For those who sign up to work with a tutor at the Literacy Network of South Berkshire (LitNet), there might be an end goal in sight, such earning a GED or becoming a U.S. citizen. But for many, including LitNet learner Sylvana Proaño, reaching one goal seems only to reveal the next goal. Proaño has no plans to graduate from tutoring any time soon.

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A photo exhibit of LitNet learners and tutuors, "Transforming Lives for 30 Years," is on view at the Lichtenstein
Center for the Arts in Pittsfield from January 4–February 1, 2022. Photo courtesy the Lichtenstein
LIFE IN THE BERKSHIRES
‘Transforming Lives for 30 Years’:
Photography exhibit tells the stories
of LitNet
When all portraits are hung together, the exhibit shares a collective
story of the transformative nature of literacy.
BY AMANDA GIRACCA
POSTED ON JANUARY 4, 2022
    
Some people are learners for life.
For those who sign up to work with a tutor at the Literacy Network of South
Berkshire (LitNet), there might be an end goal in sight, such earning a GED or
becoming a U.S. citizen. But for many, including LitNet learner Sylvana Proaño,
reaching one goal seems only to reveal the next goal. Proaño has no plans to
graduate from tutoring any time soon.
“If I come back and ask for help, they [LitNet] will help,” said Proaño, who has
been studying with tutors at LitNet for 20 years. “The staff never asks, ‘Why do
you want to have a tutor?’ They never say, ‘That’s your limit, let’s give space to
another student.’”

2. Sylvana Proaño. Photo courtesy LitNet
Proaño first came to LitNet,
an organization with the
mission of “transforming the
lives of adult learners, both
immigrant and U.S.-born,
through the power of literacy,
education, and advocacy,” to
work on her English after
moving to the United States
from Ecuador in 1996. Then,
she stayed on with the
organization to receive
tutoring for her U.S.
citizenship exam as a
recipient of the Matthew and
Hannah Keator Family
Scholarship for New
Americans. Now an established citizen who is proficient in English, she still
meets with a tutor to work on writing, grammar, and speaking. These days,
she is employed by the Pittsfield-based family services organization 18
Degrees and often sends her clients to LitNet. She said she now works on a
different level with LitNet, more like a partner than a client.
Proaño describes her evolution with LitNet in a story captured in
“Transforming Lives for 30 Years,” a photography and storytelling exhibit that
first debuted at LitNet’s summer gala in 2021 and is now touring the county. It
will be featured at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in Pittsfield for the
month of January and is slated for month-long showings at other venues
throughout 2022, including Berkshire Medical Center, Berkshire South
Regional Community Center, Berkshire Immigrant Center, 18 Degrees, and the
Lenox and Lee libraries. (View the full schedule of exhibits here.) Proaño’s
black and white portrait is one of 17 in the show, and she beams warmly at
the camera, her black hair textured in a way that only film can capture. There
is an undeniable sense of satisfaction in her face that comes along with having
worked so hard for something and achieved it.
In a special collaboration with LitNet to celebrate the organization’s 30th
anniversary, Stockbridge-based photographer Julie McCarthy took the
portraits of LitNet learners, tutors, and leadership. Each individual featured
wrote their own story of how their life has been transformed by their work
with LitNet, whether they learned English, became literate, or reached their
goal of becoming a U.S. citizen. When all portraits are hung together, the
exhibit shares a collective story of the transformative nature of literacy.

3. Weiwei’s portrait and story, as featured in the exhibit. Image
courtesy LitNet
LitNet Executive LitNet Director Leigh Doherty and Founder Zoe
Dalheim at the organization’s 30th anniversary gala, held at
Berkshire Botanical Garden in September. Photo courtesy LitNet
You can feel the relief in stories such as Bruno China’s, who wept with “joy and
happiness” when he finally became a citizen. His immediate family joined him
in his portrait — a testament to how one person’s transformation ripples out
to touch the lives of their loved ones.
There’s the understated
pride of Maggie Curtin, who
learned to read when she
was 40 years old after losing
her job when the factory
where she worked closed.
Without LitNet, she may
never have been diagnosed
with dyslexia nor worked
through it. Curtin and her
tutor Andrew Pincus are LitNet’s longest-running tutor-learner pair, true
learners for life, having worked together for the entire 30 years of the
organization’s existence. The fact that some learners have written a story at all
is a testament to the transformation they have undergone in their lives.
“Much of my work focuses on people who are often not seen or
acknowledged by society,” said McCarthy, whose fine-art photography has
been exhibited throughout New England and beyond. “It seemed important to
me to show the commitment and hard work of the learners and the
dedication of the tutors, to give them a face and a voice.” As a portrait
photographer, McCarthy often gets to know her subjects in a fleeting but
intimate way. She was “impressed by the motivation and perseverance of the
individuals” she photographed.
“The exhibit of portraits
combined with the
participants’ stories allows
us to see more clearly
those around us and gain
an understanding of their
lives,” McCarthy said.
“LitNet is a small
organization with a big
purpose and huge heart.
LitNet and all those
involved deserve to be
seen and acknowledged
and celebrated for their
work and accomplishments.”