2024 PROJECT 306.36 EXHIBITION
Photographs by Project 306.36 photographers Chloe Trofatter and John Stember
Boyd’s Station Gallery, 203 E. Pike Street, Cynthiana, KY 41003
September 6 - October 6, 2024
Opening Night Reception - Friday, September 6, 2024 from 6 - 8 pm
Exhibition Dates - September 6 through October 6, 2024 - The 2024 Project 306.36 photo exhibition at Boyd’s Station Gallery celebrates the amazing work of Boyd's Station Project 306.36 Ed Reinke Grant recipient Chloe Trofatter from Michigan State University and Tim Dillon Grant recipient John Stember from the University of Montana following 3-months of documenting Harrison County culminating in this amazing exhibition.
The collection of work by Trofatter and Stember will be displayed at the Boyd's Station Gallery during normal gallery weekend hours from September 6-October 6, 2024, and during the special opening reception on September 6 from 6-8 pm.
Chloe Trofatter
Chloe Trofatter, a Master's of Arts in Journalism student at Michigan State University, originally from Northern Michigan, was awarded the $3,000 Reinke Grant for Visual Storytelling by Boyd's Station to take part in Project 306.36 during the summer of 2024. Trofatter began working as a photojournalist at an early age as an intern photographer in high school at her Northern Michigan hometown newspaper founded by her grandfather.
“Boyd’s Station forces its participants to slow down and really become a part of the community they’re documenting. To do true documentary work, especially for three months straight, you have to earn the trust of your subjects. They must be a willing participant and therefore a collaborator to the story you’re trying to tell. That kind of trust can only come from true intentions. This project also proves that every community has a story that is worth telling - and if you can't find one, chances are you're not looking hard enough.”
Joyce Mitchell pets a baby goat during the Harrison County Fair’s third annual “Sunshine Day”, a morning where the fair was opened early exclusively for the elderly and adults and children with sensitivities and disabilities, on Thursday, July 18, 2024 at the Harrison County Fairgrounds in Cynthiana, Kentucky. Colson’s Hope Swiss Farm provided the petting zoo for the event. Photo by Chloe Trofatter
John Stember
John Stember, a Master's in Environmental Journalism student at the University of Montana, was awarded the $3,000 Tim Dillon Storytelling Grant.
“Back in 2015, I decided to bicycle by myself 2,000 miles from Minnesota to Oregon to get to know the United States. I knocked on strangers’ doors, slept in churches, dropped into community birthdays and fish fries, and traveled through Native American reservations. I found there's no better way to get to know a place than at 10 mph. I also learned how to walk up and talk to people.
This experience of traveling through rural communities, unfettered and on the ground, was my first attempt at chewing through Americana. I'm curious about people's lives, especially off the beaten track, and I love to listen. In addition, I’m not afraid to take big things and break them down into bite-sized pieces.”
Mike Jones, 30, plays guitar on Main Street below American flags in Cynthiana on Monday, July 1, 2024. Jones, who goes by So Serious Black, is a country and rap musician. He started recording back when he was 16 years old in a pantry closet. Photo by John Stember
Trofatter and Stember represent the 6th class of accomplished students at Boyd’s Station and Project 306.36. Our alumni have gone on to become professional photographers, writers, and artists throughout the country, and continue giving back to the program.
Since 2018, The Boyd’s Station Project 306.36 Visual Documentary and Writing annual archive project has focused solely on documenting the people and places of Harrison County, Kentucky creating an archive of these student journalists' work while mentoring and guiding the next generation of storytellers.
To learn more about Project 306.36, please visit www.boydsstation.org/about-306.
Boyd’s Station thanks the Clyde N. Day Foundation and the Nikon Professional Services (NPS) for their continued support and for providing funding and professional photographic equipment for these highly competitive grants, making Project 306.36 possible.
And a very special thanks to the community of Cynthiana and Harrison County, Kentucky for their hospitality and spirit which allows this project to be a success each year.
