In July 2007, Jen invited the entire Asheville community to come to her home studio and have their portraits taken for artistic and documentary purpose. The only requirements: subjects could come in any attire so long as it was honest to their daily persona; and all participants needed to bring an object, stance, pose, movement, or other creative sense with them that could identify with some aspect of their personality.

Over 100 sundry individuals participated. There were folks whose family had homesteaded in these mountains for over five generations, and people who had relocated to the area just two weeks previous from both Florida and New York. There were city council members, world-renowned musicians, business owners, veterans, peace activists, ex-cons, holy men & women, poets, authors, artists, hippies, homeless, and transient whatnots who felt the need to be documented as a part of Asheville during this exponential moment in history. Each portrait session lasted roughly an hour, half of the time being spent conversing with Jen. She was most interested in who each participant was, how he or she saw their role in the community, and why they felt Asheville was 'home'.

A month later Jen had taken 111 portraits and was days away from closing the studio to start on post-production, when one night her home was broken into and the studio destroyed. The vandals took her camera and lenses, as well as the hard-drive that contained all of the portraits. Within a matter of minutes, the hoodlums had destroyed several years' worth of work in gathering materials.

The human-interest in Jen's plight gained headlines in the local press, and the community's outpouring of concern was astonishing. One of the project's primary aspects was to display how incredible Asheville's community is, and how incredible communities are a collective made of incredible individuals.

Jen had briefly thought about ending the project immediately after the burglary, until she remembered the words of that great poet William Shakespeare: "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." She recognized the opportunity within the challenge to mount the project again. The community showed Jen that she now not only had a desire, but an obligation to continue this significant process.

Jen wanted to exhibit to the world how lucky we are to have such interesting, talented and compassionate friends and neighbors - and she was proven right! Cash donations came in from all over the city and beyond. Jen was also able raise a significant sum by organizing a silent auction stocked with community donations at the popular Lexington Ave. Arts & Fun Festival (LAAFF). The funds raised from within the community gave Jen enough to acquire new photo equipment, and the Regional Artist Grant awarded to her from local arts councils was able to help her with the costs of studio setup.

Now Jen is in the process of applying for 501(c)(3) umbrella status through local and regional arts organizations, including the Southern Documentary Fund of Duke University. This will allow all future monetary and in-kind donations to be tax-deductible. With each motion of support, Jen recognizes how fortunate she is to be a part of such an esteemed and caring city that truly supports both community and the creative process.

Jen gives a heartfelt thank you to her community and the city of Asheville for helping her live out the passion to complete this monumental project. She will start taking portraits again in January 2008 and will complete the studio process by April. The goal is to take a minimum of 300 portraits, documenting individuality and celebrating community.