Lakeland Photo Project
Description
Elena Volkova is a Ukrainian-American photographer based in Baltimore, Maryland. Volkova’s work engages around themes of liminality, subjectivity, and domesticity. Her process prioritizes connecting and engaging with her subjects in order to capture not only their likeness, but the essence of who they are. Through her use of tintype, one of the oldest forms of photography, she is able to capture deep shadows and dynamic portraits.
Volkova was commissioned by the CAPP Committee to work with the historically Black neighborhood of Lakeland, which is directly adjacent to College Park. The goal of this project is to create a living art archive of Lakeland today, through photography and visual storytelling. Volkova worked with the Lakeland Community Heritage Project and community leaders to connect with the community to create a participatory project. The involvement by the subjects shaped how it unfolded, and the subjects were invited to share stories in order to preserve the legacy of Lakeland in a meaningful, artistic way.
By capturing and connecting with a community that is experiencing intense gentrification to record their present moments, it is ensuring not only that they have a living archive, but also emphasizing the futures of the community. Many University of Maryland students are not even aware of the people who live in the neighborhoods that surround our campus, or their history. This project begins to bridge that gap with the community, connecting the campus to our neighbors.
CAPP Committee Selection 2024 - 2025
Tenth Cycle
Volkova was commissioned by the CAPP Committee to work with the historically Black neighborhood of Lakeland, which is directly adjacent to College Park. The goal of this project is to create a living art archive of Lakeland today, through photography and visual storytelling. Volkova worked with the Lakeland Community Heritage Project and community leaders to connect with the community to create a participatory project. The involvement by the subjects shaped how it unfolded, and the subjects were invited to share stories in order to preserve the legacy of Lakeland in a meaningful, artistic way.
By capturing and connecting with a community that is experiencing intense gentrification to record their present moments, it is ensuring not only that they have a living archive, but also emphasizing the futures of the community. Many University of Maryland students are not even aware of the people who live in the neighborhoods that surround our campus, or their history. This project begins to bridge that gap with the community, connecting the campus to our neighbors.
CAPP Committee Selection 2024 - 2025
Tenth Cycle
Creator
Elena Volkova
Date
2025
Files
Citation
Elena Volkova, “Lakeland Photo Project,” Contemporary Art Purchasing Program - Stamp Gallery, accessed March 12, 2026, https://contemporaryartumd.artinterp.org/omeka/items/show/154.