March 2020 rocked our collective and individual worlds. Complicated emotions and sights rush back while walking through Dan Waters’ stirring new photography exhibition, “Stay Safe, Stand Strong.” On view at the M.V. Museum through May 4, the show documents the resilience of the Vineyard community during the pandemic lockdown, which was punctuated by social justice movements and a historic election. The selection expresses how we, as an Island, responded to the challenges with strength and humanity.
While many of us felt unmoored because our daily lives and routines were upended, Waters, who had been documenting every aspect of the Island as part of a photographic time capsule, felt an urgent sense of purpose: “When the pandemic hit, the feeling at the time was that this was monumental. It could be catastrophic, but it’s definitely history in the making. We were told to shelter at home. My instinct was to go out and photograph this, because many visual things were happening that could be captured, that expressed not only how our lives change but also our thinking. It felt like a unique moment for a photographer.”
In the main room, we first see scenes of various gatherings before the pandemic, including a town meeting, high school graduation, and Chilmark Potluck Jam. “As a community, we tend to get together in a room and do things in very close proximity, whether eating, voting, or listening to music. This is a tribute to what we lost in 2020.”
The following section shows assorted photographs of how we stayed safe in the early days, reflecting the quickly changing landscape. A woman wearing gloves but no mask buys bleach and paper towels at Reliable Market. An employee at Benito’s Hair Salon checks a customer’s temperature before allowing him in, and the West Tisbury select board meets for the last time in person, voting to close all town buildings. The large image of the two tents outside the hospital’s emergency room divides those with COVID-19 symptoms from people with other concerns. “If it looks like a crime scene, it felt like that to many of us. It all felt strange and slightly sinister,” Waters says.
Iconic shots in the section “Holding Our Breaths” reflect what happened as the pandemic wore on. The sign greeting passengers right off the ferry lit up, stating, “Stay Home 14 Days,” referring to the quarantine for visitors to the Island. An image of the virtually empty Main Street in Vineyard Haven is worth a thousand words when you realize Waters took it on Memorial Day weekend.
While the towns were shuttered early on, we were not silent. With masks covering our mouths, we expressed our emotions in signs, whether posted, held up, or emblazoned on cars. “Summer 2020 Is Not Canceled,” “We Are All in This Together,” “M.V. Hospital Staff Are Heroes,” and “Thank You Reliable” were just a few of the signs reflecting a united spirit.
Waters simultaneously reflects the diverse voices in the photos of political action. He captured a Trump sign on the side of a building with a hole from a brick that had been thrown through it, and an intact replica just above it. A young woman holds a sign, “A Woman’s Place is in the White House.” A couple stand by their car, on top of which is a large sign with the words “Dump Trump, Vote Biden and Harris.” Another sign, “RIP RBG,” by the side of the road reminds us of Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s passing. There are those calling for Trump’s impeachment as well. “There was a lot of political unrest in 2020. It started with the impeachment of President Trump and ended with another. In between, Virginia ratified the Equal Rights Amendment. There were protests against the lockdown, and that closing down Island businesses was a form of socialism.” Waters includes a poignant shot along Beach Road where, just by the sign, “Entering Edgartown,” the words “This Is Stolen Land” had been spray-painted on the walking path.
The moving Black Lives Matter section reflects the support across the Island in every town. “There was a lot of movement for social justice. About every week, there was a march or a rally.” Masked protesters gather, carrying signs such as “White Silence Costs Lives,” “We Kneel in Solidarity,” and “Speak the Truth Even if Your Voice Shakes.” Waters says, “The Vineyard has its way of dealing with issues that the nation treats differently. For example, a Black Lives Matter rally in Waban Park is a safe place for children, and a learning experience. It’s not something to be afraid of. While it’s not a celebration, it is a way for us to come together as a community to express our values. In a time when you were not supposed to gather, we gathered anyway, because the cause was stronger than the danger.”
Waters shares other ways we united, such as people making handmade masks when there were no commercial ones available, since they were earmarked for emergency workers. “We felt strongly as a community about wearing masks. We felt like if we just obeyed the rules, this will be over. There were other communities where if you wore masks, you were abused or yelled at.” Waters includes images of the many food distribution organizations that went into high gear. “There was a sense of urgency, but also a sense of purpose. This was something they could do that was unquestionably positive, and it got people out, and physically helped. I felt the same sense of purpose.”
Even though “Stay Safe, Stand Strong” recalls the surreal quality of the time, Waters’ exhibit is poignant, heartening, and inspiring. “I want people to see what we survived, and how we survived. The Island has a gift for pulling together and inventing solutions that might not work in another community, but work here because we trust each other. We are resilient, and we have human resources. I don’t mean just talents, but our ability to give without expecting anything in return.”
“Stay Safe, Stand Strong,” on view at the M.V. Museum through May 4. For more information, visit mvmuseum.org/exhibitions. The Photographic Time Capsule Project received funding for film from the Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Council. Waters will be giving a talk on Feb. 12 at 5:30 pm. For tickets, visit mvmuseum.org/events.
