BLOCK BY BLOCK: CAPITAL CROSSROADS
Block by Block: Capital Crossroads brings together the work of photographers from across Central Ohio to explore three Columbus neighborhoods: Hilltop, Olde Towne East, and Milo Grogan. Through multiple perspectives, the project looks at the architecture, history, culture, people, and everyday life that give each neighborhood its own character.
Created by photographer Aaron Sheldon in 2023 as a way to better understand and connect with the city he has called home for nearly 30 years, Block by Block has grown into an ongoing community photography project. For Capital Crossroads, Sheldon worked with a cohort of five photographers to explore three neighborhoods over several months, while also inviting residents, visitors, and photographers of all experience levels to participate through public photowalks and Instagram.
Block by Block: Capital Crossroads would like to thank all of the photographers, residents, and community members who participated and those who welcomed the photographers into their communities and helped them better understand the places they explored. Additionally, they thank Mayor Ginther, Columbus City Council members, and Franklin County Commissioners for their ongoing support of the arts in Columbus, and to the Greater Columbus Arts Council for the grant that made this project possible.
AARON SHELDON
Aaron Sheldon is an artist and printmaker based in Columbus, Ohio, working across digital, film, infrared photography, and alternative photographic processes. His work explores time, place, light, and human presence within the built and natural environment.
Sheldon is the founder of Block by Block CBUS, a multi-year community photography project
launched in 2023 with support from the Greater Columbus Arts Council. Through collaborative photowalks, neighborhood exploration, and public exhibitions, the project brings photographers and communities together to explore and share the stories of Central Ohio neighborhoods. He is also an educator, mentor, and arts advocate with more than ten years of experience supporting artists through professional development, collaboration, and community-based programming.
Mother Daisy’s Domain
2026, Color infrared photograph, 12” x 16”, $300
After studying digital and analog photography for a decade, Chris keeps an open eye for the nitty-gritty that composes the spaces we live in. In a world full of noise, he attempts to put his own unique filter on Columbus.
Engaged in independent, long-term practice, Chris treats photography as a personal archive of the places he visits. Though he is largely known for his work in video production, he leverages his experience to add a certain sense of drama to his frames.
Blue Sky
2026, Color print, 12” x 16”, $300
Chris Croft
Jamie Ceasar is a published film photographer from Columbus, Ohio. He has been inspired by great film shooters of the past like Gordon Parks and Don Hogan Charles, and by modern film
photographers like Deana Lawson and Jamel Shabazz. Emotion and storytelling in portrait and documentary photography drive his creativity. He believes photography is powerful because it captures moments, places, and people that might otherwise be unseen.
Film photography is his medium of choice because it lets him feel part of his work; the process of creating an image from start to finish deepens his love for the art.
In 2022, Jamie Ceasar founded The Film Cypher, a community project inspired by a love for film photography, bringing film photographers and creatives together to collaborate, learn, and build friendships.
Guard Dog on Oak St
2026, Black and white film photography, 12” x 16”, $300
AARON SHELDON
Mat Marrash is a photographer and educator specializing in film photography and traditional darkroom processes. He’s spent the last 18 years documenting his world view and examining natural spaces through the use of alternative photographic techniques that date back to the mid 1800’s. He currently resides in Columbus, OH and works as a professional freelance photographer and videographer.
With the support of both the Greater Columbus Arts Council and the Ohio Arts Council over the years, Mat has continued to explore new photographic processes and share his knowledge through a variety of public and private workshop experiences. His most recent projects have revolved around Cyanotype, a sun printing process that was the foundation of modern day “blueprints” and many more alternative photographic techniques.
When not working on personal or professional projects, Mat also appears on The Film Photography Podcast where he has served as co-host for the last 16 years.
Camp Chase Cemetery on Sullivant Ave
2026, Black and white film photography, 12” x 16”, $300
Mat Marrash
Persephone Mitchell is a film photographer currently based in Columbus, OH, focusing on portraiture and landscape. They have been working with film since the age of 15, and now at 29, has made it the center of their career. Persephone has earned a BFA in Photography & Integrated Media from Ohio University, and they were featured by Ilford Magazine in June 2024 for their queer portraiture, an ongoing collection they have been building on for years. She has since gotten involved in youth education, all while continuing to work on her personal projects in portraiture and photographic exploration of the Midwest and Appalachian landscape.
Persephone’s passions center around the use of film photography because of the care and archival permanence that comes with it. There is a slowness and tenderness that comes with capturing a moment on film. The importance in the memory of the subject matter translates to the physical care that’s going into archiving the negative. Persephone channels that idea into her documentation of Olde Towne East, which has been her home for the past few years.
OTE Frame 4, August F1 Tornado
2026, Color photography, 12” x 12”, $300
Persephone Mitchell
As an artist & educator with a passion for process, Stephen Takacs combine craft with concept to create photographic images and one-of-a-kind art objects that are both contemporary and timeless. Takacs work with clients who need an artist’s vision to articulate and tell their stories.
Mother Daisy
2026, Black and white photography, 12” x 16”, $300