R.A.W.A. The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan works with Afghan refugees at home and in Pakistan by offering free medical care, schools, orphanages and refugee camps especially for women and children. (August 2002)

Afghan Immigrants Khadija, seeking a better life for her family, 4 children, a pregnant daughter-in-law and a husband, applies for and is granted refugee status in the United States. The family of 7 moves from Afghanistan to Memphis, TN in the summer of 2003.

(Generation Orange)² The Vietnamese that were children during the Vietnam War have given birth to a whole new generation of children afflicted in astounding numbers by mental and physical disabilities as a result of exposure to the toxin Agent Orange. No reparations have been made by the US government to date. These poverty stricken families find

New York: This is a collection of random street photography that I mostly took while living in New York City from 2002 to 2004.

Chicago: Like my New York collection of photos, I am documenting random moments that say something about Chicago and its life.

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kelly

Photo by Deanna Mandarino
Mia Aigotti is from South Bend, Indiana. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Betta Kappa with a BA in Sociology/Anthropology and Women's Studies from Loyola University in 1999. After being in social work for nearly two years, she decided to pursue two of her hobbies, photography and writing, as a career. In 2001 she graduated from Boston University with an MS in Photojournalism. Thereafter, she worked in Boston, Washington D.C., New Jersey, the Middle East, New York City, and Pennsylvania before settling with her husband and two dogs in Chicago in May of 2005.

Mia currently runs her own business, Emilia Aigotti Photography, through which she predominantly works for newspaper and magazine clients on daily work as well as in-depth photo projects. She occasionally branches out into commercial and wedding photography, providing still a candid journalistic style.

About Face Is a black and white portrait series; Faces of Chicago (2007). Purchase here

Jen Betts: Jen Betts of Rockford, IL carries a baby by gestational surrogate for Brian and Doug, a gay couple in Philadelphia in 2006. *This project is supported by a Community Arts Assistance Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

Links to story on USAToday.com
View the USAToday pdf (5.2 Megs)
View the Vanity Fair pdf

Rita Figueroa: Rita is a highly ranked female professional boxer in Chicago. After years of training and fighting, her husband, Mike, is preparing to enter the amateur circle. 2005-2006

Kellie O'Donnell: Kellie is 15 and has Downs Syndrome. But nothing about her personality or life would suggest that she lets that slow her down. She is an inspiration to us all, reminding us how to live our lives: one day at a time and with a smile on our face. December 2005-April 2006

Brenda Taylor “Finally I got out of it and my ex-husband decided that if he couldn’t be with me nobody [was], and that he was going to take my life by strangling me to death and setting my body on fire. But I am still alive and ticking! I have beautiful scars to prove to everyone that it’s not just a story, but it’s real and its happening everyday.” (2007)

Eddie Adams: I was given the chance to attend the 2005 Eddie Adams Barnstorm and it was the most awesome experience of my career. Our group was assigned "Passion". And I was sent to the day-before and hours-before preparations for a wedding. We had two days and a couple of hours to shoot our story.

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT 2005-Present
Freelance photographer - Pioneer Press, New York Times, New York Daily News, USA Today, Wedding and Commercial Clients

WORK HISTORY 2002-2005
Staff photographer for Galesburg Register-Mail
Freelance photographer for New York Times, Newsday, AP, Washington Times

INTERNSHIPS 2002-2003
Photographer for Newsday, York Dispatch/Sunday News (York, Pa.), United Press Intl. (Washington DC) WashingtonPost.com, Associated Press, Boston Herald and Boston Metro

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology/Sociology; Magna Cum Laude; 1995
Master’s of Science in Photojournalism (Boston University) 2002
Conversational Italian;

AWARDS
Chicago CAAP Grant recipient 2006
Eddie Adams Workshop participant 2005
2nd Place — IPPA November Clip Contest: News 2005; Spot News, Long Island Press Association 2004; Spot News, Society of Professional Journalists 2002



Pdf Format
Full Resume

Phone: 309.868.1741

The portrait series, About Face, is complete and can now be purchased in book form. Click here. Or see the series at www.miaaigotti.com/aboutface purchase here.

Studio 344 at the Flat Iron Arts Building had its final show Saturday, January 26th. Thanks to all who made the project possible.

You can listen to the About Face radio interview online here. Focustalk with Dennis Snipe, WKKC 89.3 FM from May 19, 2007. Listen online here.

In cooperation with Vanity Fair, I photographed a story in Vietnam in November of 2007 on the topic of Agent Orange. Vanity Fair PDF.

I am anxiously awaiting a trip to Brazil to live in an artist community that is documenting the destruction of the Amazon rainforests. Currently seeking grants and advance publication interest.

2007 NLGJA grant award recipient for Excellence in Photojournalism for story, "Surrogate Mother".

IPPA award winner, January 2007 Feature Multiple, Third Place and March 2007 Feature Multiple, First Place

2007 Chicago CAAP grant recipient for About Face Project

Surrogate story published in USAToday 1/23/07 and Vanity Fair Italy 2/22/07

ABOUT FACE is a portrait series about Chicago, a series that the artist hopes will reflect the personality and face of the city. This project is set to be at least a year long endeavor and will hopefully encompass many personalities, ethnicities, lifestyles and faces. Each portrait will be accompanied by a paragraph of what that person thinks defines them.  Enjoy!