On Monday evening, local photographer Darlene DeVita unveiled “People of Chelsea” at Chelsea City Hall.
The display consisted of black-and-white portraits taken throughout Chelsea, each accompanied by written reflections from the subject about their experiences and perspectives on the city.
Among those whose images appeared in the exhibition were Councillor-at-Large Leo Robinson and Police Capt. David Batchelor, a standout athlete during his time at Chelsea High School.
Bill Carriere, employed full time at Home Depot in Chelsea, expressed that he felt “incredibly honored” to participate in DeVita’s project.
According to Carriere, “I’m proud to be among all the diversity and
all the photos and wonderful stories that have been highlighted here,” “Darlene’s work is really amazing. She’s so passionate about this
project.”
Sarah Putnam served as both Spanish language interpreter and editor for the interview component of the work. She remarked, “I
love her work. She’s a very good photographer. She has a great eye and we just
had so much fun working together.”
The photographer has called Chelsea home for 15 years and described this undertaking as the result of three years of effort. Her career in photography spans 30 years, beginning after she studied under Byron Baldwin at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, N.C. DeVita reflected, “I owe my
photographic career to him,”
Councillor-at-Large Calvin Brown and Chelsea Police Community Engagement Specialist Dan Cortez were among those offering congratulations to DeVita on the compelling nature of her work.
DeVita, instrumental in establishing the Chelsea Art Walk, observed that “I’ve been getting a very good response,” “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.”
Mural artist Silvia Lopez-Chavez, a friend of DeVita’s, commented on the photography: “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.”