This section is devoted to the series Working Holiday shot in 2011 at the State Fair of Texas.

I’ve come to believe there is no such thing as a happy person, however, I do believe one can lead a very happy life through the many small moments of joy one chooses from experiences throughout a given day. 

Designed by local municipalities and businesses, a State Fair or Carnival is orchestrated artistry of a town’s history. On any given day of the run, willing participants come together, just as they are, sans posturing, pretense, status or judgement - where everyone treats each other equally and with dignity – and where social justice is the norm.

Whether one is on holiday or there as a worker, it is work to open one’s heart to the sweet symphonic chaos of sensory overload - to rub shoulders with the masses, to chat with strangers – one would ordinarily never cross paths with and enjoy a moment in harmony.

While these photos could have been taken anywhere, they were shot at the State Fair of Texas. It has continuously operated annually since 1886. Both my grandfathers helped build the 1936 Exposition. Hundreds of thousands of faceless artisans and workers, like them, never made it into the history books, however, to their millions of descendants, they are heroes and heroines to our shared historical legacy rooted in time, space, place, the present day, and joy. 

All images have exclusive copyright