ReVisibility is a collaborative community portrait installation that transformed discussions around invisibility into moments of creative expression.

What about you is invisible? What do you wish others knew that isn’t obvious on a first meeting with you? What kind of things would change people’s assumptions about you if they were visible?

In other words, participants created portraits of themselves that symbolically/literally/spiritually revealed the ways they felt hidden.

The intention of the installation is to commune and dialogue with others. Also, to pause and grapple with the unseen in multiple modes of creative expression; honoring and recognizing the complexity for others that don’t feel seen or for those who are historically forced into hyper-visibility.

It is my deepest hope, as the facilitation artist, that participants take/took away a sense of being part of a beautiful and growing reciprocal art piece that seeks to reframe visibility in all its forms. I hope that this sparks meaningful dialogue with others and reminds us to center empathy in all that we do.

The ReVisibility project has stopped accepting frame submissions but you can participate at the show in real time this fall between September 3rd and December 17th. I can also offer your classroom or group a brief presentation and facilitated dialogue about the project or meet you at the show at the gallery. I also have plenty of classroom or non-profit materials and reading and activity suggestions.

ReVisibilty has had several successful receptions:

November 19th, 2023 it debuted at The New Frame, as part of the Odyssey Works certificate program on display to the public in New York City at Gibney Studios .

The frames were also the centerpiece at a private event for Bay Area Immersive Practitioners at the Art Collective, Paper Moon in Oakland where Abe Burickson is offered a talk and book signing on January 20th 2024.

The project is currently open to the public at the University Library Gallery at SSU for the 2024 Fall Semester.

I am currently in the research and incubation period for the next community project which will center objects. Reach out if you are curious or are open to participation.

Yay! This entire project was a labor of love with quite a bit of out of pocket costs: research, travel, instax film, instax printer, laminator, various materials, web assistance, frames, sharpies, grommets, grommet press and 2 years of anxiety.

If you feel moved, you are more than welcome to contribute cash to Venmo @Emily-Hostutler (last four digits 6192).

If you would like to be recognized as a contributor to this project publicly and honored on this website and my instagram page, please leave what name you would like to be recognized (either in the Venmo line or in an email to me). Including just your photo and image counts as a contribution. Or, monetary/material only contributions are (of course) welcome. I will not recognize you though, unless I have your explicit permission and request to do so.

If you would like to know more about community projects, hire me to facilitate a similar project or learn more about the research that supported this project specifically and/or would like academic and other materials to extend dialogues within your community/classroom/education space about invisibility --please reach out to me to arrange a 15 minute chat. I am happy to collaborate with you.

Thank you community, friends and family. I am extremely grateful for the enthusiastic support of this portrait.