Jamaican Jason A. Ellis has been selected as one of this year’s Living Legends of Alexandria. Ellis is the founder of the nonprofit, Momentum Collective Inc. and currently serves as program manager at the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA). The multi-talented creative director and artist was recognized by the City of Alexandria for his outstanding work in utilizing the performing arts to positively impact the lives of youth in underserved and underrepresented communities. The presentation and awards reception took place recently at the Northern Virginia Community College.

Living Legends of Alexandria is an ongoing documentary project to identify, honor and chronicle the lives of people making history in Alexandria. The idea was conceived in 2016 by artist-photographer Nina Tisara and initiated with support by the Rotary Club of Alexandria and the Alexandria Gazette Packet.

The mission of Living Legends of Alexandria (LLA) is to identify, honor and chronicle individuals who have made significant contributions to the quality of life in Alexandria. To date, Living Legends has told the stories of 221 citizens and how they made a difference in the community. In 2015, the gift of the Living Legend portraits was accepted by the Office of Historic Alexandria to become part of its permanent collection.