When planning 50Fest to mark this milestone anniversary of Rhode Island Humanities in 2023, we didn’t want to only focus on our past 50 years in Rhode Island, but also to look ahead into the next 50. This is why it was so valuable for us to partner with portrait photographer Jonathan Pitts-Wiley to create the Future50 Portrait Studio where participants were invited to contemplate their hopes for our collective future. It was wonderful to watch Jonathan in his element as he effortlessly made portrait subjects feel at ease in front of the camera — no easy feat! And to watch him engage with them on a personal level was truly meaningful. The end result was a collection of beautiful portraits that weaves together a tapestry of community members, strangers, families, friends, and colleagues connecting through the humanities around possibility and hope. Jonathan's thoughtful stewardship of this experience as both photographer and collaborator was invaluable!