What's your story?
Barni, Chandra & Diana are Culture Is Life, a women of color arts collective making art to uplift our community. We work collectively on Faces Of Garfield a community photography project in the Garfield Historic Neighborhood in central Phoenix. We walk around in our neighborhood and take portraits of the people we meet outside. We ask them questions about creativity, community and why they love our neighborhood. Anyone can upload their photographs to Instagram with the hashtag #FacesOfGarfield, so that their work can be included on our website FacesOfGarfield.org and will be in the exhibit. Faces of Garfield celebrates our beautiful community through art.
Where you originally from and why PHX?
Diana PĂ©rez-RamĂrez: I'm from Tijuana, Mexico. I came to Phoenix with my family when I was 10. I have been living in different neighborhoods across Phoenix including in and out of the Garfield District. Chandra, Barni and I are roommates and we have been living together in the Garfield for about a year.
Chandra Narcia: I am Akimel O’odham, Tohono O’odham, Laguna and Hopi. I grew up in Sacaton, Arizona in the Gila River Indian Community which is one of the tribes surrounding the Phoenix area. I've lived in New York, San Francisco and have been back in Phoenix for almost 2 years. This is my home and I love being close to my family and my community.
Barni Qaasim: I moved to Phoenix from Mogadishu, Somalia when I was 4. I lived in Seattle and San Francisco for about 10 years. I've been back in Phoenix for almost a year.
 What’s the future hold for PHX?
We all grew up in Phoenix or the surrounding areas. There have always been tons of talented people and artists here. Living in New York or San Francisco we would often think that the DJs or the muralists in Phoenix are some of the best. It seems like Phoenix is really starting to appreciate and encourage our own local artists. Its amazing to see how much central Phoenix has changed. We hope that this continues and that people coming from other places with resources and ideas continue to include the local people in the changes.
http://facesofgarfield.org/
For more info about Faces Of Garfield follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/facesofgarfield and InstagramÂ
Location: The Garfield Neighborhood 13th Street and Roosevelt
Photographer: Hector Primero
