By Jennifer Janviere
It all began with a captivating image.
While accompanying National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry on a trip through a remote part of Tibet, Milwaukee gallery owner Rob Quinn captured the portrait of an anonymous young girl.
The photograph (nicknamed “pigtails”) immediately captivated the gallery owner’s wife and accomplished doll maker, Wendy. Rob and Wendy decided to seek out craftswomen in the town of Yauli, Peru (reknown for its expert knitters) to create hand-made replicas of the striking photograph.
For the Quinns, this also became an opportunity to develop a business capable of generating sustainable revenue for the Yauli community. The craftswomen would knit each doll, and the Quinns would sell the finished product in their gallery, returning the profits to the Peruvian town. From this chain of events, the Underwood Foundation doll project was born.
The Quinns teamed up with Diederich College of Communication Advisory Board Member Dan Patrinos and the trio contacted Marquette about promoting the project through a collaborative class effort. Linda Menck, the College’s professional-in-residence and digital storytelling proponent, quickly became involved. Continue reading ‘Students Help Showcase Global Project Through Digital Storytelling’
