Kim D. Armstrong will show her arthouse exhibit at Sound Heritage on Aug. 21

A photography show this week will be held in tribute to a specific downtown Nanaimo neighbourhood for its support.

Self-described “friendly introvert” Kim D. Armstrong will host her Kim D Arthouse Photography exhibit at Sound Heritage on Thursday, Aug. 21, between 12-6 p.m. 

The show, which features black-and-white street photography photos, will focus on the city’s Victoria Crescent neighbourhood and documents the cumulative changes over the past five years. 

“I love that part of the downtown area,” Armstrong said. “I’ve always been pulled toward the crescent … It’s just a completely different vibe … And that part of the city always seems to get a bad rap with regards to [people experiencing homelessness] … So I wanted to put a positive spin on it as well … This is life in Nanaimo and like any city, it’s not always pretty, but there is always good people.” 

While the photographer usually posts her work on social media, she said some of the photos in the show will be ones no one else has seen before. 

Since the show will focus on the people, places and changes on the crescent, Armstrong said familiar faces will make their appearances. 

“I’m also looking forward to hopefully people coming in and maybe recognizing themselves in the photo,” she said, adding she gets a kick out of subjects facing themselves in her work. “With street photography, you’re capturing people naturally and they’re not necessarily posing for you. They’re people just going on about their lives – like standing at a bus stop or walking down the street, sitting outside a café. And just freezing little portions of life in motion.”

Photography was first introduced to Armstrong by family members when she was a child. And as a common photo subject, seeing herself in black and white stuck with her. 

“Being neurodivergent, for me anyways, it’s not always easy to express myself with words and things like that. Sometimes my emotions can get very intense, depending on the situation. And I’ve found this as a way to express myself and kind of share the way that I see things. It’s also a huge form of meditation.”

During the arthouse show, Armstrong’s son Kieran Armstrong and his writing partner, Clare, will also perform original songs as an acoustic duo.Â