In Washington’s Fields

This past exhibition was on view from February 1, 2019 to May 10, 2020.

David Bacon is a photojournalist, author, activist, and organizer. Much of his work focuses on farm labor issues. While the people in his photographs are integral to the process of putting food on tables throughout the country, their daily lives are often unseen. This selection of photographs conveys stories of the people working in farm fields across central and western Washington, and their struggle for justice.

Image credit: living 6, David Bacon, photographic print, 2015 (detail). YAKIMA, WA-2015-The hands of Manuel Ortiz show a life of work. Ortiz came to the U.S. from Mexico as a bracero in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and spent decades as a farm worker in California and Washington.

We Are Here / Aquí Estamos

On view September 19, 2021 – January 2, 2022

Washington State is built on a sustained history of migrant labor, extending from mid-19th-century pack mule trains in the ore mines that were led by Mexican laborers to farm workers harvesting cherries in the modern-day commercial farming industry.

is a collaboration between undergraduate students in the College Assistant Migrant Program (CAMP) at the University of Washington and Borderland Collective, an art collective from Texas.

Students have been making work in collaboration with Borderland Collective and their families over the past year. These photographs, documents, and objects exploring migrant farm worker family life will be exhibited alongside items from the permanent collection of the Washington State History Museum. At the exhibition’s end, these new works will be included in the museum archives to add meaningful layers of context to the permanent collection. Museum visitors are invited to contribute to the project through several participatory activities.

Image credit: Washington_11, Gabby Ruiz