The Face of Immokalee

The Face of Immokalee was a multi-year public art project created by Naples-based photographer Michelle Tricca. “It is celebrating the soul of Immokalee through a series of larger-than-life, boldly displayed images,” said Tricca. “The project is about the human condition, the art of photography, and utilizing your resources to make a difference. I wanted the exhibit to be physically and metaphorically larger than life. I want people to look up close rather than gloss over an anonymous person.”

Immokalee is one of the most economically disadvantaged communities (migrant farm workers), ironically located in one of the wealthiest counties in the United States. “The intention of this project is to bridge the disparity between the two largely juxtaposed regions using art,” said Tricca.

The project is on exhibit indefinitely on two building walls and two semi-trailer trucks at Lipman Family Farms Packing Facility on 200 E Main St, Immokalee. One of the walls exhibits each portrait 12 fee high by 9 feet wide. The work has been viewable since April 2023 and has had a beautiful crescendo of positivity. The Baker Museum at Artis Naples also exhibited a curated show of The Face Of Immokalee during their ’23-'24 season. PBS produced a 10-minute documentary on the project, "The Face Of Immokalee, Public Art For Social Change," which was honored as Best Florida Film at the 2023 Naples International Film Festival. It was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2024, which gave the exhibit both local and global exposure.

“I can’t change the world, but I can use my art as activism,” said Tricca. “As an artist, you put your work out there and hope for the best. Results have far exceeded my expectations. The wall murals entice people to visit Immokalee; the trucks are viewable on a whim of happenstance and bring the art to coastal Collier and people who weren't expecting to see it.”

“The project and the portraits have enlightened and educated people about Immokalee and created a wonderful sense of compassion and urge to give back,” Tricca added. “Since 2018, I have been a mentor for The Immokalee Foundation, and volunteer as an adult-education English teacher, and people have been inspired to join me and become mentors too.”

“After a showing of The Face Of Immokalee at Paragon Theater in 2025, a man approached me with tears in his eyes, asking me to introduce him to the organizations featured in the film, so he could provide them assistance,” said Tricca. “Another gentleman from Naples took a group of Immokalee High School students to get custom tailored business suits to help them on their school's career path program.”

Face Of Immokalee mural is an indefinite installation and it took Tricca four and a half years of conceptualizing, location scouting, photographing, raising funds, and installing the project. The project was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Florida Dept of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts, and she raised $10,000 on her own through private donations. The murals are printed on an industrial, weather-proof vinyl, and Lipman Family Farms graciously offered their surfaces as the canvas, allowing them to remain on exhibit indefinitely, until dictated by Mother Nature.

“The project has exceeded my expectations, bringing pride to the community as well as much awareness to people who weren’t aware of Immokalee and its role in the agriculture industry,” Tricca said. “Looking back now three and a half years later, I can humbly and proudly say the results have been palpable. The work has taken a life of its own and people are inspired to take action. The last time the trucks drove thru coastal Naples, people were posting the murals in traffic and texting me pictures; it was beautiful.”

Tricca is optimistic. “The conversations continue; I have sensed a rise in compassion and am inspired to continue pursuing more public art projects.”