willits center for the arts: a day in the life of willits

A Day in the Life of Willits

What does a typical day in Willits look like?

Inspired by a series of “The Day in the Life” photographic books, the Willits Photography Club set out on May 10 to discover the answer to this question. They followed “The Day in the Life,” format of work published in the 1980’s, detailing a specific location on a specified date.

The mission was to take extraordinary photographs of ordinary events. Photographers fanned out through Willits and the surrounding area, from Brooktrails to Pine Mountain, and from the break of day until late into the evening they shot photos people, places and events, comprising a day in the life of Willits.

Photographers Judi Berdis, Shanna Braught, Mady Braught, Delores Braden, Greg Byers, Steve Eberhard, Ray Hansen, Cynthia Raiser Jeavons, Jim King, Stacey Patton, Pat Persico, Melodee Scofield, Lucy Shido, Ree Slocum, and Richard Wartell rose to the challenge to document the day.

Subjects were as varied as the photographers who set out to record the day’s events: Fields resplendent with flowers on a Spring day; children having a car wash to raise field trip funds; Eighth grade girls participating in Sister to Sister; Skateborders practicing their extreme sport in the new skate park; Cowboys tending to their ranch; Livestock; Little league ups and downs; Community workers; Celebration of Native American culture; Fire fighters in training; And the various citizens of Willits going about their business on a beautiful day in May.

Steve Eberhard took the challenge to a greater height by taking to the air with pilot Pete Swanson. Eberhard’s breath taking aerial photographs show the sweeping beauty of the valley and beyond.

Photographs taken on this typical day in the life of Willits will be displayed during The Art Butterfield Memorial Photography Show.