Cheney Orr is a photographer and journalist whose work spans breaking news and long-term documentary projects centered on memory and community. His first photo essay, published by The New York Times in 2018, documented his father’s experience with early-onset Alzheimer’s and helped define the questions that continue to shape his work.
He has since been commissioned to document natural disasters, the aftermath of mass violence, flashpoints along the U.S.–Mexico border, civil unrest, and political campaigns. His work has received numerous grants and awards, including a 2021 Pulitzer Prize nomination, and is held in the collections of major institutions, including MoMA and the Met.
In a South Texas county with one of the nation’s highest known rates of Alzheimer’s, these images bear witness to dementia’s weight on families while honoring the unexpected moments of beauty, humor, and connection that still break through.
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