edu or visit photo.evergreen.edu.