Based in Toronto, Canada, Jo-Anne McArthur is a photojournalist who brings a compassionate eye and a natural ability to her work. Though Jo-Anne shoots portrait, editorial, food and event photography in Toronto and the surrounding area, she also spends 6 months of each year abroad working on her documentary project We Animals. She is curious, open, and engaged, and approaches each project and assignment with enthusiasm and care.
Jo-Anne’s We Animals project, now in its 11th year, is an attempt to highlight the ways in which human cultures and animal cultures are intertwined, the central premise being that humans are just as much animal as the sentient beings used for food, clothing, research, experimentation, entertainment, work, slavery and companionship.In short, her goal is to change hearts and minds about the mass commodification of animals. Her project lays bare the complicated emotions and exploitations inherent in many human-animal relationships through photographs that defy the stereotypical in-your-face animal advocacy. She has shot for We Animals in over 30 countries and maintains a rigorous schedule of research and travel to keep it going. To date, Jo-Anne and the We Animals project have received several grants and garnered accolades such as the Canadian Empathy Award (in the arts category) and nominated by CBC as one of Canada's Top 50 Champions of Change.
Some of Jo-Anne’s clients include ELLE Canada, Canadian Geographic Magazine, Canadian Living Magazine and Sotokoto Magazine, and she has guest lectured at several Canadian universities. Over 70 not-for-profit organizations have used We Animals images to help further their cause to end animal suffering.
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