The Sunny Project—named after one of the collaborator’s newborn babies—was also born during the pandemic. Gesi Schilling, a Miami-based photographer, was inspired by the move to online print sales that began during quarantine and started her own. The first round of The Sunny Project raised more than $47,000 for local nonprofits that support women, children, and birthing centers.
Installation photos by: Rose Marie Cromwell
Now, guests can explore the second iteration of The Sunny Project from Friday to Sunday in Paradise Plaza, 151 NE 41st Street, Suite 133. The exhibition, titled Sun Pours Daylong, features 22 prints by Florida-based photographers, and are for sale for $125 for an 11x14 inch print and $250 for a 16x20 inch print. Collectors can have their photographs framed in black, white, or natural wood at an additional cost.
This time, each photographer has selected a local social justice organization and 100% of the proceeds of their respective print sales will go to their chosen organization. Organizations include The Miami Dream Defenders, dedicated to fighting for a free and flourishing democracy, and the Urban Oasis Project, a non-profit that supports locally grown produce in Miami-Dade since 2008, among others.
“All of the organizations are vital to our community; they bulwark against the consequences of systemic racism, and are especially important during this pandemic. Mine is the Miami-based Project Motherpath, one of nine black-owned birth centers in America,” explained Gesi, who continues to be a collaborator and organizer of the project.
Installation photos by: Rose Marie Cromwell
The prints are vibrant expressions of life in Florida, ranging from explorative portraits of individuals who call this state home, stills of bright fauna, imaginative captures of shadows, reflections, and communities, and compelling angles of seascapes.
The exhibitors include celebrated Anastasia Samoylova, who recently showed her collection of photographs, FloodZone, at the USF Contemporary Art Museum, and had work acquired by the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago and the Peréz Art Museum Miami; and Edwin Beauchamp, a locally respected illustrator, photographer, and DJ. The show was also organized by some of the exhibiting photographers: Gesi Schilling, Rose Marie Cromwell, and Adler Guerrier.
We encourage you to stop by the exhibition and explore which photograph compels you and read about which organization your purchase supports!
Installation photos by: Rose Marie Cromwell
