Local Photographer Creates Homeless Awareness Exhibit

Randy Bacon, a Springfield resident and professional photographer since 1984, has recently put an exhibit in the Springfield Art Museum. This exhibit is called “The Road I Call Home.” It’s a collection of studio portraits of homeless people around from Springfield. The goal of this exhibit is to bring awareness to the homeless population around Springfield as well as to spread one message from Randy, “That we’re all people and every single one of us matters.”

This exhibit contains the photos and stories of over 50 people. Each and everyone of these stories has its own unique twists and turns. Many of these people had moved into Springfield later in their lives and actually have full-time jobs. One man, Mark, is in his early 50s works a full-time job, and is considering going back to college. Within every story that is shared, be it from a single person, a couple, or a single mother, the end of their story always has a message of hope from those that have lost everything. At the end of every story is similar quote, to what the single mother, Lyzz, said, “My advice to others about how to live life to the fullest would be to keep looking to the future, not always to the past because the past can’t be changed. You can learn from it, but you can’t change it. That’s the most said thing. The past is the past, the future is the future. Go for what you can achieve, not for what you have achieved.”

Randy Bacon is not only the co-founder of the non profit organization “7 Billions Ones,” he is the artist behind all of the photos and short films produced by the group. On top of being a well known photographer, Randy is also a popular public speaker. Through and through even after 30 years his inspiration still comes from the single phrase, “You were born original.”