Where They Still Remain is a project that focuses on the African American and Wampanoag indigenous communities who have coexisted for hundreds of years on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts. The work is a memorial to these people, past and present. In it, I attempt to make the unseen seen by shining a light on histories lost due to erasure. The work consists of my original photography (medium + large format film), vernacular/archival images from both communities, and historical texts that I’ve redacted. My connection to the work is direct—I am part of the historical tradition of African American families who have found a safe haven on the island since before Emancipation.

Where They Still Remain was originally the basis of my thesis for the University of Hartford MFA in Photography program, which I graduated from in August 2023. I’ve returned to the island several times since to make additional work, but the balance I’ve achieved with the various mediums feels complete. My goal is to work with a publisher on a traditional photobook, as I've already created a 'dummy' self-published version as part of my MFA program.

In terms of how I would leverage the Project Launch Grant, first would be a contribution to the book’s creation. I previously had a smaller publisher committed to the project, but their ability to partner on it has been put on hold by unforeseen circumstances. It's my desire to find a publisher who's interested in taking the book and body of work to that next step. On top of producing a print portfolio for reviews like Santa Fe and future gallery meetings, I'm interested in using the funds to engage with a Black and/or Indigenous writer for an essay within the book, adding another layer of context for the viewer/reader. I believe the work to be resonant both with the community it concerns and an international audience who should recognize its themes of erasure and perseverance.

I was drawn to photography for its ability to clarify the complex and the indescribable. The strongest images do so with a distinct emotional resonance –in just a few frames. Judging this grant rearmed my belief in photography. I saw work that inspired curiosity, cultivated humility, and – forgive the cliché – left me seeing my surroundings in a different way.

In the winning project Where They Still Remain, Austin Bryant pays tribute to the African American and Wampanoag indigenous communities that reside on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Merging his own original photography with carefully curated – and, on occasions, altered – archival materials, Bryant draws evocative and thought-provoking observations about land, the humans who shape it, and the material and cultural heritage they leave behind. There is a remarkable intentionality in each frame – it is clear Bryant deeply cares about the area and its people.

I also want to acknowledge another deeply moving project I saw. In Cancer Works, Annie Flanagan documents their experience going through chemotherapy after they were diagnosed with breast cancer. The work intertwines the raw and the poetic seamlessly. Their photographs – and their words – are something that will stay with me for a long time.

– Jehan Jillani • Visuals Editor, The Atlantic

Archival pigment prints, sized 16"x20", 24"x30", and 40"x50" with solid wood frames. Vernacular imagery reprinted as archival pigment prints, with 19th and early 20th century repurposed frames.