Many of you know Troy B. Thompson as the man behind Daedal Creations and the photographer behind, well, Troy B. Thompson Photography.  Still more of you probably know him as the creator of Social Web (and thus have him to thank when you can just head to socialweb.net to find out what’s happening where and when in Central MA).  Now you’ll have the opportunity to get involved with yet another of Troy’s brainchildren, one which combines his artistic creativity and his commitment to bringing our community together.

Troy’s latest endeavor is called the No Evil Project.  Basically, it’s an online community photography project that, according to Troy, is “…a little silly, but designed to get people to talk about labels, stereotypes, and the ‘Us vs. Them’ mentality that divides communities.”  Only a few months old, No Evil has, Troy shares happily, “…started discussions about religious coexistence, school bullying, college diversity…and people are even planning events around it.

The premise of the project is that just because people are different, it doesn’t mean they are evil; in truth, everyone is different and diversity creates stronger communities.  The project is meant to be ever-growing and to represent the broadest spectrum of people possible.  And how does Troy “collect” these people?  So far it’s been primarily word of mouth, personal invitations from Troy ~ who’s also been tirelessly taking photos of people at events and one-on-one ~ and a very successful photo booth at September’s stART on the Street festival.  But the more the merrier, so anyone interested in participating should head to www.noevilproject.com, submit three labels they feel people may use to judge them by ~ from race to religion to politics to occupation to favorite sports team ~  along with three photos of themselves posing as the three wise monkeys: “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”  Finally, they should share one good deed they’ve done to show that they’re not evil. Says Troy, “The collection is a positive message that shows a variety of people doing good in their community.”

Literally while we were doing this interview, Troy got word that The Hanover Theatre had enthusiastically agreed to display a very large ~ as in 19′ tall by 27′ wide ~ physical version of the project in their main lobby.  That means the stakes just got higher, as Troy’s goal is to create and hang a collage with around 250 people: “In particular, since people often judge by looks, I want to make sure there is visual diversity represented… people of various races and nationalities, socio-economic classes, personal styles from people in suits to leather and tattoos, people who pose in their occupational and military uniforms, as well as local celebrities or public figures whom people may recognize.”  There’s a page devoted solely to the exhibit on the website, so make sure to check it out.

Troy’s enthusiasm is contagious, and “There are already a few other groups interested in doing smaller exhibits, and two colleges interested in doing exhibits of their faculty / staff / students. Multiple organizations have invited me to come photograph their staff.” And now we all have a chance to get involved, so start thinking of your labels, take those three self-portraits, and join in on a project that’s already uniting our community…and make sure to spread the word to your friends and co-workers!  Troy sums it up best with, “…the way people are so interested in it and eager to help, it feels like the right thing to do. It’s really inspirational to see everyone coming together for something positive.”

www.noevilproject.com
www.facebook.com/noevilproject

Photo:  The Thompson Family