Jim Hale Photography

One of the greatest blessings of my photography life has been my association with School of Performing Arts in the Richmond Community (SPARC) and its nationally recognized LIVE ARTS program, fronted by Richmond's own Jason Mraz. Jason brings the worlds' top performers to town every year for the annual LIVE ARTS show, celebrating the artistic achievements of dozens of disabled students, who take the stage with an equal number of able bodied students. Headliners featured here are Sarah Bareilles, Josh Groban, Rob Thomas, and of course the great Jason Mraz. Also included are a few shots from Jason's "Have It All" music video, shot at Richmond's Binford Middle School.

Hip Hop star Christylez Bacon brought his impressive talents to Richmond in March of 2019 as the featured artist for the annual Poetry Out Loud Contest, sponsored by the Virginia Commision for the Arts. In addition to being one of the most stylish entertainers around, Bacon is a comprehensive artist and teacher. Over the course of two days, he dazzled high school students in a songwriting workshop and delighted a packed house and television audience at the studios of WCVE. In a rousing encore, Bacon blew the roof off of VCU's Museum of Contemporary Art.

In the spring of 2017 I received a call from the Reverend Mother Stella Marie of the Carmelite Monastery under construction in Fairfield, PA to see if I was interested in documenting this unique project. The Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is attracting international attention along with some of the world's finest Stone Masons and Timber Framers. Constructed entirely in the medieval style, it will be the first of its kind in North America. Getting to know these saintly women and the fascinating cast of characters involved has been a labor of love. The Sisters live a life of prayer and penance behind the cloister walls, thus it is forbidden to show images of their faces. But don't worry, they are the most joyful people I have ever come across!