JACKSON, Wyo. — What price is paid to live in the wealthiest county in the United States?
That is the question local photographer Jessyca Vianey Valdez used to guide her exhibition “Invisible in Plain Sight | Invisible a Plena Vista,” now on display at The Center Theater Gallery.
Valdez is debuting a follow-up film and panel discussion titled, “No Longer Invisible: A Community Discussion,” Friday April 26 in the Center Theater, with an opening reception beginning at 6 p.m.
“No Longer Invisible: A Community Discussion,” is an opportunity for the community to hear from the families who participated in the exhibition through a bilingual panel discussion and a short film.
“Invisible in Plain Sight” documents the immigrant experience in Teton County through portraits and interviews with 11 families and individuals from Guatemala, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Peru.
Valdez, originally from Toluca, Mexico, moved to Jackson five years ago and began pursuing photography. She is a WESTFA BIPOC Artist Fund recipient, JH Public Art Community Artist and Arts for All recipient. She works as a Community Mobilizer for Voices JH and is a housekeeper.
Buckrail sat down with Valdez and her husband, Emmanuel Estrada Diaz, who helped with Spanish to English translations.
Valdez said the idea for the project came to her in 2022 and her goal is to showcase the cultural diversity and stories of resilience within the community. She said she aims to promote empathy, understanding and equality by revealing the richness and contributions that immigrants bring to the local society.
She said she documented her subjects over the course of a year and eight months, and that her favorite aspect of the project was learning about everyone’s stories and their journeys inside the United States. She said she enjoyed seeing the families growing and working hard over her time documenting them and the connections between the individuals and the community at large.
For the film portion of the project, Valdez is featuring the subjects of the exhibition and sharing more of their stories. She said this is the first film she’s made and that challenges arose with translations and getting schedules to align for the subjects. She’s spent seven months working on the film, with the help of her husband.
Six of the subjects from Invisible in Plain Sight will participate in the panel discussion, and all of the families featured in the project will be at the event.
Valdez says that she has plans for future projects sharing stories of immigrant experiences. Her next goal is to make a podcast with other families and create a part two to “Invisible in Plain Sight” with other families living in the area.
“No Longer Invisible: A Community Discussion” will be held in the Center Theater, Friday, April 26. The opening reception begins at 6 p.m. with a selection of foods including El Salvadoran pupusas, Guatemalan tamales, tacos from Mexico, Latin American desserts and Puerto Rican Coquito. The programming begins at 6:30 p.m.
No Más Invisible: Una Discusión de la Comunidad
- Center Theater Stage
- El 26 de abril
- 6:00 PM Recepción con comida
- 6:30 PM Evento en el Center Theater
Escuche a familias inmigrantes que participaron en Invisible a Plena Vista mientras comparten sus experiencias viviendo en el condado de Teton. El evento incluirá el estreno de la película de Invisible a Plena Vista, y una discusión bilingüe con las participantes.
A las 6:00 PM: Pupusas de El Salvador, tamales de Guatemala, tacos de México, postres de diferentes partes de América Latina, y coquito de Puerto Rico estarán ofrecidos.
