WATCH: 'Dear Brentwood' Project Captures Images Of The Community

BRENTWOOD, NY — For the second year in a row, a local teacher chose to highlight the community through the "Dear Brentwood" project. Dr. Rebecca Grella decided the start the project after ten years of capturing the images of the community and schools of Brentwood. As a result, she decided to collaborate with the students of Brentwood School District to share images and stories from the community.

The idea for the project evolved when Grella met and trained with photographers Rebecca Norris Webb and Alex Webb. After that, she created the project to shed light on all the "positive experiences that an educator and students have on an everyday basis in Brentwood."

"The images represent hopes and dreams, but most importantly the drive to succeed," Grella, who has worked as a teacher for the past 20 years, stated. "Dear Brentwood sheds light on what hope and courage mean to the students and incorporates their writing into the photographic journey."

From high school to elementary school, Grella, who also works as a teacher in the district, documents her journey with students and more importantly works with students to share their photographic vision. In addition to the photos, Brentwood graduate, Dudley Salmon of Dudley music, allowed the use of his music to be featured in each of the student compilations. This year, the project highlights life in Brentwood during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Our work showcases life, art, and solitude during the pandemic in the Brentwood community," Isabella Seda, a 2020 Brentwood graduate and Dear Brentwood photographer, said. "The project was started as a way for others to see the similarity between neighborhoods, despite their labels. The community of Brentwood has often been stigmatized for gang violence and all other negative attributes. We aim to show our strength as a community and our lives with this project."

Another photographer, Nelley Lopez, decided to be a part of the project as a way for others, outside of the community, to see that their neighborhoods are quite similar "despite the stigma behind their name."

"Media oftentimes projects Brentwood as something that it isn’t and this project is intended to truly display what Brentwood is, through the eyes of students," she said.

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