I recently stumbled on to a Facebook post announcing that the Arts Council of Hillsborough County had awarded a Professional Development Grant for 2019 to an artist by the name of Renato Rampolla. Something prompted me to dig a little deeper into who he was and what it was that landed him that award. It didn’t take long to find the answers I was looking for. He is an exceptionally talented photographer whose whose still images come to life right before your eyes. His recent work explores some very dark, but relevant issues…issues that many of us would prefer to bypass and ignore. He has dared to step out of his comfort zone, and into the trenches of our city’s homeless population, to listen to and tell the stories of the downtrodden…the hopeless…the destitute…the fallen. His objective: to make sure that we remain aware of and compassionate towards those who have had to endure these hardships. Each photo tells an incredibly detailed story of dreams deferred, denied, derailed, and/or sidetracked by unfortunate circumstances; some within the individual’s control, and some far beyond it. Renato has published a book of these photos titled “Dignity No Matter What”, which is available online, and at a few select locations in the bay area. All proceeds from the sale of this book go to a local, hands-on charity called Blanket Tampa Bay. For additional information on where to purchase the book, or how to donate directly to this worthy charity, visit Rampolla’s website at:
Tag Archives: original
The Bus of Broken Dreams
As I ride across America on the bus of broken dreams
I see so many different passengers, so many just like me
Heading to their destinations, lookin’ back at where they’ve been
Wonderin’ how things would’ve worked out if they could do it all again…
Open Mike 