Great Presenters: Linda J. Hirsch

Tuesday, December 1, 2026 7:30—8:45 PM Raytheon Room Wayland Free Public Library 5 Concord Rd., Wayland, MA, 01778 ZOOM To attend IN-PERSON, register below. To attend VIRTUALLY, register via Zoom here. Through a Clear Lens: Inner Vision, Outer Journey “Photo-graphy,” the art of drawing with light, is often associated with a heightened sense of awareness. Through the lens of a prepared mind and skillful use of diverse cameras, materials, techniques and chemicals, portals of creativity can be opened. An array of cameras and photographic printing techniques can be used to document events, tell visual stories, transform what we see into a perception and expression of what lies beyond the obvious and beneath the surface. Hirsch has practiced a form of meditative “Deep Seeing” in her photography for over 50 years. She will share selected images from her career and open a portal into Jewish Cuban communities that she has visited throughout Cuba (2001-), most of which no longer exist. The camera is a virtual time-machine that can reveal what was, what is and what could yet be -- in reality and/or in the “mind’s eye.” It is a tool that can record, teach and change history, reveal or disguise, inspire or discourage, bring us to our feet or to tears, depending on intention, perception and cognition. Linda J. Hirsch, photographer, photojournalist, psychologist, MMTCP Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, and percussionist, creates award-winning, documentary, mixed-media, and multimedia pieces. Her photojournalism began in the late 1970s with Georgia Litwack (a disciple of MIT’s Minor White) at DeCordova Museum (Lincoln, MA). Work by Hirsch has appeared in publications and exhibitions ranging from local to international. Pieces were commissioned for archives and private collections (e.g: Estate of Buckminster Fuller; HH the Dalai Lama; Anne Frank House; Brandeis University; Wellesley College; and Harvard U. FXB Center). Renowned jurors have accepted and awarded her work. In 2000, Hirsch semi-retired from full-time commercial/function photography to renew her passion for human rights and photo-journalism. In 2001, she began informal photo-documentation of and assistance to Jewish communities in Cuba. She has curated exhibits about human rights issues in general and about specific aspects of Cuban life and has been awarded Puffin Foundation grants to encourage usage of photography and multi-media technology by Cuban Jews, especially the youths. In 2021, she completed a rigorous, 2+ year Mindfulness Meditation teacher certification program (MMTCP). Hirsch continues to travel widely, to network with colleagues in re: human rights, to inspire creativity, insight, healing and help “repair the world” through compassion, teaching and facilitating sanghas. Register online between 11/4/2024 9:00 AM and 12/1/2026 7:30 PM.