Changing the world won’t be achieved by some major global initiative, political movement, or a mass media effort. It won’t be led by a superstar or popular figure. Rather, true change for the better will be achieved one person at a time, sparked by an individual’s ability and desire to see themselves and the world around them more clearly. As each of us do the work of becoming better versions of ourselves, the world improves, it heals.

While looking someone in the face, our brains collect enormous amounts of data. We make assumptions based on physical traits like age, gender, and race. We also make inferences about what someone may be feeling or thinking. Within seconds of looking at someone, our brain can create an entire construct that includes the personality and character of the person we’re looking at. This mental process, called facereading, is the building block for empathy. And though we are good at facereading, its results are incomplete, biased, and shallow. The Community Portraits provide an opportunity to look into someone’s face and contemplate who they are. After a few minutes, a personal narrative written by the subject appears. This gives our mind new information to process and attribute to the subject, potentially challenging our perception. Now our brain gets to recognize and confront its own tendencies and limitations regarding its ability to perceive. Using information gained from neuropsychology, the aim of this project is to “rehumanize” ourselves: to see each other, our humanity, our uniqueness, and our sameness.

Community Portraits are video portraits inspired by the work of artist Susie J. Lee. It is an ongoing project and exhibit at Kansas State’s Beach Museum of Art. Video monitors are placed in public venues throughout the city of Manhattan, Kansas, for public viewing. The hope is for this project to spread beyond Manhattan, throughout the U.S., then internationally, collecting portraits and stories from around the world. This project is made possible through generous support from Art Bridges.