Nick Vedros, an internationally known commercial photographer, will present slides of photos he took of Kansas prison inmates at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3 in the Fulkerson Center at Missouri Western State University. “Faces of Change” is part of the Peace and Conflict Lecture Studies and is free and open to the public.
Vedros’ list of clients includes Apple, McDonalds, Bayer, Capital One, Qualcomm, Coca-Cola, DuPont, IBM, Microsoft, Sony, MasterCard and Sprint. But “Faces of Change” represents his collaboration with Reaching Out From Within, a volunteer program that sponsors self-help programs for inmates who desire to make changes in their behavior. Vedros visited Kansas penitentiaries with the organization, shooting images of the facilities and the people who live there.
“I was enlightened,” Vedros told KC Studio about first visiting the Lansing Correctional Facility. “The inmates in the medium and maximum security groups were intelligent, articulate, quick-witted, welcoming, sincere, and affectionate – all the characteristics I cherish in my circle of friends.”
Lansing Correctional Facility, copyright Nick Vedros 2015
Reaching Out From Within founder SuEllen Fried will also attend “Faces of Change” to discuss the program which focuses on non-violence and personal growth for those incarcerated in Kansas prisons.
“Faces of Change” is also the name of an exhibit of Vedros’ work with Reaching Out From Within that will open Nov. 20 at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Nov. 3 event is sponsored by Missouri Western’s Peace and Conflict Studies program, the Department of Art and the Missouri Western State University Foundation.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.