1804

1804 continues Rich-Joseph Facun’s exploration of life in the Appalachian foothills of Southeast Ohio, this time turning his lens toward the local university and its complex, symbiotic relationship with the surrounding community.

The work visually examines how heritage, socioeconomic forces, and youth culture are shaped—and at times, strained—by the university’s presence. In this rural region, the institution forms a liberal enclave within a largely conservative landscape. Yet, it also operates as a modern-day company town: a single, dominating employer and cultural force.

Having weathered the economic turmoil of the pandemic, the university now confronts renewed financial distress. Federal funding cuts enacted during the Trump administration have triggered staff layoffs, the cancellation of student visas, and anxiety over a looming decline in high school graduates—the lifeblood of future enrollment.

Are we witnessing a shift from boom to bust?