About the Exhibit
Gary and the broader Northwest Indiana region were built around steel. For generations, the mills provided union jobs that supported families and drew people from across the country and around the world. Workers organized, sacrificed, and fought for rights and protections that shaped the American labor movement. Their work built not only steel, but neighborhoods, schools, churches, and a community rich in culture.
Today, the region is more than its mills. It’s resilient people, vibrant neighborhoods, the Indiana Dunes, and Lake Michigan's shores. Many families live with the realities of an aging steel industry, proud of the work that has sustained generations and concerned about health, opportunity, and what comes next.
Our Mill, Our Home gathers portraits and stories from twenty steelworkers, residents living next to the mills, activists, faith leaders, and longtime residents across the region. Most hope the mills stay: modernized, cleaner, and still providing the good union jobs this region was built on. A few believe Gary’s future lies beyond steel. All of them agree that the people who have carried this region for generations deserve a real say in what comes next.
Making the Exhibit
Over the summer of 2026, Decay Devils president and founder Tyrell Anderson photographed neighbors across Northwest Indiana. Just Transition Northwest Indiana interviewed participants about their lived experience in the area. Each portrait is paired with a story drawn from those conversations and edited for brevity. Matthew Kaplan, Tony Pate, and Roger Smith of SteelWatch contributed additional portraits and photography.
With deep gratitude to everyone who opened their homes, workplaces, and memories to make this exhibit possible.
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