In a storefront in downtown Austin there’s a photograph of a man holding a sign that reads, “I am 90 years old. I’ve seen a lot of change.”

From now through September, the Austin community will celebrate one of these changes with a project called We Are Austin: Portraits Celebrating Our Diversity. The project features 22-by-28-inch photographs of Austin residents of all ages and backgrounds holding signs that make a statement about who they area.

“What a great way to just let so many different people know that we’re all a part of Austin,” said Bonnie Rietz, the co-chair of the Austin ArtWorks Festival and a member of Apex Austin. “We’ve become so diverse and just a wonderfully interesting community. This was just one way to celebrate that.”

Rietz, Austin ArtWorks Festival co-chair Belita Schindler and other volunteers placed the 50 photographs in storefronts along Main Street and Fourth Avenue Northeast earlier this week. They’ll be displayed during the Austin ArtWorks Festival on Aug. 23 and 24.

Rietz said the pictures fit in well with the art that will be on display during ArtWorks.

In one picture, Riverland Community College Multicultural Programs Coordinator Yesenia Mendoza holds a sign that reads, “I am a Mexicana, I am a 1st generation college graduate … I am funky! & I am Proud.”

The idea for the project originated with Austin Public Schools and Executive Director of Educational Services John Alberts. He saw a similar project at his alma mater, the University of Minnesota, Morris, and got the ball rolling in Austin.

“Photo documentation is very compelling,” he said. “It’s an interesting way to tell a story.”

Diversity is an integral part of Austin Public Schools, as 51 home languages were represented by students at the school last year, according to Alberts.

“We have really exploded in the number of different cultures that we have in Austin over the last several years,” he said.

Austin Public Schools aims to help all students succeed, and English Language Coordinator Lori Henry said it’s important to represent and include all students.

“We’re making a conscious effort to display images that reflect who our students are,” she said.

The photographs were taken by Easton Green, Matt Tylutki and Andrew Baker, many during Austin’s Taste of Nations in April.

Rietz recalled a similar video project, also called We Are Austin, completed about 15 years ago when she was mayor and Austin was changing and becoming more diverse. Now, people are more aware of Austin’s diversity, according to Rietz.

“It’s a way of life now, a part of our community,” she said.

The photographs will be displayed around town until mid-September, when an exhibit is planned to follow at the Austin Public Library. After the exhibit, about six portraits will be displayed at Austin Public Schools, but Henry is looking for homes for the remaining pictures. People interested in displaying the portraits can contact her at lori.henry@austin.k12.mn.us.

“Let’s show all of our diversity here, because it’s such a rich part of what Austin is now,” Henry said.

The Austin Human Rights Commission, Austin ArtWorks Festival and the Alliance for Educational Equality are also involved with the project.