Eye to Eyes
Your Portrait, Your Story, Our Humanity.
A 2027 exhibition at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
Eye to Eyes is a portrait of Sonoma County told through its people. At its core is a simple affirmation:
We are here together, we are in it together.
Where to Find Us
Our mobile photography studio is traveling across Sonoma County, inviting residents to step forward, be photographed, and share their stories in their own handwriting. Each portrait—set against a stark white backdrop—reveals individuality with striking clarity, while each handwritten reflection transforms image into dialogue. In this encounter of gaze and word, subject and viewer meet as equals.
Nov. 1
Sonoma
3-7pm
Sonoma Community Center
276 Napa Street, Sonoma CA
Nov. 22
Sonoma
11am - 3pm
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
551 Broadway, Sonoma, CA
Drop in to have your portrait taken and get a free print!
Contact Us
About Eye to Eyes
The Eye to Eyes project honors the everyday heroes living in Sonoma County—farmers, teachers, immigrants, elders, youth, and more—people who form the true heartbeat of the community. Every life is presented with equal dignity, affirming our shared humanity.
Collaboration is central to the process. Local college students join as apprentices, learning photography and production while experiencing art as an act of trust and belonging. The making of the portraits is as meaningful as their presentation.
These works form a living archive: 1,000 portraits and stories reveal the dignity of everyday people, everyday life. In seeing others, we are invited to reflect upon ourselves. The small community of Sonoma is part of a larger, interconnected story—California, the United States, the world.
The exhibition begins at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (SVMA) and then travels to other communities, portraying local stories that resonate in other regions. A companion book will preserve the archive for generations to come.
At its heart, Eye to Eyes is an act of empathy—an invitation to see, to understand, and to recognize the common bond of humanity.
The Eye to Eyes Portrait Project was conceived by Jock McDonald while observing how much time we spend looking at our phones instead of looking each other in the eye. When we look at our phones, we are not “here” — not truly present. As a community, it is a necessity for us to interact with each other “eye to eyes.”
This project is made possible through the support of:
PARTNER
SPONSOR
SPONSOR
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Media
Media exposure is key to the implementation of the Eye to Eyes Portrait Project. Through media support, we’re able to reach more people and grow the project beyond its grassroots beginnings, changing how we interact as a society.
