3/10/23
By Sue-Ann DeVito
๐๐น ๐ฆ๐๐ฒรฑ๐ผ ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ / ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ
Our friend Dora told us to make sure that we saw Tom Keiferโs pop up art show in Ajo Plaza.
I canโt begin to describe the emotions I experienced when I saw his photography. Many of you have heard me talk about shoelaces, and about how border patrol unrightfully takes personal possessions from asylum seekers. Tomโs photos have documented this.
Tom, originally from California moved to this area to photograph landscapes. He took a job as a janitor with Customs and Border Patrol.
When emptying the trash, he realized that good food was being disposed of. With permission, he collected the food and gave it to local food pantries.
He then started collecting the personal items of asylum seekers. Passports, birth certificates, private letters, rosaries, bibles, even a CD collection that one played while crossing the desert and so much more.
The piece that had such a profound impact on me was the shoe laces. Here within this art show lies the evidence of what I witnessed In direct contradiction with the Customs and Border Patrolโs stated policy.
Well, I took some photos, I encourage you to go to his website to read about his story and see more.
While in the gallery, a video was playing. Our friend Dora shared her story as she was in Tomโs studio. You will see how the items she touched brought back memories of her journey
Tom has committed his time and money into documenting a piece of the inhumane process. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to see his work. You can learn more about Tom and his work here: