Chelsea photographer Darlene DeVita hosted her “People of Chelsea” exhibit Monday night at City Hall.
The exhibit featured individual black-and-white photographs that DeVita had taken in the city. In the text underneath the photo, the subject expressed his/her opinions and thoughts about Chelsea.
Councillor-at-Large Leo Robinson and Police Capt. David Batchelor, one of Chelsea High School’s greatest all-around athletes, were among those featured in the exhibit.
Bill Carriere, who works full time at Home Depot in Chelsea, said he was “incredibly honored” to have his photo included in the exhibit.
“I’m proud to be among all the diversity and all the photos and wonderful stories that have been highlighted here,” said Carriere. “Darlene’s work is really amazing. She’s so passionate about this project.”
Sarah Putnam, a photographer who assisted DeVita as a Spanish language interpreter and editor of the interviews, said, “I love her work. She’s a very good photographer. She has a great eye and we just had so much fun working together.”
DeVita, who has lived in Chelsea for 15 years, said the exhibit was the culmination of a three-year project. She has been a photographer for 30 years, having first been inspired by a teacher, Byron Baldwin, at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, N.C. “I owe my photographic career to him,” said DeVita.
Councillor-at-Large Calvin Brown and Chelsea Police Community Engagement Specialist Dan Cortez joined residents in congratulating DeVita on her inspiring exhibit.
“I’ve been getting a very good response,” said DeVita, who helped launch the Chelsea Art Walk. “I love Chelsea and everything that is going on in the city. I want to see Chelsea stay as the great community that it is.”
Silvia Lopez-Chavez, a mural artist, said of her friend Darlene’s work: “I love the fact that she’s showcasing the beautiful people of Chelsea. There is such a variety of groups and people and it is nice to be able to connect the community through art. She’s a really good photographer and I got the opportunity to collaborate with her creating the banners in the city using her photographs.”