2020-08-16

Six months ago, on March 16, Kurt and I took the first two photographs for this artwork. It was a cold and gloomy Monday, which marked the closing of universities and public schools, and the beginning of the process of figuring out how to live under the then-brand-new-and-unsettling rules of social distancing. Six months later, we find ourselves on the eve of the start of the new school year at the University of Kentucky. At Transylvania University, where the two of us teach, the academic year begins in two weeks. The now-familiar rules of social distancing feel just as unsettling as they were at the beginning. Six months later, one of the few things we know for sure is that change is much needed and inevitable, both in higher education and in how we live our lives. Because the reopening of colleges and universities around the country is on so many people’s minds, we caught up with five people who are new to their positions at Transylvania. Three of them are new to Lexington as well. We asked each of them what it’s like to take on a new job in higher education during this time of change. Read their answers below. —- Six months after the start of this artwork, Kurt and I have moved towards a slightly different approach to capturing images: we now work on photographing people who are part of an organization or an interest group, or who share a similarity, and who are uniquely impacted by the pandemic. We’ve photographed members of our beloved March Madness Marching Band, employees of Fayette County Public Schools, musicians and vocal performers, university administrators. We would also like to hear your ideas about who else we should photograph. Comment below or send me a PM. We love hearing from you!