Bringing Identity to the Table
When you first visit Northeastern Illinois University, you can’t help but notice that everyone is unique. Each individual brings their own particular identity to the table, and there is a special harmony among them. The first person truly embraces the next person, and the next and the next.
With this project, our goal is to reflect these identities in photographs of the individuals who own them and to bear witness to the community they build. Each of these portraits is intended to contribute another piece to an amazingly diverse mosaic that comprises a remarkable place.
It is Northeastern’s spirit that gives life to this portrait project. “We Are…” is a celebration of optimists, innovators, leaders, problem solvers and creatives. We are the tenacious, the curious, the proud, the playful and the fearless. We are utilitarians, idealists, realists and dreamers.
Every portrait, like the person behind it, is distinctive. As personalities are revealed, collectively we should see what makes us human and brings us together.
Participants are invited to come as they are, or to show us who they want to be. This is a conversational style of portraiture. We sit, talk and take pictures. There are questions, answers, perspectives and laughs. Over time, more and more pieces fill in. We see the depth, the richness and the textures that make Northeastern great. The “We Are…” project is both a testament and a document that celebrates the continuous evolution of an exceptional community’s vibrant culture.