MAKE IT LOUD BY BRIANNA MONROE

MAKE IT LOUD In the Line of Sight features Joshua Galloway’s protest images

BY BRIANNA MONROE

Charlotte photographer Joshua Galloway has been in the industry for around 12 years. His work has been featured in several nationally known publications including Essence and Ebony magazines.

This month, however, he’ll check off one milestone that he calls his top accomplishment beside becoming his own boss as a full-time photographer.

On Jan. 21, Galloway’s work will be featured in a new exhibit at The Light Factory titled In the Line of Sight, which highlights his coverage of the Black Lives Matter movement during the summer of 2020.

With the exhibit, Galloway aims to provide a truth to the Black narrative while inspiring racial inclusivity in the local photography scene.

Galloway, now 31, came to his photography journey through graphic design, a passion of his while studying computer science at Fayetteville State University before transferring to UNC Charlotte in 2009.

As he began to get deeper into graphic design, he came to the realization that he needed quality pictures to accompany his work.

That’s what led to Galloway purchasing his first camera, a Nikon D3000.

Since then, he’s built a name for himself both as a portrait artist and photojournalist. (Full disclosure: Queen City Nerve hired Galloway to help cover protests in Uptown in June 2020.)

For his portraiture work, Galloway uses a prime lens, which doesn’t have the ability to zoom, so he’s known for bending himself into abstract positions to get the shot he wants, forming a “human tripod,” as he calls it, to get the best angles.

He said he utilizes his past experience with dance as well as track and field to help him bust out moves while he works with clients. After all, the client isn’t the only person that should be moving during a shoot, Galloway said.

“We should be dancing. I should be dancing too.”

For the work featured in his new exhibit, however, Galloway put himself in precarious positions that had more to do with dodging tear gas and batons than getting the right angle.

JOSHUA GALLOWAY PHOTO BY ANTHONY MACKLIN

An unlikely friendship blooms from a chance meeting

Although he’s been familiar with The Light Factory for years, this is Joshua’s first time working with the Plaza Midwood photography studio, which is located in the back of the International House on Central Avenue.

He said he never felt qualified to be featured at The Light Factory, as he hadn’t seen many Black artists centered in the space.

The connection came from John Davis, a local photographer, owner of Jetpack Photos and a mentor to Galloway. Davis introduced Galloway to Kay Tuttle, executive director of The Light Factory, via group text, which led to an in-person meeting between Tuttle and Galloway at a local coffee shop. Galloway arrived at the meeting a bit shaken, as he had been followed by a police officer on his way there. This naturally led to a passionate conversation between Tuttle, a white woman, and Galloway, a A CHARLOTTE PROTESTER IN SUMMER 2020. younger Black man, PHOTO BY JOSHUA GALLOWAY about the Black Lives Matter movement. events and exhibits, a door was opened for In the Looking back at that first meeting, Line of Sight. Tuttle said it felt like she had “known “COVID opened the opportunity for change,” [Josh] forever.” They’ve become close said Tuttle, though 2021 brought more change to friends since, meeting regularly to discuss The Light Factory than how they book events. not only the exhibit but the goings on of Inspired partly by her conversations with the country. Galloway and by other factors, including a broad Tuttle made it her goal to help racial reckoning that occurred following Black Lives Galloway get exposure through a new Matters protests across the country, Tuttle went to exhibit, while Galloway made it his goal work on increasing inclusivity at The Light Factory. to educate Tuttle on issues in the Black While the gallery was closed for COVID, Tuttle community, while also pushing for more rearranged her staff and the way they operate, inclusion for people of color at The Light bringing on more people of color and holding Factory. regular meetings to educate staff on issues facing Change comes to The Light In 2021, Tuttle hopes to launch a residency program devoted to providing photographers of Factory color with equipment and guidance needed to

According to Tuttle, her meeting with Galloway elevate their creative endeavors. came at an opportune time. She told Queen City Nerve she would like for

Exhibits are usually booked at least three years Galloway to facilitate and lead this program, she just in advance, Tuttle explained, but with the COVID-19 needs to find the funding first. pandemic forcing the cancellation of multiple minority communities.

The importance of Black storytellers

Joshua noted that in the African-American community, photography is often looked at as a means of survival, with many talented folks limiting themselves to graduation and wedding photos because those are the highest-paying gigs.

There’s nothing wrong with that, Galloway said, as he cut his teeth on commercial photography, but he hopes to see more Black creatives empowered to “use your eye to create” and explore a different side of photography.

He described In the Line of Sight as a “humanbeing-focused” look at present-day America.

As Galloway described it, photojournalism has always been a “staple in history,” crucial to accurately depicting the Black narrative. It’s known that history books only tell a part of the IN THE LINE OF SIGHT WILL OPEN AT THE LIGHT FACTORY ON JAN. 21, BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. story, but photojournalism offers a truth that has PHOTO BY JOSHUA GALLOWAY to be seen and can’t be distorted.

In the Black community, specifically, the image makes a statement, setting the tone of backyard,” Galloway said. photojournalism has an important, though the work. Many images throughout the gallery are Some folks didn’t show up because of rumors emotional role to play. also blown up to amplify the message. connecting the spread of COVID-19 among the Black

“A portion hurts and a portion gives us One of the most challenging aspects of community to ongoing protests over the summer, something to cheer for” Galloway said. preparing the new exhibit came in narrowing down rumors that have since been debunked. He took the pieces to be included, said Tuttle, as In the Line it upon himself to hit the streets for those who Galloway gets loud of Sight features only a portion of what he captured. couldn’t come out for whatever reason.

In his own work, Galloway sees more creativity in The exhibit is intended to educate members of “This is what it looks like when someone who his freelance photojournalism work as compared to the community who couldn’t make it to the protests, looks like you documents your truth,” he said. “It is the intention put into his commercial photography. showing that what protesters dealt with in Uptown not about me, it’s about everybody,” said Galloway. A large portion of the work featured in the new Charlotte throughout June “can happen in your own exhibit feature images The movement never of signs that people dies held during the George The protests may have taken Floyd protests. place months ago but Galloway

“The signs were so feels that his exhibit is still timely loud,” Galloway said. as ever.

In fact, the exhibit “This was six months ago, and features some of “the it is still affecting us,” Galloway loudest statements said, adding that he wants to ever,” according to continue to spread the message Galloway, beginning that “Black lives matter because with the first picture they still do,” beyond the point gallery-goers see as when organizations and brands they enter the exhibit. are tweeting their support for the

Viewers are first movement because it’s trendy in faced with a full-wall the moment. image of a protester His images have also been holding a sign. The sheer size of PHOTO BY JOSHUA GALLOWAY PROTESTERS MARCH PAST THE EPICENTRE IN UPTOWN IN JUNE. used by local defense lawyers in court to provide context for cases related to the protests.

“Photography is my weapon,” Galloway said, a weapon that’s proven useful in fighting for social justice in the Black community, dispelling myths about what happened over the summer and shedding light on the Black narrative.

Tuttle hopes that through Galloway’s exhibit, people will “explore common humanity” and develop a sense of empathy for hardships that take place in the Black community. “It provides the opportunity for everyone in the community to have conversations.”

In the Line of Sight will open on Jan. 21, with an event scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Registration will be required so as to limit capacity, and 25 people will be taken through a tour of the exhibit at a time. Following the opening, the exhibit will be available for view via appointment only.

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MUSIC FEATURE The only solution is housing The ball got rolling in November when Fedor THE GOOD NEIGHBOR reached out to Roof Above and asked if they had any fundraising plans involving Charlotte’s music community. On learning they had none, he said he’d get back to them and started organizing. Roof Justin Fedor marshals a musical line-up to help those Above CEO Liz Clasen-Kelly says she first learned that a benefit concert was brewing when a former staffer told her in passing that some musicians were experiencing homelessness staging the concert to help her organization. encampment in Charlotte when one of his stepchildren asked the question that sparked his latest musical and philanthropic venture. The exchange is the emotional center of a direct and somber video that announces the launch of Love Thy Neighbor, A Tribute to Benefit Roof Above, scheduled for Jan. 15.

“We talk about the many reasons a person ends up sleeping at the side of the road in a tent,” Fedor narrates as the camera sweeps past images of people struggling to survive in the dead of winter. “And the 7-year-old wants to know who’s doing anything to help these people.”

The star-studded virtual concert, which goes up on Jan. 15 at 8 p.m., will benefit Roof Above, a charitable organization that formed from the merger of Urban Ministry Center and Men’s Shelter of Charlotte in May 2019. Featuring local and national acts, the tribute will pay homage to iconic musical artists who passed away in 2020. without giving them something in return.” “I thought, ‘That’s nice’” Clasen-Kelly says laughing. BY PAT MORAN She assumed the concert would be a modest affair, but

Justin Fedor was driving past a homeless tent about the event’s scope, scale and $100,000 target.

Collaborating with musician and filmmaker JUSTIN FEDOR Chris Walldorf of Charlotte mood rockers Moa, “[They’re] taking bold action through music for Fedor produced the video that lays out his reasons our neighbors experiencing homelessness,” Clasen-for supporting Roof Above. Kelly says. Certainly, the money would be well spent

“I can’t look [my children] in the eye, and say, on any of Roof Above’s ongoing efforts.‘Well, nobody is helping so far. We’re waiting to hear “We are huge believers that housing is the what the city has to say about it,’” Fedor tells Queen solution for homelessness,” she says. City Nerve. “If we’re waiting to see what the city has In the midst of the pandemic, Roof Above is to say, we’re going to keep waiting.” currently operating four emergency shelters for men

Charlotte’s homeless crisis, compounded by while partnering with Salvation Army to provide the COVID-19 pandemic and a severe shortage of shelter for women and families, bringing the total affordable housing, demands action now, Fedor number of operating shelters to five. insists. To that end, he’s also set up a GoFundMe The newest shelter is in a former hotel that page dedicated to raising $100,000 to aid Roof Roof Above purchased in 2020 that’s located on Above’s efforts to help the homeless. Clanton Road at I-77. It’s patterned on Moore Place,

“I wish the GoFundMe would be enough,” a housing complex the organization opened in 2012 Fedor says. “I hope before we get to January 15 the that provides residents with onsite case managers, a fundraising will already be done.” Ideally the concert nurse, a part-time psychiatrist and a staff member would raise bonus funds, but beyond that, the who holds group activities. Funds are needed to show will offer something to the community. “I’m help renovate the former hotel so it can replicate not trying to tell people to give Roof Above money Moore Place, home to 129 people. on a Christmas Eve phone call with Fedor, she learned

“There’s nearly three acres to accompany that hotel, which creates some privacy,” Clasen-Kelly offers. “Even though it borders I-77, there’s a sense of peace on the property.”

Roof Above aims to open permanent housing at the former hotel for 88 people by the end of 2021. In the meantime, the organization doesn’t want the structure to go unused.

“Right after we got it, we [entered] into this partnership with Salvation Army so that they could utilize it to shelter women and families in the winter time,” Clasen-Kelly explains. “We’re able to cover some of [Salvation Army’s] operating expenses, and they provided the staffing to operate the shelters. building in which people can take showers, do laundry, pick up mail and get connected to services such as emergency shelters, short-term housing and long-term supportive housing. The center also offers street outreach, a nurse and case management.

According to Fedor, Roof Above served 4,371 different people through their programs last year. The number increases when the soup kitchen and other outreach efforts are included.

“Between all the campuses, we serve about 1,200 people a day,” Clasen-Kelly says. Roof Above’s programs also helped move 403 people out of homelessness and into affordable housing in 2020, according to Fedor. The number of homeless people in all of

Mecklenburg County was at 2,782 as of Huly 31, 2020, according to the county’s Housing and

Homelessness Dashboard.

“Sadly, there’s always hundreds of people unsheltered in our community for many years now,” Clasen-Kelly offers.

Concerts for the children

Fedor, 43, is no stranger to taking action to benefit his neighbors. The founder of Charlotte roots rock combo The New Familiars also plays with indie psychedelia foursome Ancient Cities and Americana act Fedor & the Denim Denim, and has organized tribute concerts to benefit Levine Children’s Hospital for the past seven years. “I’m in the business of putting on concerts,” Fedor says. By his reckoning he’s put on 17 PHOTO BY BAILEY DAVIDSON concerts to benefit Levine Children’s Hospital since 2013. He started doing the concerts after several of his friends started dealing with their

Although the property will remain an children’s’ illnesses and hospitalizations. Other than emergency shelter through the winter, by late listening to his friends’ problems, he felt he couldn’t spring or early summer, that shelter will wind down, do anything to help. and Roof Above will start renovations. “One day I decided that I didn’t want to feel

But most public attention is focused on another helpless anymore,” Fedor remembers. “I wanted to homeless settlement: Tent City, the encampment help those people.” He decided to organize a benefit along West 12th Street that has become emblematic show for Levine. As the concert came together, Fedor of the city’s and county’s failure to address the heard that Ray Manzarek, keyboardist for The Doors, affordable housing crisis. The encampment has had died. Fedor hit upon a theme for the gig: Various expanded since forming in March, and it’s impossible Charlotte musicians would play two to three cover to ignore, as it runs parallel to I-277. versions of Doors tunes to pay tribute to Manzarek

“This encampment is in the consciousness of our and his musical legacy. That first benefit established community in a whole new way,” Clasen-Kelly says. a template that Fedor followed for subsequent “[Our] community is saying, ‘This isn’t who we want shows benefiting Levine, ranging from a 2013 Lou to be. This isn’t acceptable.’” Reed tribute after the Velvet Underground founder

Tent City first formed outside of Roof Above’s died to a tribute to Tom Petty after the beloved Day Services Center. Formerly known as Urban singer-songwriter passed in 2017. Ministry Center, Roof Above’s Day Services Center Soon, Fedor began to diversify his shows’ consists of a renovated train station and a new themes.

MUSIC FEATURE Music’s Gregg McCraw and Chris Walldorf of Sioux Sioux Studios. former Charlotte Hornets owner George Shinn, was previously the lead singer with Live. His band will “The concert is going to be pre-recorded so I’ll be happy to put someone’s logo up on the screen,” Musicians will cover artists such as Van Halen, cover a tune by Mazzy Star. Fedor says with a chuckle. “I’ve got no problem with

“Let’s be honest,” Fedor says. “[The new themes] John Prine, Rush, Billy Joe Shaver, Little Richard, Fedor will also reteam with his bandmates in that.” started because it’s kind of grim to always do a Fountains Of Wayne and more. Each artist’s Ancient Cities. In November, Brooklyn-based singer- As important as the fundraising is, Fedor concert when people die.” contributions will be pre-recorded, some from songwriter Nicole Atkins booked Ancient Cities to stresses the importance of the energy generated

In September 2015, Fedor realized the 14th studios spread across the country. play at her Last Waltz Tribute, a recreation of The by the event. It’s starting 2021 off with a feeling of anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks One of the biggest booking coups was getting Band’s memorable farewell concert, originally held possibility, he says, the energy of giving to others was coming up. The date became the basis of a Adam Lazzara, lead singer of Taking Back Sunday, on Thanksgiving weekend in 1976. and helping each other out. tribute to the music of New York City, with local onboard. Though the band had its beginnings in “That got us all itching to play together after musicians covering music by Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, The Ramones and more. Soon the benefit shows branched out to tributes devoted to decades — the music of the ’80s and the music of the ’90s. The concerts were all live at the Neighborhood Theatre, with anything from 12 to 15 bands playing covers, whether it was Traveling Wilburys or the Everly Brothers. That all changed when the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the city and necessitated the shutdown of Charlotte’s music venues. Fedor pivoted with online concerts. When John Prine passed in 2020, Fedor put together a virtual tribute, posting a different John Prine cover from a different artist every day for the month of June. Charlotte artists were joined by regional and national players like B.J. Barham of American Aquarium, Graham Sharp of Steep Canyon Rangers and Travis T. Warren of Blind Melon. In August, Fedor organized a tribute to iconic Black artists in support of Black Lives Matter. Every video that was posted linked directly to the Levine Children’s Hospital website, where viewers could make donations. The homeless situation is so severe, Fedor believes, that he’s temporarily diverging from his longstanding relationship with Levine to marshal Charlotte’s musical community to aid Roof Above. But that doesn’t mean he’s had a break with the hospital, he insists. “We’ll be back to serving Levine Children’s Hospital in the future,” Fedor stresses. “[But] we’re in a crisis here. The best thing I can do is equip the people on the front line every day.” Charlotte, they’ve outgrown the city since, and only one member (guitarist John Nolan) still lives in the Queen City. Fedor and Lazzara first hooked up years ago and had been talking about getting a “Tribute to Benefit” concert together for years. “Every time we were going to do a tribute, his studio had something going on.” It never worked out for the two to reconnect until now. “Jeremy Lynn Woodall, who is Billy Joe Shaver’s longtime guitar player [is] playing a song down in Texas to pay tribute to Billy Joe Shaver,” Fedor says. “Tyler Ramsey from Band of Horses [is] recording a song up in the foothills of North Carolina.” taking a whole year off, so we’re working up a number,” Fedor offers. Charlotte artists will record their songs at Queen City concert venues that have opened their doors for Love Thy Neighbor, including Middle C Jazz, Neighborhood Theatre, Petra’s and GrindHaus, Jason Jett’s new coworking music studio. With a growing concert bill and playlist, helping local artists to record safely at Charlotte venues has become a logistical challenge. “We have to clear the room and sanitize everything and have enough time for the air to circulate,” he says. “Then we bring the artist in and make sure that everybody stays safe.” A person with solutions Growing up in the South with an adopted Black brother, Fedor learned early on about injustice. Sticking up for what’s right became important to him. He attributes those values to his parents’ influence. “It [became] a personal passion … to be a person with solutions,” Fedor says. “That’s why I want to do a benefit concert like this. It seems like the right thing to do ... Each of us has a responsibility and a debt to pay back to our society. If you want a better society you’ve got to figure out a way to make it better.” Raising funding for Roof Above seemed an obvious way to better the community. Clasen-Kelly thinks housing is critical to people’s stability and their ability to have a meaningful life. Charlotte — and the nation — needs to rethink how we handle housing, she says, and how we support people we don’t have it. “The lives of people experiencing homelessness are as valuable as the lives of people with housing,” she offers, noting that a person could work two full-time jobs at minimum wage in Charlotte and still not afford housing. “If people felt and understood the full humanity of someone experiencing homelessness, it would change a lot of [their] actions.” “I’ve seen people coming out of those tents with babies,” Fedor says. “I’ve never seen this before in my lifetime.” In addition to raising much-needed funds for Roof Above, he hopes to bring people together through music. TENT CITY AT THE CORNER OF WEST 12TH AND NORTH COLLEGE STREETS. PHOTO CREDIT Love Thy Neighbor Graham Sharp of Steep Canyon Rangers is providing a tune, to be joined on the bill by Jim “It’s a beautiful thing to see everybody come together,” Fedor offers. Donations are already coming “People love the healing factor of music,” he says. But he also want to shine a spotlight on

The Jan. 15 benefit for Roof Above will pay Lauderdale and Charlotte performers like Benji in to the GoFundMe page (tinyurl.com/LoveThyCLT), homelessness and the affordable-housing crisis so tribute to all the exceptional artists who passed Hughes, Petrov, Moa, Swim in the Wild, Time and concert information and the promotional video we as a community can bring some resolution to the away in 2020. Sawyer, Alright, Ian Pasquini, The Eyebrows, Elonzo are both being shared on social media. issue.

“Being a virtual [concert], we were able to put Wesley, Wes Hamilton and more. Both Sharp and With private donations coming in, Fedor is “It’s tough to talk about this subject, but for our together a bill that we wouldn’t necessarily be able Lauderdale have won Grammys. hoping that in the course of the next two weeks neighbors, ourselves and our communities, we can to do if this were just a show at the Neighborhood Fedor will record with his current roots music businesses will come forward and pledge assistance. do better,” he says. “We have to do better.” Theatre,” Fedor says. Booking the electric and far- project Fedor & the Denim Denim. In addition, he Perhaps some larger corporations could pledge to reaching bill fell to Fedor with help from Maxx will play bass in Chris Shinn’s band. Shinn, the son of match what is raised by the concert, he suggests. PMORAN@QCNERVE.COM