The Beginning
My name is Jade Brewer and I am an emerging photographer and recent grad of Montserrat College of Art in Massachusetts. I first started shooting when I was a kid, burning through camera after disposable camera until I decided that I wanted to it for the rest of my life. I became completely immersed in my art and truly established who I was as an artist and where I wanted to go with it when I did the study abroad program to Viterbo, Italy. I was bitten by the travel bug. Travel photography became my dream and passion.
The project began as my thesis project, Five Years. I photographed all of the places I have lived through out my life. Considering that I have never lived anywhere more than five years, I managed to fill my entire senior year with nostalgic trips all over New Hampshire. They show the relationship with memory and place over time, intentionally becoming less inhabited the farther back in time I went in my memory.
Now and the Future
The pictures ended up becoming more than I could have ever expected, showing quite a few times including my first solo exhibition this past January.
My plans for the "spinoff" series Hometown is to visit my friends that I have amassed all over the world and photograph their home towns from their perspective. The first step of this project is going to take place in Cape Town, South Africa, photographing the childhood town of my friends Kate and Sean for fourteen days. My goal is to complete a photo book following them as they show me the most important and intimate places from their childhoods. If all goes well the project will continue into the Philippines, Slovakia, Turkey, and Romania.
What We Need & What You Get
As an emerging professional, I work out of my house. I have a basic setup that I love and gets the job done. The purpose of the funds is to take me to Africa, and provide the ability to travel around the country. Any extra money will be put towards helping out my friends who are providing housing to me while I am there as well as food and other living expenses. This will also allow me the financial room to keep up with my expenses back home while I am out of work for the trip. Also some of the money will go towards producing the book and making copies for you! Any funding received above the amount listed of $2500 will be donated to Camfed; a charity that helps women and girls in marginalized areas of Africa receive an education.
The Impact
The funds will allow me to go on my first ever travel expedition for my work. This is step one in building a career in travel photography for myself and broadening my horizons as a person. I would like to take my work in a direction where I can use it to help and impact others in a positive way. Raising more funds than projected will directly impact children in Africa by providing money directly to charities that will help them.
Risks & Challenges
Challenges I may face through out the trip will be related to technology and making sure I have the appropriate materials and insurances for my equipment. Right now I have everything I need to make this happen except the plane ticket. Risks include making sure my finances are secure enough to make this trip happen, but with your help I will be able to do it.
Other Ways You Can Help
Passing the word around will be all I can ask to help. Exposure and support are priceless and my gratitude for even taking the time to read about this campaign are complete and immeasurable.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration of my proposal.
