Abstract

At the Crossing is a body of photographic work that stemmed from daily walks through the Genesee Valley Park. Having moved to a new and unfamiliar place, these walks were a way of drawing closer to the city of Rochester and the people who call it home. In the process, I discovered the vitality and democratic function of the park and its relationship to the larger city. In this space, people gather, celebrate, rest, and dream. It exists as a wild refuge, a pressure valve within the overall function of the city. In this way, it is one of the few spaces that bring people together, offering a sense of shared existence and common purpose. As a photographer, I explore this entanglement through scenes and portraits that center on sustained encounters. I work slowly, talking and spending time with people, learning about both them and their relationship to the park and city. The photographs exist as mementos that we share with each other, a record of relation. I constantly visit and revisit this space over time, observing as green leaves shift to red, and eventually become blanketed in snow. My work is an ongoing dialogue, suggesting the potential for conversation between photographer and place. What emerges is an affirmation of commonality and interrelation played out within the living, breathing, backdrop of the park.

Publication Date

5-1-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Photography and Related Media (MFA)

Department, Program, or Center

Photographic Arts and Sciences, School of

College

College of Art and Design

Advisor

Joshua Thorson

Advisor/Committee Member

Catherine Zuromskis

Advisor/Committee Member

Gregory Halpern

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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