About Front Door Project

RNeighbors and Front Door Project partners made the decision to push the release of the portraits back until late June to allow for the Rochester community to grieve and heal from the killing of George Floyd.

It is our wish that eventually the Front Door Project unifies, but doesn’t drown out vital equity conversations and information that is important for our community to listen to and discuss at this time.

The goal of the Front Door Project is to document with photos and narrative, a diverse selection of Rochester, Minnesota, neighbors living through COVID-19. We hope this collaborative photo project spreads kindness and compassion while documenting neighbors, strengthening the fabric of our community through shared experience. Special thanks to similar photo projects that we’ve modeled this effort after, especially the Front Steps Project in Needham, Massachusetts, as well as the photo essay in the New York Times called Meet the Neighbors.

Working with our local partners we choose specific neighborhoods for this project to represent the vast diversity in Rochester.

Making social-distancing a priority, Fagan Studios is taking the photos. Participants will be asked 2-3 questions about what and how they are dealing with COVID-19 and what they are looking forward to in life after the Pandemic.

Images and narrative will be shared publicly via RNeighbors’ Facebook page on or before June 1, on RNeighbors.org, as well as in other community-building projects documenting COVID-19.

If your neighborhood is on the list, sign up for a time on the select day via your neighborhood leader. You will then know an approximate day and time for pictures. Step outside and wait. We may be a bit late, or a bit early. Please be patient, we’ll do our best to be on schedule. This information and more translated in Spanish and Somali here.

• Wear your everyday clothes. We want to see you as you are, right in this moment.
  If you are an Essential Worker, we’d love for you to wear your uniform for the picture.
• Remember to keep at least 10 feet from photographer. The photographer will provide instructions.
• You will be asked to sign a photo-release (permission to take photos), and asked your thoughts on COVID-19.
• Takes 10-15 minutes.
• Share your photo far and wide, reposting on social media #rochfrontdoor.

Photo Schedule

• Tuesday, May 5
  Assorted neighborhoods (SE and NE)
  Oak Terrace/Parkside (SE)
• Thursday, May 7
  Elton Hills (NW)
  Kutzky Park (NW)
• Tuesday, May 12
  Historic SW
  Folwell (SW)
• Tuesday, May 12
  Eastside (NE/SE)
• Thursday, May 14
  Meadow Park (SE)
  Slatterly Park (SE)

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