Oct 27-Nov. 9, 2000 — Two thousand words. If a picture alone is worth a thousand, simple math would indicate that a picture with extensive commentary should be worth at least twice that.

But the value of the "Indivisible: Stories of American Community" exhibit which is enjoying its national premiere at the Terra Museum of American Art in Chicago, however; is incalculable. The exhibit is far more about communication, connection, and compassion than it is about computation. Three entities have partnered for this project: the Center for Creative Photography, the University of Arizona, and the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.

With funding from the Pew Charitable Trusts and the National Endowment for the Arts, 12 photographers from across the country were called upon to document life in 12 different communities. They were charged with exploring and recording ways in which the residents of these communities dealt with the issues facing them, from land management to drug dealing to cultural differences and assimilation.

The work of those photographers, supplemented by that of local historians and folklorists makes up the "Indivisible" exhibit, and spotlight 12 grassroots community initiatives across the country. From a San Francisco peer counseling program to a project enabling Texas migrant workers to build and finance their own homes to a marine wildlife preservation initiative in Alaska; the exhibit illustrates these actions that, when taken together, represent a collective voice resonating across the nation. And "across the nation" is just where this "Indivisible"—a visual as well as verbal exhibit—will be seen and heard.

The exhibit will be on display at the Terra Museum, 664 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, through November 26. It will then be seen in seven other locations, Arizona to Alaska, through December, 2002.

The project is multi-faceted: In addition to the touring museum exhibit of photos and text, it includes distribution of free postcards featuring photos from the exhibit, a Web site www.indivisible.org, and a symposium that featured several of the project's photographers, and documentarians as well as officials who are associated with a couple of the community initiatives included in this project.

In addition, W.W. Norton's new book, "Local Heroes Changing America," is associated with the project.

"People are rarely more heroic, rarely more beautiful, rarely more fully alive, than when they find fulfillment in each other and in community, " award-winning journalist Ray Suarez comments in the books' introduction. Not all the photos in the exhibit feature people, however.

The three-floor display may express uniformity in the narrow black frames, white mats, and similar sizes of the pictures hung for viewing, but subject matter varies almost as much as location.

From Florida to Alaska and Chicago, from black and white close-up portraits of children to color landscapes of logging country, the collection represents diversity. Elements in common from scene to scene, location to location and photographer to photographer mark the excellent technical and artistic aspects of the works. So does the compelling ability of the photos to engage the emotions as well as the intellect.

The taped oral histories add additional depth and power to the exhibit's impact. In total, there are 184 photos, among them with diptychs and triptychs (double and triple panels).

Among the 12 subject areas is a series of photos and interviews on the Yaak Valley Forest Community in Montana with photos by Terry Evans and Jens Lund. Evans was one of the photographers on hand for the exhibit's opening preview earlier this month.

Unlike many of the works in the exhibit, Evans' are in color rather than black and white. Subjects include a remote, tree covered elevation blanketed in snow.

The photo is representative of a major focus in residents' lives, Evans explained, that focus being land management and the need for peaceful dialogue between loggers and environmentalists.

"The scene is of a roadless area where the residents are very protective of their environment and privacy," Evans said, "The double panels and aerial view were my attempt to show the full scope of the spot, and the feeling of flying around the mountain.

"Getting permission to photograph and interview these people involved a great deal of trust on their part," she continued.

"They have a commitment to and passion for the land equal to the intensity of its natural beauty, and needed to know I could do justice to it," she said.

Evans' commentary is telling: the pictures that comprise "Indivisible" are being displayed not only for their artistic value but also for their thought-provoking subject matter.

Additional community projects covered in the exhibit are "Alaskan Fishing Communities," (photos by Lynn Davis and interviews by Jens Lund); "Alternatives Federal Credit Union" in Ithaca, New York, (photos by Bill Burke and interviews by Joe Wood); "CHALK" (Communities in Harmony Advocating for Learning and Kids) in San Francisco, (photos by Lauren Greenfield and interviews by George King); "Navajo Lifeways" (New Mexico and Arizona; photos by Lucy Capehart and interviews by Jack Loeffler); "Eau Claire Community Council" (South Carolina; photos by Eli Reed and interviews by George King); "Haitian Citizens Police Academy and Roving Patrol" (Florida; photos by Joan Liftin and interviews by Merle Augustin); "Handmade in America, Small Town Revitalization Project" (North Carolina; photos by Debbie Fleming Caffery and interviews by Jeff Whetstone); "Midwifery Practice and Doula Service," (New York; photos by Sylvia Plachy and interviews by Karen Michel); "Proyecto Azteca" (San Juan; photos by Danny Lyon and interviews by Daniel Rothenberg); "Southwest Youth Collaborative" (Chicago; photos by Dawoud Bey and interviews by Dan Collison); "The Village of Arts and Humanities" (Philadelphia; photos by Reagan Louie and interviews by Barry Dornfeld.)

In its most idealistic state, the project's purpose is to promote more widespread feelings of community across the country—and to get people involved in their own communities. Viewing this exhibit is a good place to start.