BY SHALEEN DESTEFANO
I’m not gonna lie, I was at a loss for what to say in our center feature this month. Collectively, we are managing as best we can in our new normal. What can I say that you haven’t already heard? After many hours of research and equal parts procrastination, I stopped in my tracks when I stumbled upon these photos by Denver native and local photographer, Kalen Jesse. Her stark images of our beloved city tell the story I was so desperately trying to find the words for. Our city is in a state of rest, quiet and calm. It’s a sight so foreign and at the same time devastating. To see small business shuttered is not an easy pill to swallow. But Kalen has captured the beauty in the nightmare, and this historical time is one that we will want to lean on for rumination.
A little about the artist behind the lens:
“When I was just a few years old, my parents would drop me off in my leotard at Grannyma Kit’s house after gymnastics, and she would hand me her 1981 Olympus 35mm to capture the butterflies and bees buzzing through her garden. This is one of my earliest memories of capturing the fleeting moments. Grannyma taught me how to compose a shot, hold my breath and then press the shutter when I was 10 years old, and then I inherited her old film cameras. My relationship with photography as a way to document life and connect with the natural world really developed with time as I gained a true love for exploring the outdoors and learned of life’s finite nature. Photography was my way of getting to know the new lands, waters and people. My camera forced me to be acute in my unfamiliar surroundings and I met some of my closest friends through the art. Photography as a way to connect with the world has changed my whole lifestyle, and it has been such a gift to bring this art and passion back to my hometown to document a quickly-changing and thriving city.
As someone who grew up in the heart of Denver and has watched this city through it all, I couldn’t help but document Denver’s transformation during COVID-19. We are experiencing something surreal and unprecedented. Amidst the uncertainty and fear, there are beautiful silver linings – people from all backgrounds collectively pulling together to support one another, a mutual understanding of leniency and respect, renewal of family bonds, people questioning the norm in a healthy way, a forced pause and reflection.”
Thank you, Kalen, for this photo exhibition of the town we hold so dear. Wishing you all health, while we anxiously await the time where we can gather again as a community, ready to rebuild, armed with an awakened sense of purpose.
To view more from this collection visit: https://kalenjessephotography.pixieset.com/denver-covid19
