Community Archive Project
“Seniors should not end their lives feeling alone and forgotten.”
The Community Archive Project seeks to help solve loneliness for rural Texas senior citizens, provide them with supplemental income, and preserve their memories in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Every pottery purchase from my little online shop is more than just a transaction; it is a seed sown into the community. A percentage of my pottery proceeds are devoted to uplifting elderly residents in rural Texas, enriching their lives through the power of photography.
I equip these cherished community members with disposable cameras, empowering them to capture the essence of their daily lives and surroundings. Disposable cameras provide ease of entry, break down imposter syndrome barriers, and accommodate many challenges and disabilities common among seniors. Their photographs, rich with stories and memories, are then curated into an online gallery where others can purchase prints.
Each image vividly reminds us of the beauty of life, a tangible connection between generations, and a celebration of shared human experience.
How It All Began
The City of Smithville supported the very first Community Archive Project program in part through the Richard D. Latham Cultural District grant. After seeing how it made the participants feel, I decided to continue on my own.
The small town of Smithville is blanketed by breathtaking wildflowers and peppered with the best homemade bakeries and antique shops. Rows of charming antique cottages from the 1800s frame a graceful winding river. Yet despite all of its visual beauty, the people who live beneath our sprawling pecans are what genuinely make Smithville so incredible.
The day we moved into our dilapidated old house, even though it was in shambles, I felt like we had won the lottery. I knew then what I know now: my neighbors are priceless.
But then I realized something: many seniors here are suffering from profound loneliness.
According to researcher Julianne Holt-Lunstad, loneliness and isolation are as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Here in our little town, there is no senior center, and they cannot afford one. So I asked around, and many rural Texas towns are the same. Even rural settings lucky enough to have senior centers still struggle to solve the loneliness problem because many seniors cannot drive or walk long distances. In rural communities, their homes are spread far apart.
I knew in. my heart I had to do something.
One day, while volunteering at the town's Historical Society, I was surrounded by boxes and boxes of old film photographs. I felt a calling to combine my love and expertise in photography with solving this massive issue of loneliness and feeling profoundly forgotten.
What if I could use art to help rural senior citizens feel seen, cherished, and celebrated before it’s too late?
Take Dan, a 95-year-old veteran, for instance. Despite his legal blindness, he had a lifelong passion for painting. With a bit of encouragement and some gift cards to Hobby Lobby, he began creating miniature masterpieces. When I sold out his artwork on my website and delivered his earnings, his disbelief and tears of joy were a testament to the profound impact of this project. “Thank you,” he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. “I didn’t think anyone cared anymore.”
I adore my friendship with Dan, and I know more “Dans” in this town deserve to feel the same way.
There is no doubt that technology is creeping into the farm landscape of our town. Entrepreneurs arrive with dreams of modernization and splash their “dreams for the future” around every turn. It is important, I believe, to capture our town as it stands on the precipice of so much change. It is even more important to have this story told by those who are impacted the most.
The 2024 Community Archive Project, so far:
Spring: Created a workbook and tought the residents of Smithville the basics of photography.
Summer: Supplied city residents with disposable film cameras to capture their worlds.
Fall: Create online and in-person shows for their incredible artwork to be purchased, shared and celebrated. Please see the flyer above for the party concluding the City of Smithville grant program. I would love to see you there!
How You Can Help
THANK YOU SO MUCH! Your support means everything to us!
FREE: Spread the word! Share this website on social media, chat with your besties at brunch, and let your local senior centers know. Every time you share, the spark grows!
$26+: Purchase disposable cameras from our Amazon Wish List for my senior friends.
$20+: Film development and digital scanning costs can be supported at this time through Venmo donations. My Venmo is: Michelle-Gardella. Just be sure to write “Community Archive Project” in the notes.
A percentage of the profits from my Pottery Pop-up Shops in my little online store support this beautiful program.
