St. Vincent Hall at Catholic Charities was abuzz Oct. 3, 2025, as 20 artists shared the stories behind their photos with more than 70 guests at the Visions of My Life: Annual Photo Exhibit.
Attendees mingled with animated artists who pointed to photos capturing unique points of view of Chicago skyscrapers, landscapes, and more they photographed as part of the After Supper Visions program at Catholic Charities. Since 2003, volunteers, including professional photographers, have been inviting guests of the Catholic Charities Sister Joyce Dura, O.S.F., Supper Program to participate in a photography project that culminates in an annual photo gallery exhibit. Supper guests with artistic skill and interest join After Supper Visions, where they are given cameras, attend photography classes, and participate in photo shoots. This artist community has several months in which to experiment, explore, and pursue their individual visions and creativity.
Dre, and his partner, Maya, participated in the photography program for the first time this year. He captured images of sunlight breaking over the Chicago Riverwalk and a unique point of view of the Willis Tower he photographed through a wire cutout he discovered on a fence. He said he enjoyed the program because “you get to see a different perspective from somebody else’s eyes.”
Maya was able to photograph a double rainbow after attending a nearby supper program, and a closeup of the beautiful bracelet that was a gift from Dre. “I enjoy this class because it shows me different aspects of photography,” Maya said in her artist statement. “It’s a great thing to show off your hidden talents.”
Another artist, Barry, displayed bright images of the flowers at the Chicago Botanic Garden, while artist Calvin displayed a black-and-white photo of the nine-foot-tall bronze sculpture of writer Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts. The statue, created by Chicago-born artist Simone Leigh, represents the labor of Black women and is installed in the north garden of the Art Institute of Chicago.
“It’s amazing that I can call myself an accomplished artist,” Calvin wrote in his artist statement next to his photos. “My creative and spiritual juices flow out like a waterfall — a gift from God.”
Kathryn Moery, and her husband, John, are weekly volunteers at the suppers hosted by the Chicago Health Initiative on Wednesday nights in St. Vincent Hall and personally know the artists who had photos on display.
“To support the mission of Catholic Charities is extremely important to me and my husband,” Kathryn said, admiring how the gallery exhibit was set up. “It’s easy to talk to the exhibitors because they want to talk about their work. The artists, they’re in my soul.”
View photos here from the 2025 photo exhibit event.
To view the artist photos for sale, visit https://aftersuppervisions.com/