Indresano Studios is proud to announce that Medicine Wheel has named Michael Indresano as the 2019 Medicine Man of the Year. This prestigious award is meant to recognize a member of the community who has donated more than their fair share of time or resources to Medicine Wheel and aided in Medicine Wheel’s mission of promoting inclusion across all walks of life.
Michael served on the board of Medicine Wheel for 6 years, eventually being voted in as the chairman of the board.
(From Left to Right) Michael Indresano, Medicine Wheel Director Michael Dowling, Boston Police Commissioner William Gross, and Medicine Wheel Board of Directors member Mark McGonagle
—
The team at Indresano Studios has been honored to host multiple Medicine Wheel events and has had the pleasure of producing multiple promotional videos for Medicine Wheel to generate awareness of its Hand in Hand project.
Michael will be presented with the award at the 2019 “Turning The Wheel” event in Boston. For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, please visit www.mwponline.org.
The Indresano Studios team has partnered up with Medicine Wheel Productions to host Medicine Wheel’s “Hand in Hand” event, which aims to bridge the culture gap between some of Boston’s at-risk youth and the Boston Police Department. It is a full day of bonding activities, eventually culminating in a photoshoot at Indresano Studios!
—
In addition to hosting the photo shoot, the Indresano team is producing a short video for Medicine Wheel’s promotional purposes.
Hand In Hand brings together Boston Police officers and young adults, most of whom have had negative experiences with police in the past, to try to understand and accept their differences by embracing their similarities; namely their humanity, and common experience.
Medicine Wheel Hand in Hand – Hand Casting
—
Before the workshop began, our team interviewed a few of the young adults, as well as Medicine Wheel Director Michael Dowling and Director of Public Art and Advocacy Richard Dinsmore to learn a little more about what this program is and how it has helped the two communities become closer together.
—
Each young adult is paired with an officer, then the workshop begins with a meditation period. Following this, each participant writes an “I Am” poem about identity.
Medicine Wheel Hand in Hand – “I Am” Poems
—
Partners then create a mold of their clasped hands, which is later turned into a bronzed cast. These hand-in-hand statues are then displayed at Medicine Wheel, and at any events that Medicine Wheel hosts.
Medicine Wheel Hand in Hand – Hand Casting
—
After a short dinner, participants then head to Indresano Studios to get their portraits taken.
Boston Police Commissioner William Gross with Damarius
Medicine Wheel Director Michael Dowling with Mookie
—
Thank you to Boston PD, and Medicine Wheel and the young adults of Medicine Wheel for letting us be a part of this important day! We’re excited to help spread the word about this amazing program.
To see more of our photography and video work, please check us out at www.Indresano.com
2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Pine Street Inn, one of Boston’s largest providers of shelter and support for the city’s homeless population. In recognition of this milestone, and to give back to the community, we here at Indresano Studios have embarked on a documentary project with the Pine Street Inn in an effort to highlight the important work the Pine Street Inn provides to the city of Boston. The goals of this project are to give voice to Boston’s homeless community and to spread awareness of the resources still needed to support and re-house the city’s homeless population.
A moving quote from a Pine Street Inn Guest
—
The team’s first objective was to collect stories. The most effective way to humanize the issue of homelessness is to spread personal stories, experiences, and words.
The Indresano Studios team strategizes how to best capture these personal stories
—
Our team had the opportunity to interview three homeless men, John, Ray, and Jamil, on the first day of the shoot. In the interviews, our team learned details about each man’s past that led them to homelessness, their struggles to find housing and their hopes and goals for the future.
A behind the scenes glimpse at the video shotOur media pipeline allows us to monitor and rate clips as they are happeningThe Indresano Team got the chance to interview a former Pine Street Inn guest in his new home
—
The team’s 4th interview of the day was with Nelson, the director of the Pine Street Inn’s Outreach Program. The Pine Street Inn has multiple vans traveling Boston 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to help bring the Pine Street Inn’s support to people in need, rather than leaving them on their own to secure transportation to the shelter.
Nelson, Director of Pine Street Inn’s Outreach Program
—
Our team also had the distinct privilege of accompanying the outreach team on a particularly snowy night. Members of the outreach team supplied blankets, hot food, and other forms of support to members of Boston’s homeless community.
A homeless man receives a blanket and a ride to the Pine Street Inn from the snowy Boston nightMike, an Outreach worker with Pine Street Inn, talks to a man to ask if he wants a ride to the Pine Street Inn shelter.
—
As this project progresses, we hope to bring further updates to our readers. For now, it’s back to work on the Pine Street Inn’s 50th anniversary video!