DENVER — They say a picture is worth a thousand words – a single frame can convey an idea or message quicker than the written word and can offer a different point of view.
That's the idea behind a Denver art installation called "Portraits of Change, Inspired by the Uprising" on display at Platte Forum, a gallery in Denver's Five Points neighborhood.
Created by the artistic husband and wife duo Jonathan and Letishia Kelley, the exhibit is a collection of archival photos and a short film that documents the uprising in Minneapolis protesting the murder of George Floyd and the Lakota protests in Keystone near Mount Rushmore.
"I think it gives it a different perspective to the public as far as our lens and our experiences during this pandemic as well as the uprisings that were happening during 2020," Letishia said.
After watching George Floyd be murdered on video by four Minneapolis police officers, the couple decided to travel to Minneapolis.
"We initially went to Minneapolis strictly as activists," Jonathan said. "And when we got there, we saw a lot of the portrayal of the activists and protesters being anarchists and arsonists and people that were just looting businesses and we wanted to document what we were seeing from our perspective which was unity."
The couple said over 10,000 people came together in Minneapolis – all races and backgrounds and they wanted to document and share what they were seeing. They decided to capture those moments.
"How we look at it is a time capsule. Making photographs – I think we're really capturing a special moment in time," Letishia said. "For the public as well, to understand there are different perspectives and to understand that perspective is a growing and is a learning experience for all us humans."
The two also traveled to Keystone, where they documented a protest with the Lakota.
"In the Black Hills with the Lakota, there were people out there that day ready to die for their freedom to protect their lands and I think that's really big thing that we should, as a community, start thinking about," Jonathan said. "Again, it was portrayed that these were people that were not patriotic, and we wanted to show the narrative from a different point of view," he said.
In the height of the pandemic in the summer of 2020, the pair were on the frontlines and said it was intense.
"I don't really think that people grasped the intensity and also the traumatic experiences that a lot of us went through being on the frontlines," said Jonathan. "And particularly those of us who were documenting what was happening."
Jonathan said the experience is something that he's still dealing with today.
"I'm also grateful that we were able to capture these images and that we're able to share this with people in a way that you can see what was going on from our lens and see a different story than what was painted on the national news," he said.
The artists hope people can see how they captured the feelings and emotions of protesters expressing themselves.
"I really want this exhibition to spark conversation. And I think move us away from what feels like an excuse of not knowing," Jonathan said. "Really ask themselves how much are they aware of these things that are actually going on in other communities that they may not know anything about."
The couple hopes their art is a stepping stone to more proactive responses to things happening in the country.
"To realize that there are people that are experiencing things that maybe you will never experience, but that doesn't mean that they're not real," Jonathan said. "We weren't just out there to be on Instagram or to make the news or to have our photo on Time magazine but really standing up for what we believe in."
Thursday is the last day of the exhibit at Platte Forum in Five Points from 2 to 4 p.m.
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