About The Photography Exhibition
The IU Indianapolis Portraits of Resilience Art + Research Collab, led by Dr. Courtney Page-Tan, is proud to present the Portraits of Resilience Photography Exhibition.
This exhibition showcases a powerful visual exploration of community resilience and challenges in Indianapolis' Eastside neighborhoods, photographed and documented by an extraordinary group of local artists.
Featured Artists
Andre “Cheqwon”Parnell
Cierra Johnson
Corey Ewing
LaNiah Ray
About the IU Indianapolis Portraits of Resilience Art + Research Collab
The IU Indianapolis Portraits of Resilience Research + Art Collab, led by Dr. Courtney Page-Tan, Assistant Professor of Resilience and Public Affairs at the IU Indianapolis O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, emerges as a timely and innovative art and research collaboration with local artists.
This project is designed to investigate the sources of both resilience and risk within Indy neighborhoods in historically underrepresented communities, offering a unique lens through which members of the general public can gain valuable insights into sources of strength and challenges experienced by the community. The collaboration distinguishes itself by thoughtfully integrating rigorous academic research methodologies with the evocative and accessible power of photography.
The result of this project, carried out from March to April of 2025, aims to promote awareness of strengths to be celebrated and challenges that have gone unaddressed in Indy's Eastside communities.
Understanding and actively building community resilience in Indy is not merely a response to crises but a fundamental approach to creating a more robust, just, and sustainable future for all who call Indy home.
Lead Researcher
Dr. Courtney Page-Tan
Dr. Courtney Page-Tan is an Assistant Professor of Public Affairs & Community Resilience at The O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Indianapolis.
She is a former Postdoctoral Fellow in Computational Social Science at Wesleyan University and has a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northeastern University.
Her research examines how communities and social networks mitigate the adverse outcomes of unexpected shocks and short- and long-term stressors. She has advanced her work through community-based partnerships and private-sector partnerships with minority and women-owned enterprises (MWBE), such as ISeeChange and Nextdoor.
The findings of her research have made three primary contributions to the study of community resilience: that social capital, inclusive policymaking, and tech and innovation can mitigate rising inequalities in individual and community resilience. She has contributed to the United Nations' flagship disaster risk reduction (DRR) Global Assessment Report and consulted for The City of Cambridge, MA, ISeeChange, and the United Nations Development Programme.
The Photovoice Research Methodology
Photovoice, the methodology driving this research, is a group-based visual research method that utilizes photographs taken by participants to investigate and address community needs, promote individual and community empowerment, and create discussion that promotes community change.
Sponsors and Supporters
