Kelly White finds inspiration from everyday images she captures with the click of a camera.
White, a Palos Park resident, showcased some of those images at her “America 250 Exhibit Artist Reception” on July 1 at the Evergreen Park Library.
She is a reporter, photographer and edits for Southwest Regional Publishing, where her articles and photos appear reguarly in The Reporter and The Regional News newspapers.
Her exhibit is featured throughout the month on the main floor of the library. The photos mainly focus on smiling children in various poses that evoke images of the Fourth of July and the 250th anniversary of the United States.
“I was going to focus mainly on images of kids, but I decided to include photos I took while I was in Washington, D.C., around 2016,” White said. “But I mostly focused on the kids and their facial expressions for the exhibit.”
Those images include a photo of the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial, often referred to as the “Forgotten War.” White took a photo of a group of stainless steel statues representing Korean War soldiers from different backgrounds. The memorial was dedicated on July 27, 1995.
Another photo featured members of the Shepard High School JROTC.
White grew up in Chicago’s Scottsdale neighborhood and graduated from St. Bede Elementary School. She attended Mother McAuley High School and later graduated from Richards High School after moving to Chicago Ridge during her senior year of high school.
She later graduated from Saint Xavier University (SXU), where her passion for taking photos began. White then worked for the university’s newspaper, The Xavierite, and is now an adjunct communication professor who teaches journalism courses at SXU.
The America 250 Exhibit is a direct result of White’s earlier exhibit at the Beverly Arts Center in March, titled “Cheers to the South Side: A South Side Irish Pub Exhibit,” which focused on the exteriors of well-known Irish pubs in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood and included images such as green-tinted beer glasses.
Frank Murray, director of the Evergreen Park Library, viewed that exhibit and later asked White whether she would be interested in featuring photos at the library to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“I asked her if she could do it for July for us, and she said sure,” Murray said. “We are excited to have her work here. These images are great, and they capture the spirit of the 250th anniversary. It’s amazing she did this because she is so busy. I don’t know how she does it.”
The gallery of images mainly focuses on families and youngsters in colorful clothing, including one of a child holding a red, white and blue popsicle, a personal favorite of the photographer.
White said the majority of the photos of friends and their children were taken over Memorial Day weekend. She added that the exhibit features 42 photos.
The reception drew friends and local leaders, including Evergreen Park Mayor Kelly Burke; Palos Park Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters; William Bike, former editor of the Gazette Chicago; and Matt McKinney, artistic director of the Beverly Arts Center. A photo of Burke was part of the gallery, along with Kendall Coyne Schofield, the Palos Heights native and member of the U.S. women’s hockey team that captured a gold medal this year.
White has a busy schedule but still finds time to take part in social activities, including being a member of the Palos Park Woman’s Club and an ambassador for the She Can! Movement, along with attending events with her husband, Roger. Together, they have three daughters — Emerson, 9; Mila, 8; and Sawyer, 3 — who are also very active in various local programs and school activities.
Since this is her second photo exhibit this year, White was asked whether she would be interested in doing more.
“Oh yes, I would,” White said. “I like writing stories and taking photos. And every picture can also tell a story without words.”
