Regional Workspace Resident

June 9 – September 5, 2025

Jackie McGriff is a photographer, podcaster, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and entrepreneur committed to sharing the multifaceted stories of Black, Brown, and Indigenous peoples. Based in Rochester, NY, she splits her time between visual storytelling through her two small businesses—JackiePhotography and Our Voices Project LLC—and digital marketing for In This Moment, a chapbook series dedicated to amplifying and preserving the stories of Black luminaries. Outside of client work and production, Jackie enjoys getting lost (on purpose, of course) with her camera on photowalks, building community, and watching movies.

Jackie McGriff

Jackie McGriff will be working on a photographic project that will focus on the Black Alternative community.  

““Black Alt Undefined” is a photography project that pairs quotes and images of Black folks defining for themselves what Black Alt means to them providing validation for those of us who didn’t have a community of Black Alternative folks to grow up with and finally finding family—like we’re playing catch up with long lost friends who understand and accept us. The goal of this project is to not place anyone in a box or paint the group with a broad brush by trying to define the term—it’s to show other Black folx who may or may not understand that they don’t have to be confined to an arbitrary idea of who Black folks should be.

“…this project stems from a deeply personal place. Growing up, I often felt ostracized from the Black folks I grew up with. From family to fellow churchgoers, I’d often express my love of classical and rock music only to be met with teasing, bullying, and harassment. Over the years, I found communities that also shared these interests, but expressed sentiments that made me feel unsafe as a Black woman. Since the pandemic, I’ve grown accustomed to seeking community online and started noticing Black creators on TikTok lip-syncing and headbanging to songs by Rage Against the Machine and Paramore and performing short skits depicting the negative reactions they received as kids by their parents for their tastes in music. Browsing Facebook, I happened to see The Black Alternative Community listed in groups that I might like and joined that day. The Black Alternative Community group defines itself as “a group of Black fans of Alternative Music (Goth, Rock, Metal, and so forth). This group is exclusively a Black space and a safe space for all Black people. From posts about alternative music artists to fit checks to cosplay, there’s a lot that resonated with me, but it was a post that asked the question, “Where were all of you when I needed you growing up,” that inspired this project.”