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Shifting Perceptions |
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 The artpassages exhibit, “Shifting Perceptions on the Urban Edge,” exploredthe effects of rapid suburban expansion into Brentwood's agricultural community. This exhibit of contemporary and historicalphotographs, oral histories, and farming objects told the stories of fifteen familieswho live and farm on the edge of residential developments in Brentwood. In the past 14 years, Brentwood’spopulation has grown from 7,500 to 47,000, and is expected to double within thenext ten years, making it one of the fastest growing cities in California. New residential developments in the region arebeing built on agricultural lands that have been farmed for as long as 180years. These new residentialdevelopments are changing the dynamics of the Brentwoodcommunity in fundamental ways. Membersof the old rural community feel displaced by the newcomers, and the newcomers,who often come from agricultural communities in other parts of the country,crave a sense of roots and belonging. Inaddition to telling the stories of Brentwood’s family farmers, this exhibit documented a moment in time of Brentwood’s rapidly changing farming community. Doreen Pierce Forlow, whoseimage, "Tractor" is displayed here, is one of the photographers whosework is featured in this exhibit. Doreen grew up on a walnut and apricot farmin Brentwood, so she found a naturalconnection to the family farmers she photographed. This exhibit wasconceived by Gail Wadsworth, and was sponsored by the East Contra CostaHistorical Society with support from the California Council for theHumanities.
“Shifting Perceptions on theUrban Edge” represented District 3, and was exhibited from August 5 toOctober 1, 2008, in the Contra Costa County Administration building.
View more about this exhibit here.
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