About The Newburgh Project

Growing up in the Hudson Valley, the city of Newburgh had a bad rap. Seemingly known, both in various media sources and among people in the surrounding region, for its violence, gangs, drugs, murder, abandoned, broken-down buildings and lack of economic opportunities, many people have a negative picture of Newburgh in their minds… and it’s easy to see why. I used to count myself among this group of Newburgh-naysayers. But in 2019, I found myself needing a new place to live and I started to see potential in the historic architecture, new businesses, creative community, beautiful views and diverse population, so I took a chance and moved into the City of Newburgh - having previously lived elsewhere in the area much of my life. After my move, I began taking to the streets with my.... smartphone. Initially, this was just something simple to share on my Instagram Stories, to maybe showcase a different point of view about this place, applying my photographic and visual storyteller sense to this city, while I still had more of a “newcomer’s” eye and capture what inspires me here; but, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, this has grown into a more substantial body of work, as I developed a routine of going for walks around the city to get exercise, sometimes going 5-6 mi at a time. And, even as the project evolved, I still haven’t brought my “real camera” - opting for the mobility, lightness and simplicity of the phone - a challenge to my own sentiments about the importance of “professional equipment”, however, it’s shown that my phone was highly capable and apparently, “the best camera [really is] is the one you have with you.”