A workshop documenting the lives of Paducah residents opens this Saturday. The 41st Mountain Workshop features documentaries, photography and other graphics from 70 photojournalists from around the country.
Photojournalists traveled to Paducah last October to participate in Western Kentucky University’s Mountain Workshop, an annual event that has taken place in different Kentucky communities since 1976. This year’s exhibit tells the stories of Paducah residents including the mother of two young children and a musician, the founder of a biker church, a barbershop that serves as a hub for the black community and a transgender woman recovering from alcohol and drug addiction.
Producer Tim Broekema has been a part of the workshop for 32 years. He originally began cleaning and serving as a "labby", a student who isn't quite ready to begin participating in the workshops. Broekema says the project has grown methodically and extensively over the past few years.
“The workshops are a training ground for visual storytelling for those that are already interested in general storytelling. We usually bring in about 160 to 170 people total,” said Broekema.
The Yeiser Art Center opens the exhibit in Paducah Saturday, February 25 and runs through April 15.
For more information on the Mountain Workshops, visit mountainworkshops.org.
