TAKE A BITE. Jada Evans, a Chippewa Valley photographer and University of Wisconsin-Stout grad, has launched their latest creative venture: "Chew On This." Evans' quarterly, print-only photography collective has been intentionally designed to celebrate creatives in the Chippewa Valley. (Submitted photos)

Too often, recognition for creative talents often requires Midwest artists to move from their rural communities and homes to larger metropolitan areas. Area photographer Jada Evans, a University of Wisconsin-Stout graduate, is working to change this preconceived notion through her latest collaborative arts project.

Evans' quarterly, print-only photography collective, “Chew On This,” will be a publication specifically designed to celebrate photographers and other creatives in the Chippewa Valley.

The first volume — to be released in Spring 2026 — will be the result of months of coordination, personal outreach and visioning, she said. It will feature creatives from 13 different cities across the region, including Eau Claire, Altoona, Chippewa Falls, Menomonie, Elk Mound, Colfax and Fall Creek.

“I've always focused on putting other people on,” Evans said of her aim to advocate for other creatives. “I like the idea of making a community out of the people who are fans of (the publication) and then also having that community of artists who (will) contribute to it.

"I feel like (with) a lot of art, you have to sit and chew on it for a bit to really understand the full image."

JADA EVANS

CREATOR OF "CHEW ON THIS"

During various iterations of her personal photographic work — coupled with her tendencies to “bite off more than she could chew” — the hunger to create something bite-sized and sustainable only grew.

Evans emphasized the importance of sustainability in this new print-only venture. Each volume — released on a quarterly basis following its debut — will be printed in a limited run of 50-60 editions.

By keeping Chew On This local and print-first, Evans hopes to craft something lasting and collectible to reflect the stories, textures and individuals who make the region invaluable.

Ultimately, she manifests a world in which friends could swap copies — first with volume one and then with each new edition — to look through the content together and exchange ideas.

“I feel like (with) a lot of art, you have to sit and chew on it for a bit to really understand the full image,” Evans said. “I like — for the book — being able to take a bite of each (photo), go back and chew on the idea, chew on the narrative and then get the bigger picture.”

In the first volume of Chew On This, she will assume the role of curator and graphic designer to shape its debut. Over time, Evans plans to establish a board of directors to help with the curatorial process and engage artists in guiding the content.

Evens hopes this development will become a core part of Chew On This as it evolves and reaches new audiences through fresh avenues of visual storytelling.

“I want the artists, more than anything, to be happy with what is going in the book,” Evans said.

Photo submissions for the first volume of Chew On This will be accepted now through February 2026. If you reside in one of the 13 cities covered in the first quarter and are interested in submitting your photographic work, visit the publication's online forum and social media platforms (@chewonthisproject) to learn more.