Colorado Springs from the Perspective of Judy Hess

By: Mary Kate Maloney

At 2 o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon, Judy Hess entered The Arc Pikes Peak Region offices sporting a few shades of pink and a flowered handbag held close to her. Charlotte McClanahan, who works for Judy during her day program, followed closely behind. A Colorado Springs native and long-term affiliate of The Arc, Judy is also a photographer, which was the topic of our Wednesday afternoon meeting. 

An Interest in Photography

Judy’s interest in photography started with a more general fascination with clippings of images and articles. She is a natural collector, always holding her clippings close to her so she can look through them whenever she likes.

When Judy’s purse began overflowing with small images and pieces of information, Charlotte had the idea to organize the collection into albums to fit neatly into a purse. This is when Judy and Charlotte set out to try photography, to fill albums with scenes from Judy’s everyday life, rather than from magazines and newspapers.

Judy and Charlotte have been doing photography for a few months now, having filled nearly three albums with snapshots of birds, streets, mountains, and other imagery of Colorado Springs. Together, they set out on their day, walking around town and stopping when Charlotte asks if Judy wants to take a photograph and Judy approves. Judy loves architecture, so they often linger on walks through downtown to capture the deep perspective created by a line of buildings or a row of pillars. 

A New Perspective

Judy’s photography allows spectators insight into her perspective on life, quite literally. Judy has a unique vantage point because of the way her body is positioned. To ensure Judy’s photography encompasses her vision, Charlotte angles the camera at exactly Judy’s line of sight. The result is a photo journal of Judy’s everyday experience that beautifully represents her viewpoint of the world. At the edge of many of her photos, observant viewers can see the corner of Judy’s handbag, like a signature marking her art.  

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We swiped past Judy’s iPad lock screen displaying Elvis Presley, her favorite musician, to look through some of Judy’s photos from the past couple of months. As we all flipped through the collection, Charlotte spoke to the photography process. “Because of the level of support necessary, it is hard for things to be all Judy,” Charlotte explained, “we try to facilitate artistic expression in a way that is meaningful to her”. For example, when deciding which photos are put in a photo album, Charlotte places two side by side, and Judy decides which of the two will stay. This is repeated until all the photos are weeded out except her favorites.

At The Arc PPR’s 2019 annual dinner, Judy shared her photography with the public, selling a few pieces. Mostly, however, Judy takes photos for her own enjoyment. There will be many long, leisurely strolls around Colorado Springs in Judy’s future, to fill albums with photos of flowers, architecture, (hopefully) a hummingbird, and the corners of her many purses.

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People with intellectual and developmental disabilities, like Judy, enjoy learning a variety of hobbies and skills. Building for Change will be a place where people of all abilities will come together to learn, socialize and grow. Learn more about Building for Change, a 100%-accessible life-skills resource center for people with disabilities, their families, and the community, here.