AKRON — Outside of the Nepali Kitchen in Akron's North Hill neighborhood sits a life-size portrait that tells a story of a growing and diverse community.
The photo was captured by local photographer Shane Wynn for the North Hill photography series which was created for the North Akron Community Development Corporation with support from the Knight Foundation.
“You tend to hear hype stories or negative stories with refugees and immigrants, and I’m simply telling a positive story to counter some of that,” said Wynn.
Wynn drew her inspiration from the cultural diversity she witnessed simply driving through the North Hill neighborhood.
“I’m the daughter of a first-generation Austrian immigrant,” said Wynn. “I’ve always learned about people from different cultures.”
Wynn said her family hosted international students in her home which opened her curiosity to learn about others in her community. She credits it to her newest series that captures a number of families who call North Hill home. The neighborhood has welcomed thousands of refugees over the past few years.
A six-foot photo installed outside of the Nepali Kitchen on Cuyahoga Falls Avenue captures a mother and her son, Bhutanese refugees, who came to Akron in 2013.
Wynn also captured a photo of school children running up to the photo. It was a moment that Wynn said will be hard to forget.
“It brought me a lot of joy to see the school children run up to the photo because part of this is so that they can see themselves represent.”
Just a few blocks away, another portrait sits outside of Giovanni’s Barber Shop of an Akron father, his son and grandson. Their family had come to Akron from Italy.
“Like where my family came from, and how when they came over here, this is where they were. They called this home,” said Giovanni Ricchiuti, owner of Giovanni's Barber Shop on Cuyahoga Falls Avenue. “It shows the history of the community and bring a lot of people around.”
For Wynn, the series represents the evolving cultures and history surrounding Akron.
While the portrait series has generated positive discussion, it has also been a target for vandalism. It was a disappointing discovery for Wynn but her outlook remains positive.
“I feel like if you’re not getting any pushback, then you might not be saying anything different or important, or anything that’s going to start a conversation,” said Wynn.
Wynn said her mission is to give people a voice through her photographs to build connections and a stronger community – one photo at a time.
