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Photographs Depict Hope, Humanity and Honor of Oregonians on Medicaid
By Maileen Hamto, CareOregon Communications Writer
Oregonians receiving help from Medicaid and Medicare are our children, our neighbors, our family and friends. Photographs showcased in the exhibition “We the People” tell inspiring and unforgettable stories of individual strength, pride and dignity among CareOregon members.
Through evocative imagery, renowned photographer Bruce Davidson’s latest body of work captures the profound vision of CareOregon: healthy Oregonians regardless of their income or social circumstances.
"This CareOregon project was one of the most meaningful assignments I’ve had in my career,” wrote Davidson. “To enter the lives of those who are sick, handicapped or burdened with rare ailments was an eye-opener. It was a challenge to photograph these people with positive imagery that expressed their vitality, love and hope.” The photographs are displayed in CareOregon's offices.
CareOregon serves 25 percent of Oregon Health Plan members from throughout the state, and almost 70 percent of CareOregon members are under age 18.
Davidson, best known for his work documenting the Civil Rights movement, photographed CareOregon members in 2006. Visiting with members from throughout the Portland metro area and as far away as Astoria and Scotts Mills, Davidson discovered an empowerment program that delivers a chance, extends a hand and often saves lives.
To ensure that members have access to quality services, CareOregon emphasizes prevention and primary care case management, and places specific focus on serving members in chronic and complex care situations. The diversity of CareOregon members – ages, cultures, national origins, languages and social circumstances – is showcased in the photographs.
Russian émigré Nadezda, 79, is photographed in her backyard, while six-year-old Brent Newberry, born with cerebral palsy, washes his dog. Jason, a self-described recovering addict who suffers from bipolar disorder and multiple sclerosis, is shown exercising, while 78-year-old Louise teaches her grandson to cook. Debra 48, shows off her Special Olympics accomplishments, while Liberian refugee Emmanuel takes a break from practicing soccer kicks.
These members are only a few of the 27 individuals and families photographed by Davidson. “These people and others are more or less invisible to the general public, and it is important to me that this imagery be very human where the ‘ordinary’ person can see it, identify, and see themselves in the images. In talking with the people I photographed, I found their words to be incredibly powerful. If we are taken inside these lives, the community will see the hope that CareOregon provides.”
Bruce Davidson received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1962 to photograph what became a profound documentation of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. In 1963 the Museum of Modern Art in New York presented his early work in a solo show. In 1966 he was awarded the first grant for photography form the National Endowment for the Arts, having spent two years bearing witness to the dire social conditions on one block in East Harlem. Most recently, his works were exhibited in Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris.
Classic bodies of work from his 50-year career have been extensively published in monographs and are included in many major public and private fine art collections around the world. For more info about Bruce Davidson, visit http://www.magnumphotos.com
For more information about the "We the People" photo project, call Jeanie Lunsford, CareOregon Communications Manager, at 503-416-3633 or e-mail lunsfordj@careoregon.org.
