Treveon Govan captures OBX diversity through a lens

By Maggie Miles | Outer Banks Voice on February 6, 2023

Treveon Govan gathered his friends inside the Pioneer Theater. (Photo courtesy Treveon Govan)

His ‘Cinematic Youth’ photos feature the Pioneer Theater

As he has talked with friends about the issue of diversity on the Outer Banks, Treveon Govan began to realize how diverse his friends and family here are.

“It wasn’t so much about the land or food, but more so about the people—the art on the walls, the many faces I would walk past every day, and the conversations I would have with all kinds of people and how that inspired me in so many ways,” he told the Voice.

Govan, 29, was born and raised in Manteo and graduated from Manteo High School. His late father, Edgar “Poor Boy” Govan, was a mentor to many in the community through coaching sports. His brother Isaiah Govan is the cofounder of Garage Boys Racing, a local non-profit that engages kids through cars and racing. Govan’s mission is to inspire Outer Banks youth through art, something he feels like isn’t as readily available to kids in the area as sports.

This sparked the idea for his latest project, “Colours,” a series of portraits in photograph and film format, set in different locations around the community celebrating diversity on the Outer Banks.

“I thought, ‘what better way to celebrate the ones I love than through my own lens’—painting a picture of what makes home such a beautifully vibrant place and giving it so much color aside from extraordinary landscapes,” he recounted.

Govan photographs one of his subjects behind the concession booth. (Photo courtesy Treveon Govan)

For the first shoot, Govan could think of no place better than the historic Pioneer Theater in downtown Manteo, which closed last year after more than a century of service to the community. The mini-series, titled “Cinematic Youth,” pays homage to the welcoming, accepting community the theater helped build on the Outer Banks. Buddy Creef, the theater owner and a family friend of Govan, allowed the photographer and subjects access to the theater to do the photo shoot.

“When I think of the cinema experience, I think of fun for all ages, families both young and old. This aligned with the idea for the full series seamlessly,” said Govan. “I’ve had so many fun experiences at the Pioneer Theater growing up, it seemed like the perfect stage to portray self-expression and uniqueness with a diverse group of beautiful friends ranging in age, ethnicity, and sexuality.”

As for choosing the subjects of the photos, Govan said that was the easiest part. “I just reached out to some friends,” he explained. “I’m blessed with such a great group of peers that I admire because of their raw uniqueness. All I asked of them was to be completely themselves and that’s what made this shoot so special.”

Photos from “Cinematic Youth” will be on exhibit as part of the larger “Colours” series in a collaborative gallery style showcase in the summer of 2023.

This series is the latest artistic project for Govan’s production company, Long Way Home Productions, which includes his Long Way Home clothing label and Homegrown, a fashion event that features local artists, musicians and clothing designers with a goal of getting local youth excited about art.

“Long Way Home, the brand, is centered around a metaphor for finding that place of contentment through purpose.

We all are on this path, whether we’ve already found our ‘home’ or are still on that journey,” said Govan. “I look at it like a creative tool belt in which I’m equipped with all the tools necessary to build the foundation of my future, my ‘home’ where I inspire and positively influence through art and creativity, whether it be fashion, writing, or photography.”

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