Fostering community one photo at a time.
By Maria Allen Photography by Brooke Bartletta
In a world that too often feels socially disconnected and politically divided, photography has become a tool for bringing diverse groups of people together and fostering a sense of unity. Inspired by French artist JR’s global Inside Out Project, Hingham photographer Brooke Bartletta set out to showcase the spectrum of different kinds of people who live, work, study or worship in the Hingham community.
Specializing in fine art and documentary-style photography, Bartletta launched the #WeAreHingham project in early 2022. Over the course of the previous year, she photographed and collected submissions of dynamic black-and-white portraits of more than 85 individuals, spanning ages, races, religions, sexual orientations and political affiliations.
“We have a rich fabric of people who make up our community,” says Bartletta. “I really wanted to show that we all matter and everyone deserves to be seen, supported and celebrated.” Bartletta transformed the photographs into a series of eye-catching posters and partnered with the Hingham Unity Council to host a free community dialogue in May. The photographs were also posted on Bartletta’s website along with five words that each person used to describe themself. Bartletta hopes to expand the #WeAreHingham project in the future, helping more people feel seen, heard and celebrated and inspiring local residents to get out and meet their neighbors. She is currently planning a #WeAreHingham event for the fall. For more information, visit wearehingham.com.