Department of Art
Homelessness in Ӱ is a complex and growing problem that deserves to be explored in depth. Over the last several years I have documented the life of Felicia Cavanaugh, a homeless woman in the Interior of Ӱ. Before we can begin to solve homelessness we must be able to discuss and identify the obstacles that prevent people from moving out of homelessness. This body of work is dedicated to exploring those very challenges.
The black and white suspended photographs chronicle part of Felicia’s life while she lived at the Fairbanks Rescue Mission, an overnight emergency shelter. Through her story we shine a new light on homelessness in the interior and gain some insight into the extraordinary obstacles that our most vulnerable neighbors face everyday to overcome their circumstances.
"Genesis" is one part of “Finding Home,” a documentary photography art exhibit about homelessness in Ӱ that opened on Friday, December 6th 2019 at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art in Anchorage, AK. "Finding Home" is comprised of three separate and distinct bodies of work that all discuss and address different topics surrounding homelessness in Ӱ.
Sarah Manriquez is a photographer and filmmaker living in Fairbanks, AK. An overarching theme that ties her work together is the resilience of the human spirit. Sarah explores the concept of resilience through collaborations in documentary-style fieldwork. Many of Sarah’s works are visual anthropological studies on themes in our contemporary society whether that be homelessness in the arctic or the objectification of women. Her artwork takes a critical view of social, political, and cultural issues. These themes often confront the viewer and urge them to consider other perspectives different from their own. Much of Sarah’s documentary work renegotiates photography into a force behind education and advocacy and acts as an agent of change rather than exclusively a tool to record history. Her most recent work explores homelessness in Ӱ by documenting the life of Felicia Cavanaugh, a homeless woman who lived at the Fairbanks Rescue Mission and her journey out of homelessness.