Capturing cultures

When Jasmine Stevens ’25 left the Arizona desert and the close-knit culture of her Tohono O’odham Nation for college in Southern California, she expected change. What she didn’t expect were the echoes of home — familiar rhythms in the food, music, and vibrant community spirit she found in local Hispanic traditions, all resonating with the culture she grew up in.

“I started seeing cultural similarities between my tribe, California culture, and Hispanic cultures,” Stevens said. “The more I looked, the more similarities in dance, food, clothing styles, I’ve been able to find and experience in the last 4 years I’ve been at Redlands.”

Those cultural parallels inspired Stevens’ latest photography project for “Prismatic,” the University of Redlands’ 2025 Senior Art Show. A double major in liberal studies and studio art with a concentration in photography, Stevens created six portraits for the exhibit and is curating a companion photo book that captures a year of activism through her lens. She said her work celebrates both contrast and connection, highlighting cultural events, casual gatherings, and joyful moments within the communities she’s embraced during her time at Redlands.

“One of the goals of my art is to bring awareness to my tribe and others — to let people know that we’re still here,” Stevens said. “A lot of people don’t know about my tribe or even the tribes in California, and those that do tend to lump Native Americans into one big group. I want to show the diversity between all tribes and the similarities between Hispanic culture and those tribes.”

Inspired by her father who works in natural resources, Stevens often joined him in the field while he collected data and monitored wildlife, where he would  ask if she would photograph him in action. From rescuing injured animals to documenting indigenous plants in various landscapes, Stevens quickly connected with capturing nature on film. Through Redlands courses and connecting with faculty like Tommi Cahill and staff within Native Student Programs, Stevens’ artistry has evolved into capturing more intimate moments.  

“A lot of my work now is portrait style or environmental photography, because I’ve been able to learn and grow in the program at Redlands,” Stevens said. “I’ve had opportunities, including an internship where I captured a hip-hop festival, which lead me to more activism photography and highlighting different cultures and issues within them. If I’m capturing an event, I like to immerse myself in that situation, and capture people mid-action and living in that moment.”

This new way of capturing images has led Stevens to “ask questions, learn people’s stories, and ask what the moment” means to them, instead of just taking photos and going about her day. Her new work philosophy has inspired a lifelong project post graduate school —traveling the continental United States to photograph at least one Indigenous community in each state and turning that collection into a book, celebrating the beauty and variety of Native cultures across the country.

“I want to keep doing this work for the rest of my life,” Stevens said. “Not just for school —but to honor where I come from and to help others see how we’re connected.”

Learn more about the Prismatic Senior Art Show and Native Student Programs.