I was commissioned by the City of Raleigh's Raleigh Arts service unit to make images of award-winning poet and Jacksonville, North Carolina native Lenard Moore that would be used as references for an upcoming public art project in Raleigh, North Carolina called the Barwell Road Public Art Project.
I was asked to deliver portraits of the poet along with some images of him writing and gardening, but I decided to take it a step further and develop narratives behind the images I made of Lenard.
We shot at four locations in Raleigh: Shaw University Memorial Garden, Shaw University's International Studies Center, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Gardens, and the Japanese Garden at N.C. State University's JC Raulston Arboretum.
Prior to the shoot, Moore and I spoke via email and phone calls a few times. I always strive to have meaningful conversations and genuine exchanges with the people I shoot because they always lead to incredible images. During those conversations, he shared with me that he had a brick at Shaw University's Memorial Garden dedicated to his daughter Maiisha L. Moore. Moore always loved the sculpture of King at the memorial gardens. He also earned one of his degrees at Shaw University, then came back to teach there and at N.C. State.
The installation date of the Barwell Public Art Project is Spring 2025.
Digital Photographs
All images made in 2022