This year was a roller coaster of uncertainty. The spring brought mass vaccinations and summer a renewed sense of hope and optimism, only to be dashed weeks later as new variants reared their heads and spread across the world.
We recorded the ways families adapted to celebrate life's events, big and small at a time when the scarcity of connection made it all the more precious.
We showed how Washingtonians learned to exist, and sometimes thrive, in their new normal, fighting to preserve the things that are most important to them as the pandemic shifted and focused our priorities.
We witnessed the effects of climate change. We graduated with you and danced with you. We prayed and canceled plans and channeled our fears and hopes into art.
These are the photographs that resonated with us. We hope they help you remember that, yes, this was this year.
For the final few months of 2020, former Crosscut staffer Dorothy Edwards followed six families as they learned to navigate life's milestones and rites of passage during the pandemic. The resulting essay, published in January, shows how each family found ways to adapt, through weddings, quinceañeras and births. Evelyn Hernandez, pictured here wiping away a tear, celebrated her quinceañera in October 2020. There were going to be close to 800 guests, but the event was scaled down to just a few close friends and family and moved to the family's backyard in Burien. Still, Hernandez was grateful for what she has. "Both of my parents giving me everything I have and not having to worry about anything else. I just let that sink in," she said. (Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)
With many lockdowns in effect for parts of the year and travel often impossible, families found new ways to spend time together. Although guest lists shrank, hugs were limited and most fellowship was virtual, the foundation of these rituals remained constant: love, resilience and community. Ellis Gould, also featured in Dorothy Edwards' story, held his virtual bar mitzvah, joined by 300 friends and family members, over Zoom in November 2020. Taking Ellis' bar mitzvah virtual was a family decision, but Ellis made the final call. His father, Jon, said he watched his son really take ownership of the experience after the decision — maybe even more so because it was online. (Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)
Immigration status continued to be a fraught issue for many Americans in 2020, most of all, those who feel caught between two worlds. Nineteen-year-old Jose, 20-year-old Argentina, pictured here with her 15-month-old son, and 15-year-old Suamy have each faced the immigration system as unaccompanied minors. The girls both immigrated from Honduras on their own — Argentina when she was 14 and Suamy just last year. Jose traveled from El Salvador in 2015, and in 2019 spent time in an immigration detention center until May 2020. Now the three young organizers have started a mutual aid group to advocate for and support other unaccompanied and undocumented youth in the Seattle area. They call their new group Super Familia. (Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)
In March, Dorothy Edwards had this photo for a story on disaster parks. Japan leads the way on natural disaster response and has found ways to use public green spaces as emergency preparedness locations, complete with concealed toilets, stoves and bunkers full of nonperishable foods. Experts believe the Puget Sound region could model parks and future urban design off the Japanese methods, as we prepare for the looming effects of climate change. This image illustrates our fragility as humans when faced with the enormous power of nature. It can make us feel powerless and tiny as individuals, but together we do have the ability to make change and prevent more damage to our ecosystem. (Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)
In March, Dorothy Edwards worked with then-Indigenous affairs reporter Manola Secaira on a story about doulas in the Native community. Here, Cassandra Miles (Ojibwe) greets Starr Warner (Diné) and her baby, Eros, after he wakes up from a nap. Miles works as a doula and offers free services for Native people. In King County, the infant and maternal mortality rates are highest among Native people. The pandemic brought further complications, as new restrictions prevented doulas from accompanying clients to the hospital. "The goal of my program is to prevent Native women from dying," said Camie Goldhammer (Sisseton-Wahpeton), the program's founder. (Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)
As time marched on through an unnoticing world largely frozen by crisis, memory became tricky. Markers that alert us to how many days, weeks and months have truly passed delivering subtle shocks. Consider the marquee of the Paramount Theatre in Seattle in March. (Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)
The arts community continued to feel the impacts of the pandemic this year. In his Seattle apartment, Mikhail Calliste taught an all-inclusive dance class over Zoom in March for the Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center. Art schools and educational art organizations reported a 46% drop in revenue in the past year, making them harder hit than museums, galleries and cultural centers that responded to a Crosscut survey. (Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)
Spring arrived with hope for many in the form of newly approved vaccines. Former Crosscut staffer Matt M. McKnight photographed a post-vaccination waiting area at Lumen Field Event Center's COVID-19 vaccination site on its opening day, March 13. The Lumen Field site was one of the largest civilian-staffed sites in the nation, capable of jabbing 22,000 people a day with a full supply from the federal government. The empty chairs in this image sit in anticipation of the thousands who would receive their doses here and, in an instant, protect themselves from potential death or grave illness. (Matt M. McKnight/Crosscut)
Caitlin Lombardi with her three daughters, from left, Alma, 2; Pearl, 5 weeks; and Maple, 4, in their Bainbridge Island home in March. Six years ago, Lombardi had an abortion after her water broke only four months into her pregnancy. The fetus would not have been able to breathe outside of her womb, and the pregnancy would have taken Lombardi's life or left her infertile. Her doctor terminated the pregnancy. Since then, she has had three children, the youngest only 5 weeks old. She advocated for the Protecting Pregnancy Act in Olympia, which would allow doctors at Catholic hospitals to provide medically necessary abortions. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee in May. (Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)
When Seattle stopped enforcing its 72-hour parking limit in March 2020, it meant Neal Lampi could stay put for a little while. He still occasionally moved the RV in which he lives, but nothing like the "musical chairs" of before. When this photo was taken, he was on Third Avenue South, where he had been for the past two months. "I work Monday to Friday as a vendor for Real Change," said Lampi. "I've been waiting for nearly a year for my unemployment and stimulus checks due to the pandemic. I call my elected officials almost daily and leave the messages but I never hear back." Mayor Jenny Durkan reinstated the 72-hour limit in October, over a year and a half after it was paused. (Matt M. McKnight/Crosscut)
During the protests against police brutality and systemic racism in the summer of 2020, 16 artists came together to paint a historic new art piece in the Capitol Hil Organized Protest zone, or CHOP. A year after that Black Lives Matter mural was completed, Matt M. McKnight and Crosscut arts reporter Margo Vansynghel followed up with the artists who created it. With a mobile photo studio in the back of his van, complete with lights and backdrops, McKnight bounced around Seattle to visit each of the artists and take their portraits — sometimes even setting up on apartment roofs or busy street corners. (Matt M. McKnight/Crosscut)
As news of hate crimes and attacks targeting Asian Americans spread across the nation in early 2021, Seattle's Asian community banded together to protect and help community members fearing for their safety and facing economic strain. Lindsey Wasson photographed a "Stop Asian Hate" rally organized by the Seattle Rice Society, a group formed in response to hate crimes against the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community, at Seattle’s Hing Hay Park in April. The rally featured personal stories, dance, spoken word and cello performances from members of the community. (Lindsey Wasson for Crosscut)
Dorothy Edwards photographed a recently vaccinated Raul Espinoza Gomez as he embraced his grandchildren and great-grandchildren when the family gathered to celebrate his 78th birthday party with an outdoor dinner in Carnation in April. Gomez spent weeks trying to schedule an appointment to get vaccinated, but had no luck until his daughter-in-law found help on the "Find a COVID Shot WA" Facebook page, which was started to make COVID-19 vaccines more accessible for Black, Indigenous and people of color; elderly people; and the high-risk community. (Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)
Contributing opinion writer Judy Lightfoot in April discussed alternatives to traditional burial, and how we can give back with our bodies after death, including the option of human composting, aka terramation. Through the magic of a double exposure technique, Dorothy Edwards photographed Lightfoot, fading into the natural landscape. (Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)
Venus Aoki, 24, has been trying to get access to gender-affirming surgery since she came to Washington from Mexico five years ago. Her insurance company has refused to cover the doctor-prescribed treatments for her. Even though there is a state law that bans insurance companies from discriminating based on gender identity, these companies have been able to deny coverage of gender-affirming treatments. In May, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a new law that requires insurance companies to cover these treatments. From the outfit to the pose, gazing upwards toward a better future, so much of Aoki's personality comes through in this portrait. (Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)
The ongoing national conversation about police violence continued to hit home in Washington this year. Elaine Simons was the foster mother of Jesse Sarey, who was killed by an Auburn police officer on May 31, 2019, when Sarey was 26 years old. Dorothy Edwards photographed Simons with a quilt made in Sarey’s honor by members of the Social Justice Sewing Academy. The officer who shot and killed Sarey, Jeffrey Nelson, was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree assault. “With the trial coming up, it’s important to bring Jesse back up,” Simons said. “I don’t think people in Washington even know there is a murder trial happening.” (Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)
By mid-May, the Food and Drug Administration had approved the Pfizer vaccine for minors 12 and older. Lindsey Wasson photographed Urijah Woodward, 12, receiving his vaccine from Barbara Hoffman, a community health nurse for the Suquamish Tribe, at a youth COVID-19 vaccination clinic run by the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe and the Suquamish tribes at the Port Gamble S'Kallam Elder Center in Kingston. (Lindsey Wasson for Crosscut)
"I'm so excited to get the vaccine," said Hyatt Ismail, who shared with photographer Lindsey Wasson that she wants to protect her and her children's health. "Somebody told me about [the clinic] and I came over fast." Ismail received a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic hosted by the Somali Health Board at Oromo Cultural Center in Seattle. Drivers Union and Somali Community Services of Seattle also partnered with the clinic to encourage community members to get the vaccine, which was provided by the Othello Station Pharmacy. (Lindsey Wasson for Crosscut)
In June, David Ryder photographed the Forever Safe Spaces "Audacity to Ask" event, where he made this portrait of stylist and designer Andreya Taylor of Meticulously Eccentric. The event was the beginning of a $1 million fundraising drive for Forever Safe Spaces, created to build the local creative community as Seattle launched an arts recovery program. (David Ryder for Crosscut)
L. Patrice Bell sings “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black national anthem, for an event at Chihuly Garden and Glass on June 9. Bell is the director of guest services and external affairs at the Northwest African American Museum and a member of its African American Cultural Ensemble. The museum's new choir wants to uplift the Black community, the region and the country with "hope, help and healing for our time." The perfect afternoon light highlighting the hopeful sparkle of her gold eye shadow makes this image rise above. (David Ryder for Crosscut)
David Ryder worked on a story in June about Mother Nation, a Native-led homelessness organization serving Indigenous people throughout north Puget Sound. The group provides one-on-one help through healing services, advocacy, mentorship and homelessness prevention. In this intimate moment, elder “Mona” Ramona Ahto (Yakama Nation/Cascade/Quinault) prays over Terri Claw (Navajo) during a Talking Circle at the Mother Nation offices in Seattle. (David Ryder for Crosscut)
For Washington state's 2021 graduating classes, the year was marked by constant change and a sense of resilience. Donaji Torres-Marquez celebrated her graduation from the Bush School with her family at a commencement ceremony at T-Mobile Park after months of attending classes remotely. "I think it was a lot lonelier than I definitely imagined," said Torres-Marquez. "And I think it was just kind of hard to know that we really missed out on a lot of our 'final' things." Torres-Marquez plans to attend the University of Chicago in the fall and is interested in studying biology or psychology. (Lindsey Wasson for Crosscut)
As the weather warmed and vaccine rates rose, there was a noticeable shift in Seattle’s mood. Case rates were down and people began to feel more comfortable getting back out in public, going to shows and visiting their favorite bars and restaurants. On June 19, the Lumber Yard Bar hosted its first drag show since early 2020 when it was forced to close by the pandemic. Seattle gay bars have been in a precarious state for years, and several closed for good in 2020, including Lumber Yard's former White Center neighbor, Swallow Bar. It was exciting to see the crowd's reaction to drag queen Dolly Madison as she worked the room during her "Dolly and the DJ" show. Everyone was just so happy to be back at a live event, surrounded by old friends and familiar faces. (Genna Martin for Crosscut)
The bar is reflected in convex mirrors, as patrons come and go inside the Loading Dock at the Lumber Yard Bar. The watering hole was able to open at limited capacity for most of the year, and co-owner Nathan Adams said it was able to stay in business, thanks to Paycheck Protection Program loans and a community of loyal regulars. (Genna Martin for Crosscut)
Sydney Menjivar and Jaylynn Malone celebrated their one-month anniversary by dancing the day away at the Taking B(l)ack Pride event, June 27, at Jimi Hendrix Park in the Central District. Thousands turned out for a day of food and music and celebration of the BIPOC trans and queer communities. (Genna Martin for Crosscut)
The Taking B(l)ack Pride event, hosted for its second year at Jimi Hendrix Park, created some waves when organizers, in a move to confront systemic racism, requested that white attendees pay a voluntary cover charge. Despite much national media consternation, backlash and threats about the ask, the event was a success — boisterous, well-attended and bursting with joy. The daylong party culminated in a raucous ball where exquisitely dressed participants vogued for a panel of judges and a cheering crowd. The pure happiness in this frame of Zende Monet and B3ntl3y Walker, hugging after they competed against each other in the ball, best represented the love and positivity of the event. (Genna Martin for Crosscut)
As the last glimpses of light leave the sky, Jeans Robles, center, and Aries Monet, right, stand in a sliver of light as they watch performers vogue during the Taking B(l)ack Pride ball. The color, light and moment, captured here by Genna Martin, come together to create a perfect Seattle summer night scene. (Genna Martin for Crosscut)
On June 30, Gov. Jay Inslee officially lifted Washington's lockdown restrictions. We sent a team of photographers out into the city to capture the momentous occasion. Lindsey Wasson shot this still life of objects representing transition: a bottle of hand sanitizer sits next to a Seattle Times front page referencing the end of most coronavirus restrictions at Guy's Barber & Style Shop on The Ave. Rick Linder, who has worked at Guy's for over 45 years, said he had to close for three months at the beginning of the pandemic, but it's gotten busier in recent months as more customers have received vaccinations. He said business on The Ave slows when the University of Washington switched to online-only classes because of the pandemic. "Fortunately they're going to allow students in the fall,” he said. “I'm looking forward to students getting back.” (Lindsey Wasson for Crosscut)
Seattleites and tourists desperate for a return to normalcy flocked to popular city spots to enjoy their regained freedoms. Photographer Jovelle Tamayo captured Mauricio and Patty Velarde, left and second from left, visiting from Monterey County, California, as they admired the view of downtown Seattle from the Space Needle, June 30. “We were here yesterday, and it’s like night and day,” Mauricio Velarde said. “This morning waking up, it’s like a light switch went on, with people congregating outside.” Patty Velarde added, “It feels like we’re living again. It was a hard year.” (Jovelle Tamayo for Crosscut)
Despite the state's reopening, masks were and still remain required on public transportation, as Jovelle Tamayo showed when she captured commuters on a northbound Link light rail train on June 30. (Jovelle Tamayo for Crosscut)
Matt M. Mcknight brought us a spot of humor when he caught Xeng Thao taking a short nap while Mai Lee prepared flowers for patrons inside Bao Yang Garden's vendor booth at the Columbia City Farmer's Market in June. "All the restrictions have been lifted and we're pretty happy," said Lee. "But we're tired. We operate six days per week throughout the region. Some days we're so busy that we don't have time to eat. (Matt M. McKnight/Crosscut)
As news photographers, we often photograph Election Day parties. They are usually pretty predictable and formulaic, but we are always looking for a special moment that represents the bigger story. Bruce Harrell gave us just such a moment when, as if looking to the heavens for answers, he gestured toward the sky as fat raindrops began to fall on his primary election night party for his mayoral campaign, held outdoors at BluWater Bistro. The moment was over before it began, and he quickly resumed his handshakes and small talk with the other guests. Harrell's campaign was ultimately successful and he will be sworn in as Seattle mayor in January. (Genna Martin for Crosscut)
Artist Stevie Shao took the Seattle street art scene by storm this year. Arts reporter Margo Vansynghel profiled her in August as Shao’s trademark vivid and flattened style became ubiquitous in the city and on Instagram this past year. At just 23, she is now one of the city's most recognized and in-demand muralists, bringing a welcome splash color to Seattle's often gray streets. This portrait was created by holding one of her paint brushes, soaked in pink, in front of the lens for a soft out-of-focus splash of fuchsia to light up the foreground, as the mural she was live-painting at the Chinatown-International District Celebration popped in the background. (Genna Martin for Crosscut)
Over the summer of 2021, an ongoing spate of gun violence pushed murder rates to levels not seen in decades. DeShaun Nabors, a community ambassador at Community Passageways, lost four people to guns this year, including his childhood friend Ezekiel Taylor. At Community Passageways, he is trying to use his voice to break the cycle of violence that has led to the deaths of dozens of teens and young men this year. It's difficult work but he is able to connect young men with employment and viable alternatives to incarceration. Jason Redmond captured this portrait of Nabors at his office in Rainier Beach. The camouflage jacket he wore that day was a visual reminder of the conflict and violence that surrounds him every day. (Jason Redmond for Crosscut)
In September, ethnic studies and math teacher Shraddha Shirude returned to her classroom at Garfield High School. Students were back to in-school learning and masks were required for all. Crosscut reporter Maleeha Syed interviewed Shirude for a story on the pandemic's effect on workplace microaggressions. As Shirude taught remotely for most of the 2020-2021 school year, she noticed the physical disconnection of online interactions exacerbated the problem of microaggressions, or slights that unintentionally express prejudice. "I think it made it actually more difficult for learning about humanity because we were not interacting with each other in more than just professional ways," she said. (Genna Martin for Crosscut)
In September, Matt M. McKnight took this image of Romina Atzin dwarfed by a fresh crop of shaggy-looking harvested hops at Perrault Farms in Toppenish in Yakima County. The photo was for a piece Crosscut reporter Mai Hoang wrote on Washington breweries working toward carbon neutral beers. Washington has 71% of the more than 60,000 acres of hops planted in the U.S. as of June. Nearly all of that acreage is in the Yakima Valley. (Matt M. McKnight/Crosscut)
President Joe Biden ordered a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in August this year, setting off a mad scramble of Afghans attempting to flee the country before Taliban rule was reinstated. In Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood, Wali Khairzada, who left Afghanistan in the 1970s, wanted to help. For eight weeks, Khairzada gave 10% of the profits from the restaurant he owns — Kabul Restaurant, named for his birthplace — to Afghan Health Initiative, an organization that serves the Afghan immigrant and refugee population in Washington state. Matt M. McKnight captured this lighter moment of Khairzada, his son, Yama Khairzada, and chef Honza Kirba watching a soccer game in the kitchen of Kabul Restaurant during a lull in to-go order business.. (Matt M. McKnight/Crosscut)
Andrew Byers, co-owner and head cider maker, tries an apple from a tree while roaming the orchard at Finnriver Farm and Cidery on Oct. 1. Grant Hindsley photographed Byers and Finnriver for Crosscut reporter Hannah Weinberger's story on the negative impacts weather and climate change are having on Washington's cider industry. Growers are implementing ways to protect their crops from the elements, exploring different kinds of more resilient apple varieties and conserving waning resources, such as water. (Grant Hindsley for Crosscut)
This photo by Lindsey Wasson of artist Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, a Squaxin Island Tribe member, carving a 21-foot-long cedar log took us into her process and showed off the deliberate precision of carving such a large piece by hand. The close-up revealed the texture and we could almost feel and smell the cedar under her chisel. The piece, called "Grandmother Frog," will be a "welcome figure" for ?ál?al, a mixed-use development in Pioneer Square. "Welcome figures" are a type of statue traditionally made by Coast Salish people to welcome visitors to their territories. (Lindsey Wasson for Crosscut)
Crosscut contributor Lizz Giordano photographed Lynn Chase, a deaf-blind transit rider, as she learned how to navigate the Chinatown-International District light rail station in November. Chase’s regular bus route was eliminated when the light rail system expanded this fall, and a light rail station opened near her Northgate neighborhood. This image evoked a precarious sense of uneasiness as Chase edged closer to the tracks. Her new light rail commute is faster, but it also brought new obstacles and could be challenging to navigate, especially so for those with limited sight or hearing. Chase spent three weeks learning her new routes before she was ready to travel alone. (Lizz Giordano for Crosscut)
The Pacific Northwest Ballet returned for its first live show in 18 months in late September. Lindsey Wasson photographed several of PNB’s principal dancers, many of whom are in their 40s and have been professional dancers for over 20 years, as they pushed their bodies back into performance shape after the long, forced break. Here, a masked veteran dancer Lucien Postlewaite warmed up at the barre during company class at the Phelps Center in Seattle. At age 37, Postlewaite acknowledged that he’s closer to the end of his career than to its start. With that timeline in mind, losing a year of performance felt like a gut punch. And finding emotional balance has been tougher than regaining his physical fitness. (Lindsey Wasson for Crosscut)
When photographer Grant Hindsley visited Carkeek Park for a story on Seattle’s iconic salmon run, he happened across a salmon, its vibrant roe spilling out onto the bank Pipers Creek. The fish had been sliced open by volunteers, who checked on the dead salmon and see if it had spawned before passing. The resulting image was surreal and beautifully striking, a look at nature we don’t usually get to see in this way. (Grant Hindsley for Crosscut)
David Ryder captured this masked passenger, lit by the evening sun, as he looked out the window of an Amtrak train at King Street Station on Nov. 15. The image accompanied Lizz Giordano’s story on the Pacific Northwest’s potential for high speed rail. (David Ryder for Crosscut)
Chloe Collyer chose to photograph Jamilla McDaniel through a reflecting mirror for a story on Seattleites hoping to find Black mental health providers, who are in short supply. Many Black Americans, like McDaniel, may seek therapy from a person who understands their specific struggles. Black people made up 3% of the psychology workforce in 2019, while accounting for more than 13% of the American public, according to census data. McDaniel, who struggled to find a therapist of color accepting her state-funded insurance coverage, wished she could have access to more mental health providers. (Chloe Collyer for Crosscut)
While photographing a story on Moth and Myth, a local business that creates realistic laser cut paper butterflies, moths, beetles, hummingbirds and other specimens, in December, Lindsey Wasson used a shallow depth of field to create this dreamlike image of a monarch butterfly display. (Lindsey Wasson for Crosscut)
As climate change threatens culturally important foods, the Swinomish tribe is building the country’s first modern clam garden. Coast Salish tribes have always relied on harvesting seafood, but declines of littleneck and butter clams have community members worried. The practice of clam gardening is thousands of years old, but there has not been a new one built in modern times. Grant Hindsley photographed Larry Campbell, a Swinomish elder and community environmental health specialist, near Kukutali Preserve State Park on Swinomish land in December, just across Skagit Bay from the proposed site for the garden. Tribal members are excited about using ancestral technologies as a way to adapt to climate change and preserve their culture. (Grant Hindsley for Crosscut)
Newport High School student Alex Su's classmates staged a walkout after she shared a story of alleged dating violence and accused the school of inaction. Su, a senior, recently received an emergency expulsion, as did four of her classmates, for breaking the school's rules about protest and interrupting the educational process. Her Instagram post criticizing the school's handling of her report became a rallying cry for students at other nearby high schools, who have also staged walk outs and demanded a more robust school response for students who report dating violence and sexual assault. Su's pink color palate, powerful gaze and the tiny drops of rain on her glasses take this portrait to the next level. (Grant Hindsley for Crosscut)
Photographer Genna Martin and reporter Mai Hoang ventured to Leavenworth for a story on Krampus, the terrifying half-goat, half-man Christmas creature, full of great visual potential. Members of the Seattle Krampus group walked the streets of Washington's favorite Bavarian town in their intricate, custom-made Austrian costumes, taking photos with adults and children alike. The Krampus tradition dates back hundreds of years. On Dec. 5 each year, people throughout Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe celebrate Krampusnacht, drinking and walking the streets in costume and chasing children. The Krampuses are supposed to terrify children into behaving before St. Nicholas arrives the following day. (Genna Martin/Crosscut)
As Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan prepares to leave office and Mayor-elect Bruce Harrell prepares to be sworn in, COVID-19 remains a constant. Lindsay Wasson photographed our masked mayors at a recent OL Reign press conference at Lumen Field. (Lindsey Wasson for Crosscut)
