Deb Cronin, 2020
I was born and raised in Chelsea. I'm Polish and Irish, I was a cheerleader, figure skater, and a gymnast, a pageant queen (Miss Chelsea 1985), captain of the cheerleaders, played softball, and when I graduated at 17 years old, I ended up getting a job at the airport working underneath airplanes for seventeen years. I did a seven month stint as a flight attendant and hated it. I always wanted to be either a fireman or a carpenter, so I applied to both and the Carpenter's Union called me first. I asked if they had anything in Chelsea. They said there's a position, it's really hard work, but it's on your beloved bridge. It's been a year and a half and I'm still here. I don't know what my next adventure will be.
The People of Chelsea project
Darlene DeVita | Massachusetts, United States
Photographer: Darlene DeVita
Exhibit Title: The People of Chelsea project
Location: Massachusetts, United States
The People of Chelsea Project was born from a deep love of the city of Chelsea, for its rich culture, vibrant beauty, and resilient community. Just across the harbor and only a bridge away from Boston, yet culturally distinct from its larger metropolitan neighbor, Chelsea is too often overlooked.
This project features and celebrates its residents, businesses, and institutions – from activists to entrepreneurs, from city officials to students, from old timers to newcomers. The PoC project is a positive mirror to the community and an homage to those who make the city work every day, across ages, experiences, and languages. Particularly during COVID-19, the project was a meaningful departure from the disaster-oriented media narratives about Chelsea, and each showing of this work became a source of civic pride. Through strong local collaborations, we have highlighted a community that is so much more than its pandemic losses: a Chelsea that is resilient, creative, courageous and just.
In 2018, my colleague, multilingual writer and interviewer Sarah Putnam, joined me. She immediately fell in love with Chelsea and the opportunity to speak Spanish!
I am a photographer and 21-year resident of Chelsea, a tiny, dense city just across the harbor from Boston, MA. For the last nine years I’ve been falling deeper in love with this city and its people as I have been photographing them.
My goal is to give a presence to a resilient community whose voice has never really been heard. In fairly recent history, Chelsea suffered two devastating fires, went into receivership in the ‘90’s, and was impacted “first and worst” in the state by COVID-19.
In these portraits I insert a backdrop that belonged to my late sister, who was also a photographer. The background both honors the subject and silently keeps my sister present in my daily life and work.
I will continue to photograph and give voice to my city for as long as I feel I can represent it for what it is: a unique city filled with diversity, passion, and love for humanity.
Darlene DeVita
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