SPANISH FORT, Ala. — Have you ever been hungry?

For four years, San Antonio artist Michael Nye posed this simple question to people from all walks of life, and the often complex answers — including those from four Baldwin County families — might surprise you.

Nye’s “About Hunger and Resilience,” a photographic and audio exhibit, opens Oct. 7 at the Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope, aiming to put a face on hunger that is much closer to home than many people think.

“There is a real misconception that being hungry means the individual is lazy or apathetic or unwilling to better themselves in some way, but I can tell you honestly, I have never met anyone who enjoys being hungry,” Nye said.

Nye’s interactive, traveling documentary debuted earlier this year at San Antonio’s Witt Museum and arrives on the Eastern Shore for a five-week run through the efforts of Prodisee Pantry. The Spanish Fort-based emergency food and assistance organization will host a series of events in tandem with the exhibit designed to boost community awareness about hunger and its local impact.

Executive Director Deann Servos said remaining a “safe haven” for issues relevant to the community is the pantry’s “heart and soul.” Pantry volunteers provide some 175 families in crisis across Baldwin County — or about 10,000 people annually — with roughly $120 worth of nutritious fresh, frozen and staple groceries each week.

“Hunger is a catastrophic problem in this country, but I think many of us are unaware of how many people in our own backyard are affected. The ‘Hunger and Resilience’ exhibit will help raise awareness of hunger right here in our communities. It is powerful and moving and truly captures all the many aspects of hunger,” Servos said.

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series highlighting “About Hunger and Resilience,” a national traveling exhibit opening Oct. 7 at the Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope. The interactive photographic and audio exhibit includes the stories of four Baldwin County families, and a series of community events has been organized around the five-week show to raise awareness about the issue.

The Bulletin, Spanish Fort Sun and Fairhope Courier exclusively will cover this exhibit in each Wednesday and Friday edition through Oct. 27.

See the rest of this story in the Oct. 1 editions of The Bulletin, Spanish Fort Sun and Fairhope Courier—on stands through Oct. 5.