Polina Osherov

executive director polina osherov

pattern

Polina and a six-person photography crew from PATTERN, a cultural growth accelerator for creatives, had booked an April 2020 trip to Paris, where they planned to do a fashion editorial shoot on the beautiful streets and in the Gardens of Versailles. That was canceled due to COVID-19; meanwhile, PATTERN’s new cut-and-sew facility, StitchWorks, was busy creating thousands of protective gowns for local healthcare workers.

Ultimately, finding the right time, place and opportunity to make the most of this grant proved to be a greater challenge than I anticipated, so I got creative. I decided to take my team not to Paris, France, but to Gary, Indiana. Why Gary? PATTERN’s spring 2022 issue was broadly themed “Pride”: Hoosier pride, rainbow pride, live-yourbest-life pride, cultural heritage pride. Polina, who was born in Russia, and who has lived in Melbourne, Australia, and in Chicago, became intrigued by the history and heritage of Gary, particularly the city’s old buildings. Taking photographs in Gary brought its own unique joy and beautiful imagery. The biggest opportunity was being able to travel to a place I’ve never been before, and to learn about such an interesting community.

Doing fashion photography in Europe had been a long-time dream of Polina’s; she wanted to travel to Paris with a purpose beyond being a tourist. But she concluded that her time spent in Gary was just as satisfying as, though very different from, the experience she’d anticipated to have abroad. It feels good to see one's own resiliency in action, and appreciate that challenging times do not put an end to creativity or community.

"The ultimate lesson is that one can be creative and create anywhere."

Polina Osherov

PATTERNINDY.ORG / @POSHEROV