There Is More Work To Be Done
Inspired by the work of George “Elfie” Ballis (1925 - 2010), “There is More Work to Be Done” is a celebration of the work for equitable, affordable, and stronger communities in rural America.
In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Housing Assistance Council, To Be Done Studio worked to chronicle the work and impact of Ballis both during and after his lifetime.
NOVA SCOTIA: Glace Bay, 1969 (George Ballis)
George Ballis had a storied career at the intersection of photography and social justice. He chronicled seminal movements in American history such as the work of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party as well as the experiences of the United Farm Workers movement and Cesar Chavez.
He chronicled seminal movements in American history such as the work of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party as well as the experiences of the United Farm Workers movement and Cesar Chavez.
PUERTO RICO: Santa Catalina, 1969 (George Ballis)
PUERTO RICO: Near Barranquitas, 1969 (George Ballis)
Inspired by his legacy, To Be Done Studio curated an online photographic exhibition showcasing families and communities of rural America.
The abandoned and dilapidated labor camps, also known as “El Campito” to the former residents, in Wasco, California (Jennifer Emerling)
Fair housing and healthy communities should not be a fight, it is a right that TBD will now and forever champion.
Arlis Fields has lived in Hazard's Grapevine community since before the “new road” was built. The Housing Development Alliance is repairing his bathroom, which has been damaged by a water leak. (Shawn Poynter)
POPLAR, CA - 10 AUGUST 2020 - Gloria Lacambacal came from the Philippines 20 years ago, and worked in the fields all those years. She holds a Filipino variety of squash that she grew in her backyard in a home in Poplar that they built as part of the self-help program. (David Bacon)
To showcase the progress that has been made for rural housing development since Ballis’ time, TBD partnered with five local photographers and housing organizations in Appalachia, the rural South, and California.
David Bacon (Poplar, CA)
Rory Doyle with Delta Design Build (Moorhead, MS)
Jennifer Emerling with Wasco Affordable Housing (Wasco, CA)
Najib Joe Hakim with Self-Help Enterprises (Patterson, CA)
Shawn Poynter with Housing Development Alliance (Hazard, KY)
Originally scheduled to be physically displayed HAC’s 50th anniversary event, TBD adapted to national health and safety protocols and transformed the exhibition into a virtual format for wider reach and public safety.
The exhibition displays the Places of rural America, its People, their Perseverance, and the Process of change still underway today.
The photos of rural communities today display the progress of rural housing including the self-help housing movement and the impact Ballis's work played in its success.
However, over 60 years since Ballis made his mark, there is still much to do for many communities.
We must finish what George Ballis and his peers started, correct the injustices still present, and push the movement forward.
The need for documenting the issues plaguing communities is still present, as is fighting for fair and equitable housing solutions on a national scale.
Such work is at the cornerstone of TBD’s mission and practice, and we hope others will join us.
We must keep going, as there is more work to be done.
To view the full exhibition, visit www.thereismoreworktobedone.com.