Faces of Innocence

At the peak of Munjoy Hill is the cozy Hilltop Cafe which housed Donald Verger‘s most recent show “Faces of Innocence”. This show featured a collection of work which focuses on a new subject, instead of the familiar lighthouses and nature scenes, Verger presents his audience with images of people. His style still holds onto the beautiful use of color, luminous light, as well as patience and the eye to catch that perfect moment. The photography embodies a new personality, people are caught in moments going about their daily lives, and presented for us to examine. Character shines through this collection and Verger’s photography is brought to a much more personal level as you see eye to eye with smiling strangers you’ve never met, but somehow feel that you’ve gotten to know then though the art alone.

Donald Verger has been working on his Innocence Project Benefit shows in order to aid and support The Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization based in New York, dedicated to freeing individuals accused and imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. This organization is also helping to fix problems in the criminal justice system which allow such errors to occur. Verger was a victim of misidentification and now uses his story as inspiration and his photography as a medium to help others.

Thank you for the support of all those who have come to shows and donated to the Innocence Project.

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Donald Verger and Eileen Skinner at The Innocence Project Benefit

This picture, taken on the Opening Reception for The Innocence Project Benefit at the North Star Cafe, shows Eileen Skinner, President and CEO of Mercy Hospital, and photographer, Donald Verger, sharing a laugh. Donald Verger’s opening reception raised over $2,000 for the nonprofit organization in New York. Eileen Skinner made a leadership donation to the Innocence Project, which Verger matched, also donating his image “Dawn of Peace”. Mr. Verger’s healing work is displayed in a rotating gallery in Mercy Hospital, a donation from this award winning photographer to be enjoyed by both the patients and staff. For more information about how you can help Mercy hospital, visit their page about giving to the hospital.

The show in the North Star Cafe lasted through the month of March, now for the month of April a new show will be on display at the Hilltop Cafe in Portland, ME. The Artist’s reception is part of the First Friday, Portland, Maine’s, Artwalk, Friday April 3, 5-7. Free coffee and tea will be donated by the Hilltop folks. 100% of sales will be donated to the Innocence Project by Verger. The story of Donald Verger’s inspiration for these charitable photography shows was printed in the Portland Press Herald and Munjoy Hill News.
Don’t miss a chace to enjoy new photography by Donald Verger!

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Innocence and Beauty

 

Photo by Donald Verger

This is an image loved by many people.  It was a quick snapshot taken while I was selling my images at Portland Maine’s Public Market.

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PICKING COTTON

There is a powerful new book, Picking Cotton, about misidentification. A powerful story of the criminal justice system going wrong and of ultimate forgiveness and new insights.

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Cases of Mistaken Identity

With Mr. Verger’s recent mishap of mistaken identity, eyes have been turned to recognize The Innocence Project as a way to help fix the system of identification. Their informing website educates you on the causes of these misidentified innocents, offers cases of these individuals, and offers options for how you can help.

Donald Verger’s case was that of “eyewitness misidentification”, the most common cause of mistaken identity.

A lot can be learned simply from the organization’s mission statement:

“The Innocence Project was founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University to assist prisoners who could be proven innocent through DNA testing. To date, 233 people in the United States have been exonerated by DNA testing, including 17 who served time on death row. These people served an average of 12 years in prison before exoneration and release.

The Innocence Project’s full-time staff attorneys and Cardozo clinic students provide direct representation or critical assistance in most of these cases. The Innocence Project’s groundbreaking use of DNA technology to free innocent people has provided irrefutable proof that wrongful convictions are not isolated or rare events but instead arise from systemic defects. Now an independent nonprofit organization closely affiliated with Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, the Innocence Project’s mission is nothing less than to free the staggering numbers of innocent people who remain incarcerated and to bring substantive reform to the system responsible for their unjust imprisonment.”

Read more at The Innocence Project. Please do what you can to help, perhaps even donate.

60 minutes

The program “60 Minutes”  featured cases of mistaken identity, and the causes of eyewitness misidentification.

Here are some videos: Manufacturing Memories, Catching the Right Criminal, 1983: Lenell Geter, and Stress and Memory.

“Picking Cotton”

Ronald Cotton, a man wrongly accused of rape, served 11 years in jail because of eyewitness misidentification.  Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, the woman who misidentified Ronald, now works with him to help fix these flaws in the criminal justice system in order to prevent cases like these. Their book Picking Cotton tells about their story and struggle with the case of misidentification.

CBS News Story, Eyewitness: How Accurate is Visual Memory, features this case.

We want to hear what you have to say. Have you been a victim of mistaken identity? Perhaps someone you know? Tell us your story.

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The Innocence Project Benefit

Throughout the month of March, Donald Verger’s photography will be featured in the North Star Music Cafe in Portland, Maine. 100% of the show’s proceeds will go to benefit The Innocence Project, a non-profit legal clinic dedicated to freeing those who are wrongfully convicted of crimes.

Mr. Verger’s inspiration for this show was an experience he had around the New Year, which he will not soon forget. The story was featured in The Portland Press Herald as well as on Munjoy Hill News. Mr. Verger was also featured in The Innocence Project’s blog.

Drop by the North Star Music Cafe to view the beautiful photography and help support the cause!

Thank you for your feedback and support.

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