Hand in Hand is an ambitious project of building rapport and extending the circle of friendship to include two often misunderstood groups of people – police officers and young adults. This project is the brainchild of Quincy native and visionary artist Michael Dowling. For over 22 years, he has spearheaded the well respected non-profit organization called Medicine Wheel Productions as its founder and artistic director. Mr. Dowling’s commitment to the positive transformation of troubled youths through art and community building has won him extensive recognition.
Michael Indresano, a board member of Medicine Wheel, did not hesitate to create a powerful video documentary that celebrates commonality and inclusion, further addressing hot-button social/racial issues that dominate our national conversation today.
Filming the the video took place for a few months and required countless hours of post production. Michael and his team were instrumental in organizing all the interviews, documenting the workshops through video, photographing the portraits, editing the footage together, and acted as technical consultant to all matters relating to video and photo. The video creation process started with a dedicated team of professionals bringing together their diverse skill set and industry know-how into conceptualizing a story. Many hours of brainstorming took place at our 33 A Street studio in South Boston. Michael Indresano led the team as director overseeing the entire creative process. With over 22 years of award-winning photography expertise, he is no stranger to the world of visual story telling. A true seasoned professional and master of detail, Michael directed the camera crew and lighting technicians with precise angles and adjustments; infusing every shot with a consistent degree of thought, emotion, and impact, further driving the message with vigor and determined vision.
The final video release was launched at the Medicine Wheel Turning The Wheel Annual Fundraiser at the Nixon Peabody law firm to exuberant applause. Attendees of the event included Boston Police Commissioner William B. Evans, Boston City Councilor at large Ayanna Pressley, Community Affairs Liaison for the Boston Redevelopment Authority Mark McGonagle (MW Chair of the Board of Directors), Boston Police Deputy Superintendent Nora L. Baston, Vice President at Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Karen Young, Community Involvement Director for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Janelle Woods-McNish, Executive Director of South Asian Arts Council Amit Dixit, State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump, along with many more prominent high profile public officials and loyal Medicine Wheel supporters voicing their support for this project.
Nixon Peabody where the Turning The Wheel Annual Fundraiser took place.
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Boston Police Commissioner William Evans sits down with us for an interview.
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Chairman of the Board of Directors at Medicine Wheel Mark McGonagle addresses some of the finer points.
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Boston Police Deputy Superintendent Nora L. Baston.
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Medicine Wheel Director of Advocacy Richie Dinsmore talks about the Hand in Hand project.
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Daniel Morrison Fellow Shane Hampton preps for an interview as Michael directs the scene.
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Special thanks to all members on the Medicine Wheel Board of Directors, the Host Committee, and the Medicine Wheel participants for their continued commitment and support.
Host Committee: Suzanne Bump (State Auditor), Linda Dorcena Forry (State Senator), Robert Lewis Jr. (President & Founder of The BASE), Julie Burros (Chief of Arts and Culture City of Boston), Paul McDevitt (President of Modern Assistant Programs, Inc), Anita Walker (Executive Director of Massachusetts Cultural Council), Karen Young (Vice President & Chief Inclusion Officer Harvard Pilgrim Health Care), Constance Cervone & Janet Deegan (Cervone & Deegan Associates), Janelle Woods McNish (Director of Giving & Services Harvard Pilgrim Health Care), Paul Regan (Regan Associates), Ed Condry (Vice President of JJ Bodner).
Medicine Wheel Board of Directors: Michael Dowling (Founder), Mark McGonagle (Chairman), Dennis Pellecchia (Treasurer), Rick Winterson (Clerk), Jane Bowers, Maureen Dahill, Barbara Loftus, Roberto Valdez, Susan Nalband, Michael Indresano, Amit Dixit, Roy Rider.
Advisory Board: Ruth Raphael
The Boston Police Department Participants: Nora L. Baston (Deputy Superintendent), Skye Robinson, Janine Busby (Detective), Mark Bordley, Alexander Reyes, and many more.
Medicine Wheel Members: Richie Dinsmore, Gregory Variste, Shane Hampton, Annina Ibrihim, Kawanza Butler, Noel McKenna, Anna Dinaburg White, and many more.
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Power pose!
Michael Indresano Photography 