Presented by Spokane County Library District

Spokane Creators

Bethany Mahan

I find the beauty in the mess of things, which started out in 2007 after I picked up a camera for the first time. I developed community with the outsiders of our society, in which I self-published a collaborative photography and poetry book, created hand and hand with homeless youth in the greater Spokane area

As a street photographer, I have been highlighted in the Spokesman Review vlog: “Street Storytelling”, as well as “Personalizing Poverty.” I have also been published in: Reflections, Yale Divinity School, “No More Excuses: Confronting Poverty” Volume 97, Number 2, Fall 2010 issue. Gonzaga University has also showcased my photography in a show entitled, “Faces of Poverty.” More recently my street images depicting the homeless are featured in the KSPS documentary titled, “Hidden in Plain Sight” For more examples of my work please visit my website.

In 2019, I developed a debilitating pain syndrome which has significantly reduced my abilities, overall, causing me to transition my art focus from being a street photographer to now becoming a painter of poetry. Continuous effort in my painting and writing continues to focus on the mess of things within the bounds of mercy, community and finding the light despite the surrounding darkness.

Hidden in Plain Sight

KSPS documentary

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