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A few years ago Ginny Dixon (who is a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer, an instructor at the Miami Ad School and also Dr. Dawn Bearden’s wonderful friend) created a project as a fundraiser for the Center for Assisted Living of South Florida called Uncensored Life: Raw Beauty.
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The mission of the project was to be an innovative visual arts project designed to inspire the public to create new perceptions, transform stereotypes and break through personal obstacles by expanding awareness of women with physical challenges.
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On May 19th 2006 the project was turned into a hugely successful photo exhibit portaying 20 women with disabilities and physical challenges as strong, sexy, uplifting and inspiring photographic images. Ginny Dixon invited Dr Bearden to be one of the 10 contibuting photographers (whose awesome pictures are displayed on this blog post) for the exhibit – which, of course, was an invitation that she was honored to accept! Many of the photos that night were enlarged to sizes much larger than life – some as big as 10ft by 10ft. Dr Bearden was in awe to see her own photograph enlarged to around 10×10 and in a successful Miami photo exhibit!! It was a truely amazing and inspirational project.
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Since the open of the inspiring photo exhibit in Miami Art District and the Miami Design District in 2006 – which had originally started as a fundraiser….it now has ballooned and continues to expand to other states and countries. This project has now blossomed into its very own book “The Raw Beauty Project”…..with ALL proceeds going to the Center for Assisted Living of South Florida.
You can CLICK HERE to purchase the book – “The Raw Beauty Project” !!
All proceeds go to the Center for Assisted Living of South Florida.
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A Quote from the Raw Beauty Project Website: Raw Beauty was a collaboration of 10 photographers and 20 women with disabilities. The photographers worked closely with the women to create images that were anything but predictable when one thinks of a disability. You are invited to look past what you perceive as disabled and see them as powerful, beautiful and extremely extraordinary women that they are.
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Dr Dawn Bearden was really excited to be a invited as a contributing photographer for the Raw Beauty project….and she’s totally thrilled that the project has now come out as its very own book with all of the proceeds going to the Center for Assisted Living in Florida.
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In addition to having a passion for being an Eye Doctor / Optometrist – Dr. Bearden has always had a true passion for photography. She started taking pictures and developing them in the darkroom when she was in grade school (around age 11). In high school she was in the photography club and in college, her Minor was Photography. Year after year, through Optometry school and beyond – you would see her with the camera in her hand at every event – just enjoying every minute behind the camera.
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After many years as a hobby, Dr Bearden decided to take it to the next level in 2004 when she enrolled in The Art Institute of Ft Lauderdale for Photography. Here is where she really learned the details about lighting, composition and flow. She also started taking workshops and courses to better herself as a professional photographer. She has been taught in workshops by Matthew Jordan Smith (a celebrity fashion photographer from America’s Next Top Model and author of Sepia Dreams) and Seth Resnick (a world famous editorial, corporate and stock photographer). Photography has always been and always will be one of Dr Bearden’s true passions. The Raw Beauty Project was her first photographic exhibit.
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Here is a picture of the postcard for the Miami exhibit that took place in
Miami’s Art and Design Districts in 2006:
Uncensored Life: Raw Beauty - postcard for exhibit in Miami
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Ginny had a dream…..and she made it happen….she is a true leader and a real VISIONARY.
And THAT is what life is all about!
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