THE BEGINNING
This blog post is an email that was sent to the contact list for May We Rise. To get updates on the project including travel locations, art shows, and participation opportunities — directly to your inbox — sign up here
Hi Friendly Soul,
It's Jenifer Fairchild -- or Jen Fairchild ;) -- and you're getting this email because at some point over the past 10 years we've either worked together directly, or our paths have crossed through my work as a photographer. This message feels like it's been a long time coming, and I'm glad to finally 'reintroduce' myself, share my purpose, and reconnect with you in hopes of either continuing a working relationship, or to part ways in a way that feels stable, amicable, mutual, grounded and clear.
My journey with photography began when I was 3 years old, and the exact moment I discovered the camera was thankfully caught on videotape, by my mother. Since then I have danced in concentric circles around it as a tool and means for understanding myself, my environment, my people, and this world, in a long stream of varying mediums and endeavors - through fashion, weddings, couples, families, events, film festivals, branding, and most importantly - nude portraits. This last endeavor is the one that has helped me realize my calling and purpose, recognizing that supporting others on their body loving journey through the vehicle of photography is what I came here to do. My hope is that all those who step in front of my lens will find a deeper level of appreciation and respect for their 'first and most precious home' to find peace in their bodies, peace in themselves, and ultimately, peace in this world.
This is all to say that my path has become very focused in that from this point on I will only be offering nude portraiture, both in personalized long form sessions via jenfairchild.com, and in shorter bursts of 100 folks at a time -- in 20 minute private sessions -- through my traveling art project, May We Rise (formerly WE ARE SHE) which you can find more information on, here: maywerise.com. Additionally, for personal reasons I will no longer be offering sessions in Utah, and below is a list of destinations where I will continue to work.
To speak directly to how I believe nude portraiture can benefit humanity:
No political, legal, educational, medical, governmental, religious, corporate, or familial system has authority over who we are as individuals, and yet we've been deeply conditioned to believe it to be so, and as such routinely give our power away. I believe that systems should serve the Human, not the other way around, and that cultivating individual autonomy is of utmost importance right now in our rapidly changing world. Viewed through a lens of love during a nude portrait session is an opportunity to see yourself in your Full Humanity, and my belief is that if you can see yourself, you can know yourself, and if you can know yourself, you can begin to love yourself, and if you can love yourself, you can begin to move through the world in a way that is authentic to ~you~, which benefits everyone, because acting in alignment with your own highest good -- according to your own inner guidance system -- is part & parcel of the highest good of everyone. This is the power of art, collectively seeing and celebrating ourselves as we truly are, and this is, I believe, how we can create real change within individuals, families, communities, societies, and ultimately -- the world.
As I said, our world is changing at breakneck speed, and that pace will only continue to unfold as we evolve as a people. I understand my contribution to be one of grounding, and centering -- offering those that step in front of my lens for a nude portrait the opportunity to be seen in their most 'naked' form (no pun intended) so that they might discover an anchor within ~themselves~, and a safe haven in their ~body~, and connection to their ~intuition~ in order to comfortably navigate the changing tides. It feels urgent to me, this mission and this work, and I'm hopeful that if nothing else, the message I'm sharing with you today catalyzes self-reflection and a deepened sense of hope and purpose for the future of this world.
Keep reading for:
an INVITATION
an ask for financial SUPPORT to expand the work
offers for May We Rise EMPLOYMENT
an ask for Salt Lake City VOLUNTEERS
final CHECKLIST of links & resources to LEARN MORE
a list of Ticket & Photoshoot DATES
a REINTRODUCTION!
AN INVITATION
5 years ago on March 6, 2020, over 300 people gathered at Publik Coffee in downtown Salt Lake City to view a series of images -- 160 images, to be exact, of the 160 women that answered a call to participate in an intimate portrait project. This project, originally called WE ARE SHE themovement, was created with the purest intention to bring a group of women together in the name of bodily acceptance and celebration of the nude form - however ours looked - to find solidarity and empowerment as women of worth on this planet.
That night was the first time the participants -- all those who'd signed up for a photoshoot -- had seen the images, and I chose to reveal them in a public group setting -- with the participants surrounded by both their personal community of people along the other participants -- as a way to heal all of the damaging self narratives that we carry around almost unconsciously (ones that tell us we are not good enough simply as we are) on a collective level. To say that that gathering experience was profound, is in itself a profound understatement. There are no words to describe what it felt like to be in that room that night, but I knew at that moment that I'd found the work I would be doing/working towards/advocating for, for the rest of my days.
Though it's taken me 5 years of deep personal work in order to fully embody this project and embrace my path and purpose, I am reaching out now because on March 8, 2025 -- International Women's Day -- at Publik Coffee in Downtown Salt Lake City, I am inviting you reading this and all past participants to gather, view, and participate in the next installation of the project, kicking off with an Opening Night Art Show REUNION/RELAUNCH event, where the original 'body' of work will be presented along with a collection of never before seen 'nude in nature' art prints made throughout the majestic landscape of Utah from 2017-2021.
The purpose for the event is threefold: 01) an opportunity to REUNITE, RECONNECT, REENERGIZE and REAWAKEN the intention behind the formerly female centric project (entitled WE ARE SHE themovement), 02) to formally RELAUNCH it into the world under it's new and more INCLUSIVE vision and name (May We Rise THEMOVEMENT) designed to individually photograph and celebrate groups of 100 people at a time in the name of elevating the nude form of all genders, all abilities, and all orientations, to works of art in the name of EMPOWERMENT and collective HEALING , and 03) to kick off a cross-country/cross-continental pilgrimage I will embark upon to CONNECT the project with other businesses, galleries, and organizations who feel aligned with the vision for the work, in order to EXPAND the project to its full POTENTIAL.
Furthermore, the Opening Night REUNION/RELAUNCH event will be an opportunity for local artists to gather and share their work, and there will be a presentation of the additional work being done to spread the word about the project, including the creation of a periodical, expanding a petition, and ideas for community outreach and youth support -- all on the topic of self/body image.
As stated above, the next wave of THEMOVEMENT is open to all bodies, and I am formally inviting YOU to become the vision for the project by signing up to purchase a photoshoot timeslot and participate March 10th-14th -- the week following the REUNION/RELAUNCH event. Access to purchase a photoshoot timeslot is open to event ticket holders, first, and to the general public, second.
To purchase a ticket to the REUNION/RELAUNCH -- available to you now -- click HERE, and please feel free to share this link with your circle of people.
AN ASK FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO EXPAND THE WORK
I am embarking on a cross-country/cross-continental tour after the Closing Night Invite Only Event happening Friday March 21st to begin building personal connections and relationships with artists, art gallerists, businesses, and like-minded entrepreneurs/healers/mentors in order to share the vision of the project, and expand the network for future installations. Funds from EVENT TICKETS and PHOTOSHOOTS will support this practical footwork intended to spread the word and grow the project in a way that both maintains integrity, and honors the intention & vision. In addition to expanding installations, a periodical -- entitled THE SHIFT -- is in the works to be created as a platform to further share the work, and funds will support this endeavor as well.
If you are in a place of abundance and would like to contribute to this work and the expansion of this project, you can purchase a TRAVEL STIPEND beginning at $45, HERE -- either independently or in addition to an Opening Night ticket/Photoshoot -- and receive a small complimentary house plant as symbol of your nurturance, at the end of the Opening Night REUNION/RELAUNCH event. Plants are only available the night of the event, and you must attend in order to receive it.
With plans in place to take this project around the world to support its fullest realization, locations on the docket to begin networking/scouting are as follows:
UNITED STATES:
Los Angeles, CA
Billings, MT
Cheyenne, WY
Boulder, CO
Sedona, AZ
Scottsdale, AS
Santa Fe, NM
Abiquiu, NM
Taos, NM
Boston, MA
New York, NY
AROUND THE WORLD:
Bristol, UK
Plymouth, UK
Exeter, UK
Melbourne, AU
Tasmania, AU
Galway, IRL
Killarney, IRL
Trallee, IRL
Wellington, NZ
Hamilton, NZ
Auckland, NZ
Dehli, IN
Jaipur, IN
The first leg of travel from March 26th - June 19th will take me to all of the US locations listed here, along with those listed for the UK. As you may have noticed, Utah is not on the list and this REUNION/RELAUNCH and installation will be the last time I offer this work in Salt Lake City. This is from a perspective of growth, expansion, and aligning with my highest good as recommended to me by a skilled Jyotishi.
The eventual goal is to employ a team of photographers in order to expand the project to more cities, where those that are involved are supported best. If you are a photographer, or know someone who is, and you are interested in joining the project, please reach out HERE.
OFFERS FOR MAY WE RISE EMPLOYMENT
Though I will still offer a handful of personal nude portrait sessions in the cities listed above, the bulk of my work will be in executing up to 9 two-week ART SHOW INSTALLATIONS per year, as well as the production of THE SHIFT -- one periodical per installation. THE SHIFT periodical will be both a platform to showcase the work from May We Rise installations, and through 'integrative marketing' provide a resource for folks in underprivileged communities to begin to connect with the world of healers, teachers, artists, and mentors, in a way that's not readily available in our current magazine/marketing world. The periodical will be in addition to the Fine Art Book offered to participants of THEMOVEMENT, and will be free to the general public.
In this way, the periodical will begin to make normal, through integration into everyday society, viewing the nude form through the lens of neutrality and art, vs any other degrading or charged way we experience it within our culture, now. My hope is that naturalizing the nude form will contribute to neutralizing the nude form, so that violence will not befall those intent on viewing it in person, when they have not been given consent to do so.
If you have any interest in supporting this vision and this work, either the periodical or the installation, I will need a teammate, or two, to help bring it all to life. Design support, logistical/administrative work, general organization, and other tasks as they arise that I will not be able to attend to, are positions available immediately.
Please reach out with what resonates, what feels aligned, and how you foresee your skill set and beautiful self enfolding into the project.
AN ASK FOR SALT LAKE CITY VOLUNTEERS
If you are not interested in long term employment but would like to help with the Salt Lake City Installation in any capacity, please view available positions below, and SIGN UP and learn more about what each position entails HERE:
Raffle Ticket Coordinator (1-2 people) & House Plant Distributor (1-2 people) for the Opening Night Art Show RELAUNCH/REUNION event Saturday March 8th
Book Sales at Closing Night Event (3 people)
Email Correspondent (1 person) -- help with participant communication leading up to and during shoot week
Print Distributor (1-2 people) for Closing Night event March 21st
Artist Relations (1 person) -- communicating with past participants to organize community art show/performances for both Opening and Closing Night events
Check-in Guide (1 person per day - 9a to 5p) during the week of shoots March 10th-14th -- help facilitate 100 photoshoots in 5 days!
Set-up/take-down for both Open and Closing Night events (3-5 people) -- checking tickets, cleanup, general organization, 'many hands makes light labor', etc. etc.
'Installation Hub' (1 person) -- someone willing to act as coordinator post Closing Night event to facilitate and distribute the Fine Art Books/remaining Fine Art Prints
Audio Video (1 person) tech for both Opening and Closing Night events
Volunteers will receive a complimentary ticket to the Opening Night Art Show REUNION/RELAUNCH event. CLICK HERE to sign up & learn more about the positions, and I thank you in advance for your time & efforts to support!
FINAL CHECKLIST OF LINKS & WAYS TO LEARN MORE
If you would like to learn more about how the installation works from Opening Night to Shoot Week to Closing Night to the Fine Art Book etc., along with the overall vision for MAY WE RISE, you can visit the website HERE.
If you would like to attend the Opening Night Art Show REUNION/RELAUNCH on March 8th 2025, you can purchase a ticket HERE. TICKET BREAKDOWN: There are 300 tickets available in total for the Opening Night REUNION/RELAUNCH Event, and Closing Night is INVITE ONLY for participants and their circle of people. For Opening Night REUNION/RELAUNCH there are 50 tickets slotted for ***Extra*** Early Bird pricing at $27, 50 tickets slotted for Early Bird pricing at $36, and 200 tickets slotted for Regular Ticket price at $45. Each ticket will include ONE Event Ticket, ONE Raffle Ticket for an art print drawn that night, and FIRST ACCESS to purchase a photoshoot timeslot. ADDITIONALLY, if you are in a place of abundance and would like to contribute to the very real practical work it is going to take to spread the word about this project, you can purchase a TRAVEL STIPEND, beginning at $45, and receive a small complimentary house plant as a symbol of your nurturance, at the end of the Opening Night REUNION/RELAUNCH event. Plants are only available the night of the event, and you must attend in order to receive it.
If you would like to contribute to this work ~without~ attending the REUNION/RELAUNCH, you can do so by independently purchasing a TRAVEL STIPEND, HERE.
If you would like to VOLUNTEER your time or skills in any capacity, please simply reply to this email with your intention, and I will gladly bring you into the fold and delegate tasks as I see fit, as I cannot do this alone!
A LIST OF DATES
TODAY Thursday January 30, 2025 — tickets are available for purchase for the Opening Night Art Show REUNION/RELAUNCH event
PUBLIC Sunday February 2, 2025 — tickets available for Opening Night Art Show REUNION/RELAUNCH event
Sunday February 2, 2025 — EMAIL LIST purchase photoshoot timeslot
Friday February 7, 2025 — PUBLIC purchase photoshoot timeslot
TICKETS AND PHOTOSHOOTS WILL SELL OUT, so promptly purchasing a TICKET now, and planning to purchase your TIMESLOT on Sunday February 2nd, or 7th is advised.
A REINTRODUCTION
This last year pushed me to my limit day in and day out, but I do not regret a single moment of it because it brought me here, and I understand now that it was all in service to and in preparation for me to live my truest life path. To commemorate and honor this incredible initiation into my life's purpose I made a significant change to my appearance, and can honestly say that I've never felt more like myself in my entire life. So much so that it has me wanting to carry around a razor and offer this feeling of freedom and power to every woman I pass on the street. ;) Joking aside, to inspire self-reflection, self-acceptance, and perhaps even self-love, along with a shift in perspective in regards to our beautiful homes we inhabit here on earth -- our bodies -- is my deepest desire and most humble goal, with this work. Thank you for letting me share it, with you.
Thank you, so much, for your time, and if you do not wish to keep in touch with further project updates/needs/opportunities to support, simply reply to this email with your wish to 'Unsubscribe' and I will remove you from my contacts. I will miss you.
Love,
Jenifer
PS. Please feel free to forward this email to your friends, family, enemies, colleagues, or anyone else in your circle you think it would resonate with, and I've also made it into a blog post which you can find HERE for safekeeping, comments, and general good luck. :) Thank you!
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Thank you, for being here
