Ivan Abarca-Torres (center), curator of the “Common Ground: Photography, Place and Community” exhibition. — Photo courtesy of the Somerville Museum

By Keith Foster

Cultural leader and community builder Ivan Abarca-Torres collaborated with 15 local artists who have chosen Somerville as their home to showcase their work in a curated tour, Common Ground: Photography, Place and Community, at the Somerville Museum, now through December 5.

The works, some on view for the first time, range from documentary to conceptual and are united by the perspective of artists living and working within this evolving urban environment. The exhibition explores how artists navigate and contribute to Somerville’s shifting identity, raising defining questions about place, community, and creative practice.

Henry Cataldo’s “Crossed Lines and Blue Note” from the project “Cars/Leaves/Reflections – Conversations with the Impressionists.” — Photos by Keith Foster

“I have been following the artistic scene in Somerville and in the region since I came here almost 15 years ago. At each Somerville Open Studios, I am thrilled to see how much the arts thrive in this city. Within the arts community, there’s a real jewel: a concentration of amazing photographers here in Somerville, many of whom are internationally recognized. I have been excited about and impressed by their distinct approaches to the medium,” says Abarca-Torres on what inspired him to do this exhibit.

“I also find it meaningful that so many are professors at colleges and universities in the area, influencing new generations of image-makers,” Abarca-Torres adds. “I also want to believe that in one way or another we are all influenced by the geography and environment where we live or grow up, and with this exhibition, I wanted to explore that idea and see if it is or is not reflected in the work of the photographers. The idea was not to show their work about Somerville (many of them do not feature this city in their work) but to show the diverse approaches and perspectives that photographers from Somerville have about the medium itself and about the world.”

A curated fridge by Yorgos Efthymiadis, celebrating fine art photography and connecting photographers with established and influential curators, galleries, publishers, and artists from around the world through free quarterly curated calls.

About how the artists were chosen, Abarca-Torres said, “Over the years, I have gotten to know the work of many of the photographers, and in conversation with some of them and others in the community, I received recommendations of other photographers to connect with. As for deciding which photographers to choose, I had to limit myself to fifteen and sought a balance of types of work to show a range”.

On what Somerville means to Abarca-Torres, “I love the fact that Somerville has many strong and supportive communities — creative, social, environmental, and immigrant communities (to name just a few) — in which people of all backgrounds connect and support each other. I have a deep commitment to this community, and it is reflected in the fact that I am very involved with multiple local cultural organizations and community groups.”

Go to https://www.somervillemuseum.org/ for more information on the exhibit.