Olivia Longo studied the image of herself; the 22-year-old had been asked to express the feeling of being bored. 

“I thought about wanting to do things independently,” Olivia explained.

The piece is part of an exhibition called “Bored.” Created through a partnership between the Down Syndrome Association of Northwest Indiana, or DSA NWI, and Real Video Production CO., the series depicts 14 different people with Down syndrome showing what it means to be bored. 

As people with Down syndrome get older, care services tend to drop-off. With limited transportation and employment options, Christine Longo said boredom is an all too familiar feeling for many people who have Down syndrome. 

Christine, who is both Olivia’s mom and the executive director of DSA NWI, said the exhibit hopes to dispel some assumptions people have about individuals with Down syndrome.

Christine said people often underestimate those with Down syndrome and employers can be hesitant to hire them.

“I think they (individuals with Down syndrome) can do more than we think they can,” Christine said. 

The halls of the Crown Point Library were lined with the black and white photographs during a Wednesday evening reception. The event marked the end of the exhibit’s tour; the images have also been on display at the Zhou B Art Center in the Bridgeport neighborhood, at Real Video’s Crown Point studio and at Faith Church in Dyer.

“To see themselves surrounded by other pieces of art, it just makes them believe that they belong in a space like this, that they matter,” Christine said. 

All of the photos feature people the DSA serves; DSA members even shot some of the photos and were invited to paint colorful shapes during the photoshoot. The bright paintings were then superimposed onto the photographs. 

The importance of representation 

Started in 1987 by a group of parents, DSA NWI’s goal is to be a resource for people with Down syndrome and their families. The nonprofit has two “Friendship Centers,” one in Crown Point and another in Schererville. The DSA hosts a full calendar of social events at each of the centers; workout classes, movie nights, Saturday morning play groups and crafting sessions. 

The DSA also organizes a number of field trips and hosts an annual Buddy Walk and Family Fun Day at the Lake County Fairgrounds. Set for Oct. 22, the Buddy Walk is the DSA’s primary fundraiser. 

Earlier this year, the DSA hired Real Videos to shoot some promotional materials. Christine invited Kevin Bruinsma, Real Video cofounder and creative director, to an event at the Schererville Friendship Center. When Bruinsma learned how many events the DSA hosts, he and Christine began discussing the issue of boredom in the down syndrome community. 

The conversation left Bruinsma feeling inspired. He decided to invite DSA members to Real Video’s studio, bring out all the cameras, fancy lighting, some paints, set it up and “just see who wants to do what.”

Some 50 people participated in the photo shoot. 

“I think this group just oozes creativity,” Bruinsma said. 

Olivia said it was exciting l to see photos of her and her friends hanging in a professional art gallery. 

For decades, people with Down syndrome have been excluded from mainstream media almost entirely. Representation has slowly begun to increase in recent years; in 2015 Jamie Brewer became the first model with Down syndrome to walk in New York Fashion Week and earlier this year Barbie introduced its first doll with down syndrome. 

“When you see people like you doing things, you think you can do them too,” Christine explained.