Wolfeboro Library to host talk, exhibit on NH photographer's project on immigration

WOLFEBORO — An exhibit of photographs by New Hampshire artist Becky Field will be on exhibit at the Wolfeboro Public Library for the month of March. She will give a talk about her project at the library at noon on March 21.

In a state known for low cultural diversity, Field has used her camera to document and celebrate the lives of new Americans. Since 2012, she has been welcomed into homes of recent immigrants and refugees, and invited to photograph traditional and sacred celebrations throughout the Granite State. Her work shows that, while we are different in many ways, we all have the same desires for safe homes, good jobs, a strong future for our children, and freedom to practice our traditions.

“Cultural and ethnic diversity has been an important part of New Hampshire’s history, and continues to make our state a more interesting place for all of us,” said Field. She gives talks and displays her photos at museums, schools, churches, libraries, businesses, government offices, community groups, and conferences. In 2013, one of her photographs won an award in a photography magazine. In 2014, her work was selected for a juried exhibit at New Hampshire Institute of Art. In 2016, she was the Charles Sanborn Visiting Fellow at Derryfield School in Manchester. Recently her photographs have been added to the permanent art collections at the New Hampshire Institute of Art and the Mariposa Museum. Her project has been highlighted in New Hampshire Magazine, WMUR’s New Hampshire Chronicle, and several other area media.

A book of her photographs, "Different Roots, Common Dreams: New Hampshire's Cultural Diversity," includes an introduction by Maggie Hassan, former New Hampshire Governor, and stories by New Hampshire immigrants. The book has won two national awards.

Having seen the high value placed on education among immigrant families, Field partnered with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation in 2017 to start the Different Roots, Common Dreams Scholarship Fund, to help refugees and immigrants complete a four-year undergraduate degree. Field holds a Certificate in Photography from the New Hampshire Institute of Art, and has studied at

photography centers throughout the Northeast. She also sits on committees and boards of organizations that support immigrants and refugees in the state. She lives in Concord. Field's talk at the Wolfeboro Public Library will be at noon on Wednesday, March 21. Copies of her book will be available for purchase after the talk. The photo exhibit is sponsored by the Governor Wentworth Arts Council. For more information, call 603-569-2428.

Becky Field with young friends in Concord, whose family was originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Courtesy photo)

A young bride celebrating her wedding in Manchester, originally from Burundi, is featured on the cover of Becky Field's book, "Different Roots, Common Dreams: New Hampshire's Cultural Diversity." (Courtesy photo)