SPRINGFIELD — There’s a new public art display in downtown Springfield that features people from the Springfield area and how the year 2020 affected them in their own words.
Ty Fischer is the artist and photographer, and the exhibit is called “Your Story.” Fischer told News Center 7 that he worked with 49 citizens from Springfield over the past 12 months who shared their personal experiences on how the year 2020 affected them personally, professionally, financially, socially and mentally.
The citizens ranged from community leaders, government leaders, front-line workers, business owners and everyday citizens.
>> Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples Day: What’s closed for national holiday
Fischer said each subject wrote an essay of between 400-1,000 words and then he selected 12 of the most impactful words from their essay to be featured on one of two photos he took of each citizen.
“The essays were written their experiences with the pandemic, social justice and isolation,” Fischer said.
One photo was taken with a mask on, and another taken a mask off. “The image with their mask on was then displayed with the impactful words they provided, Fischer said.”
>> Fall colors: When to expect peak season across Miami Valley parks
When asked how he got the idea for the exhibit he said, “The idea came to me in a nightmare 13 months ago in third-person perspective.” He continued, “I had a nightmare of a woman in front of me drowning in words.”
The exhibit started on October 1 and runs through October 31. The images along with the essays will be displayed on buildings throughout downtown Springfield.