Jan. 5--CARRBORO -- Local photographer Jesse Kalisher hopes the newest exhibit at his gallery in Carrboro will literally put a face to one of the more controversial issues of the last year -- a proposed airport in southwestern Orange County.

"No Airport: The Faces of White Cross" opens Friday and runs through Feb. 6 at the Jesse Kalisher Gallery, 209 E. Main Street in Carrboro. Kalisher, an internationally acclaimed photographer who just opened his gallery in August, said his photographs of White Cross residents are intended to remind people of what's at stake.

"We take certain things for granted -- that we'll always have local farms, for instance," Kalisher said. "Even more, that farmers whose families have been working their land for 200 years will be respected, even revered.

"Development is inevitable," he continued. "But how we manage growth and what choices we make say as much about who we are and what we value today as they do about what we hope to become."

Kalisher said it took about three days to photograph the people of White Cross. The area west of Carrboro along N.C. 54 has been named a top contender for a general aviation airport that would replace Horace Williams Airport. A friend who lives in White Cross helped Kalisher find residents willing to participate in the project.

A perfect opportunity

"I earn a living taking pictures of cities and cultures all over the world, and so I was excited to do that locally," Kalisher said. "This is such a diverse community, and the way we all earn our livings is just fascinating to me. When this airport issue came up, I thought, 'Here is a perfect opportunity for me to dive in and photograph a culture and a way of life that is part of our community.' "