KIM RAFF / Land of the Free

October 12, 2018 – January 25, 2019

Land of the Free
 follows the United Sentinel Militia, 
Utah’s largest constitutional militia, as it weathers through an identity crisis less of its own design than of the society it sees itself preparing to defend. The images portray a nuanced group more compelling than the caricatures that make their way into main stream media. They challenge the perceived motivations of a militia, making few illusions about what it represents—an unapologetic view that may indeed be more in line with the divisive pivot politics is taking in our country. This is a dynamic story about more than a fringe society drunk on the 2nd Amendment – this is a story about our neighbors – and it’s 
one worth sharing with those who think militias are content
 to continue living in the shadows.  

Header image: Room Clearing, Kim Raff

About the Artist

Kim Raff is an award-winning photographer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She specializes in documentary photojournalism, seeing stories in her own backyard and capturing intimate portraits
 of the human experience. From the Deep South to the American West, her craft has drawn her into people’s living rooms, pulled her onto mountain tops, and humbled her at gravesides. After receiving a degree in visual journalism, she went on to a seven- year career in newspapers, which included staff positions with The Salt Lake Tribune and The News & Advance. Her ongoing documentary project Land of the Free, which follows the resurgence of a militia movement in Utah, was awarded a support grant from The Documentary Project Fund. She is a frequent contributor to the New York Times. Her work has been commissioned and published by prominent national and international publications around the globe. www.kimraff.com