Faces Of New Bedford – #22: Joseph Arruda

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Meet Joseph “The Beardfather” Arruda, a 36-year-old direct support residential staff, founder of Beards of New Bedford, and President of the South Coast Beard and Mustache Guild.

He also helps his wife run the gallery that she co-owns, TL6 the Gallery, which is located on William Street in downtown New Bedford.

After growing up in Somerset, and attending the University of Massachusetts, he moved to New Bedford in 2000 to be closer to his friends and this new community that he had become so fond of. His father’s family had lived here for generations and his grandfather was a fire fighter here for 40 years, so he always felt a strong connection to the city.

After deciding to grow a beard a few years back, he never would have understood then how much it would impact his life today. He created a page on Facebook titled “Beards of New Bedford”, where he chronicled the growth of his beard and, after garnering some attention from the community, other men’s beards as well. With the formation of a group of guys that were interested in growing and styling their facial hair, the South Coast Beard and Mustache Guild had come to life. They started holding beard competitions and have focused the proceeds of these events, which include different categories of beards and mustaches, to benefit charitable organizations. He really believes that by uniting with others in similar interests we can really make a change in our city.

“The Guild is home to welders, artists, photographers, professionals, and even some women, but the one thing that ties us together is our love for beards and wanting to help people.”

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Faces of New Bedford is a project by Colton Simmons. If you are interested in booking a shoot or getting prints from the series email all inquiries to colton@coltonsimmons.com

Follow Colton on Instagram: https://instagram.com/simmonscolton

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