Bob Gomel Day Proclaimed

 

Bob Gomel Day

WHEREAS, Houstonian Bob Gomel has dedicated eight decades to the advancement of American photojournalism and imagery of world cultures; and

WHEREAS, Bob Gomel’s love of photography began in his youth in New York City, continued with his graduation from New York University with a journalism degree, through his service abroad as a U.S. Navy Aviator, and into his emergence as a professional photographer; and

WHEREAS, Bob Gomel captured the triumphs and tragedies of the 1960s as a photographer for LIFE magazine, making iconic and innovative images of world leaders and events, athletes and entertainers, and great moments in contemporary history; and

WHEREAS, Bob Gomel’s notable LIFE assignments included photographing President John F. Kennedy’s historic “We Choose to Go tothe Moon” speech at Rice University on September 12, 1962; and

WHEREAS, Bob Gomel moved to Houston in the 1970s and opened a photography studio where he produced images of leading political, business, academic and medical figures, and he helped co-found the Houston chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers; and

WHEREAS, Bob Gomel’s famous 1997 photograph, “Fireworks Over Houston,” is in the permanent collection of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and

WHEREAS, Bob Gomel is the subject of the documentary Bob Gomel: Eyewitness directed by David Scarbrough, and Gomel’s work remains of interest to historians, news organizations and collectors around the nation; and

WHEREAS, Bob Gomel’s contemporary photography emphasizes world cultures and life abroad and includes images from Asia, Europe and The Americas; and

WHEREAS, Bob Gomel’s photographic archives have been donated to the Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas at Austin, and a newly published selection of his life’s work is exhibited at the 2024 Fotofest Biennial in Houston; and

 

WHEREAS, The City of Houston commends and recognizes Bob Gomel for his contributions to photojournalism in Houston and beyond;

 THEREFORE, I, John Whitmire, Mayor of the City of Houston, do hereby proclaim April 23 2024, as  Bob Gomel Day In Houston, Texas

 

Bob Gomel's photographs are featured in the current exhibition 1964

Monroe Gallery at the 43rd edition of The Photography Show,

Monroe Gallery of Photography is delighted to announce its participation in the highly anticipated 43rd edition of The Photography Show, the longest-running and leading fair dedicated to photography, returning this year to the iconic Park Avenue Armory in New York City from April 25 to 28, 2024.

Marking an exciting homecoming for The Photography Show, this edition promises a spectacular showcase of photography. The expansive Armory space will host 77 exhibiting galleries and a dedicated photobook sector, creating a unique and exciting experience for collectors and enthusiasts alike.

The Photography Show, located at 643 Park Ave, New York, NY 10065, will open its doors with a VIP Preview on Thursday, April 25, followed by the official opening on Friday, April 26, at 12 pm. That evening, the fair will feature a Night of Photography from 5 pm to 8 pm, providing a unique evening experience. On Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28, the show will be open to the public from 12 pm to 7 pm and 12 pm to 5 pm, respectively.

Monroe Gallery of Photography will be located at Booth A52 and will exhibit a curated selection of important contemporary photojournalism, with a central focus on Sanjay Suchak's “Take Them Down” project documenting the deinstallation and repurposing of monumental Confederate statues along with photographs Mark Peterson made at the Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond, Virginia in 2020. Other issues addressed by Gallery photojournalists in our exhibit will include climate change, women’s rights, and the 2016 Standing Rock protest movement to stop the Dakota Access pipeline. The Gallery will also have a special selection of fashion, WWII, and portrait photographs by Tony Vaccaro, who passed away in December 2022 at the age of 100 and who was a frequent presence in the Monroe Gallery booth through past AIPAD Shows.

We look forward to seeing you in our booth #A52! Please email us with any questions. Preview our exhibition here.

World Press Photo 2024 – global winners

 Via The Guardian

April 18, 2024

‘These final selected works are a tapestry of our world today, centred on images we believe were made with respect and integrity, that can speak universally and resonate far beyond their origins,’ said Fiona Shields, global jury chair and head of photography at the Guardian. ‘This is an opportunity to applaud the work of press and documentary photographers everywhere and to amplify the importance of the stories they are telling, often in unimaginable circumstances’ --click to go to feature article

Photojournalism in the Occupied West Bank - Moderated by Nina Berman

 Via eventbrite

April 15, 2024

Three photographers with deep experience in the region will present recent work and discuss the challenges of reporting in the region, moderated by Nina Berman.

Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank have faced increased violence, detentions and land seizures by Israeli forces and settlers since October 7. Three photographers with deep experience in the region will present recent work and discuss the deteriorating situation for Palestinians in the West Bank and the challenges of reporting in the region.

Join us April 26 in the World Room for a panel with:

Salwan Georges/The Washington Post

Tanya Habjouqa/The New Yorker

Maen Hammad/Caravan Magazine

Moderated by Prof. Nina Berman, sponsored by The Delacorte Center for Magazine Journalism and The Li Center for Global Journalism.

Friday, April 26 · 6 - 8pm EDT

Location: Columbia Journalism School

World Room 2950 Broadway New York, NY 10027

Tickets here

It is no longer safe to organize a protest in Louisiana, Mississippi, or Texas.

 Via VOX news

April 15, 2024

The Supreme Court effectively abolishes the right to mass protest in three US states

--    Last summer, Monroe Gallery presented the exhibition Good Trouble, photographs that register the power of individuals to inspire movements and illustrate the power of mass protest. "The right to protest encompasses various rights and freedoms, including the freedom of assembly, the freedom of association, and the freedom of expression. Unfortunately  these precious rights are under attack and must be protected from those who are afraid of change and want to keep us divided."

The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will not hear Mckesson v. Doe. The decision not to hear Mckesson leaves in place a lower court decision that effectively eliminated the right to organize a mass protest in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

Under that lower court decision, a protest organizer faces potentially ruinous financial consequences if a single attendee at a mass protest commits an illegal act.

It is possible that this outcome will be temporary. The Court did not embrace the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit’s decision attacking the First Amendment right to protest, but it did not reverse it either. That means that, at least for now, the Fifth Circuit’s decision is the law in much of the American South.

For the past several years, the Fifth Circuit has engaged in a crusade against DeRay Mckesson, a prominent figure within the Black Lives Matter movement who organized a protest near a Baton Rouge police station in 2016.

The facts of the Mckesson case are, unfortunately, quite tragic. Mckesson helped organize the Baton Rouge protest following the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling. During that protest, an unknown individual threw a rock or similar object at a police officer, the plaintiff in the Mckesson case who is identified only as “Officer John Doe.” Sadly, the officer was struck in the face and, according to one court, suffered “injuries to his teeth, jaw, brain, and head.”

Everyone agrees that this rock was not thrown by Mckesson, however. And the Supreme Court held in NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware (1982) that protest leaders cannot be held liable for the violent actions of a protest participant, absent unusual circumstances that are not present in the Mckesson case — such as if Mckesson had “authorized, directed, or ratified” the decision to throw the rock.

Indeed, as Justice Sonia Sotomayor points out in a brief opinion accompanying the Court’s decision not to hear Mckesson, the Court recently reaffirmed the strong First Amendment protections enjoyed by people like Mckesson in Counterman v. Colorado (2023). That decision held that the First Amendment “precludes punishment” for inciting violent action “unless the speaker’s words were ‘intended’ (not just likely) to produce imminent disorder.”

The reason Claiborne protects protest organizers should be obvious. No one who organizes a mass event attended by thousands of people can possibly control the actions of all those attendees, regardless of whether the event is a political protest, a music concert, or the Super Bowl. So, if protest organizers can be sanctioned for the illegal action of any protest attendee, no one in their right mind would ever organize a political protest again.

Indeed, as Fifth Circuit Judge Don Willett, who dissented from his court’s Mckesson decision, warned in one of his dissents, his court’s decision would make protest organizers liable for “the unlawful acts of counter-protesters and agitators.” So, under the Fifth Circuit’s rule, a Ku Klux Klansman could sabotage the Black Lives Matter movement simply by showing up at its protests and throwing stones.
The Fifth Circuit’s Mckesson decision is obviously wrong

Like Mckesson, Claiborne involved a racial justice protest that included some violent participants. In the mid-1960s, the NAACP launched a boycott of white merchants in Claiborne County, Mississippi. At least according to the state supreme court, some participants in this boycott “engaged in acts of physical force and violence against the persons and property of certain customers and prospective customers” of these white businesses.

Indeed, one of the organizers of this boycott did far more to encourage violence than Mckesson is accused of in his case. Charles Evers, a local NAACP leader, allegedly said in a speech to boycott supporters that “if we catch any of you going in any of them racist stores, we’re gonna break your damn neck.”

But the Supreme Court held that this “emotionally charged rhetoric ... did not transcend the bounds of protected speech.” It ruled that courts must use “extreme care” before imposing liability on a political figure of any kind. And it held that a protest leader may only be held liable for a protest participant’s actions in very limited circumstances:

There are three separate theories that might justify holding Evers liable for the unlawful conduct of others. First, a finding that he authorized, directed, or ratified specific tortious activity would justify holding him responsible for the consequences of that activity. Second, a finding that his public speeches were likely to incite lawless action could justify holding him liable for unlawful conduct that in fact followed within a reasonable period. Third, the speeches might be taken as evidence that Evers gave other specific instructions to carry out violent acts or threats.

The Fifth Circuit conceded, in a 2019 opinion, that Officer Doe “has not pled facts that would allow a jury to conclude that Mckesson colluded with the unknown assailant to attack Officer Doe, knew of the attack and ratified it, or agreed with other named persons that attacking the police was one of the goals of the demonstration.” So that should have been the end of the case.

Instead, in its most recent opinion in this case, the Fifth Circuit concluded that Claiborne’s “three separate theories that might justify” holding a protest leader liable are a non-exhaustive list, and that the MAGA-infused court is allowed to create new exceptions to the First Amendment. It then ruled that the First Amendment does not apply “where a defendant creates unreasonably dangerous conditions, and where his creation of those conditions causes a plaintiff to sustain injuries.”

And what, exactly, were the “unreasonably dangerous conditions” created by the Mckesson-led protest in Baton Rouge? The Fifth Circuit faulted Mckesson for organizing “the protest to begin in front of the police station, obstructing access to the building,” for failing to “dissuade” protesters who allegedly stole water bottles from a grocery store, and for leading “the assembled protest onto a public highway, in violation of Louisiana criminal law.”

Needless to say, the idea that the First Amendment recedes the moment a mass protest violates a traffic law is quite novel. And it is impossible to reconcile with pretty much the entire history of mass civil rights protests in the United States.

In fairness, the Court’s decision to leave the Fifth Circuit’s attack on the First Amendment in place could be temporary. As Sotomayor writes in her Mckesson opinion, when the Court announces that it will not hear a particular case it “expresses no view about the merits.” The Court could still restore the First Amendment right to protest in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas in a future case.

For the time being, however, the Fifth Circuit’s Mckesson decision remains good law in those three states. And that means that anyone who organizes a political protest within the Fifth Circuit risks catastrophic financial liability.

Accountability is past due for Kansas newsroom raid

 

John Lewis Photograph by Sanjay Suchak

Remember the raid on the Marion County Record last August? There are several updates as the "investigations" are still ongoing.

Via Freedom of the Press Foundation:

Investigations into the raid are ongoing and news continues to emerge about additional evidence of Marion officials’ retaliatory motives for their actions.

Last week, the Marion County Record sued the city of Marion and the officials who authorized the raid, including the then-mayor and police chief. The Record’s publisher, Eric Meyer, also joined the suit, both in his own name and as executor of his mother Joan’s estate. Joan Meyer died at age 98 the day after the raid of the home she shared with her son, likely from the stress — but not before giving police a piece of her mind.

It’s the fourth lawsuit filed in connection with the raid, along with two by reporters who worked for the Record at the time and one by the paper’s office manager.

The Record’s lawsuit contends that the raid was not the product of mere incompetence by a small town police department but a coordinated effort to retaliate against the paper for its coverage of local politics.

In addition to the lawsuits, investigations related to the raid are still pending — both of law enforcement officers’ conduct and of whether Record reporters broke the law.

As Kansas media lawyer Max Kautsh recently wrote for the Kansas Reflector, it’s well past time to drop any remaining investigation of the Record or its reporters.

The theory used to justify the raid – that a reporter broke identity theft laws by accessing online DUI records – is nonsense. The federal Driver Privacy Protection Act doesn’t protect DUI records, and includes an express exemption for research. The Kansas Department of Revenue, which runs the website the Record accessed, has said the site is open to the public. And the notion that routine journalistic conduct like accessing public records for newsgathering purposes constitutes identity theft or fraud is plainly offensive to the First Amendment.

The investigation of the law enforcement response is another story entirely. Although the probe (which, as discussed later, is being handled by the Colorado Bureau of Investigations, or CBI) is reportedly wrapping up, it’s alarming that it’s taking so long given the volume of evidence of unconstitutional retaliation. Hopefully the delay is because authorities are figuring out just how thick of a book they can throw at those responsible for the raid.

Here are just a few of the revelations that have come to light in recent months, thanks in large part to intrepid reporting from the Record itself, the Reflector, and other local news outlets, as well as from information contained in the Record’s lawsuit. Much of the news focuses on the conduct of then-Marion police chief Gideon Cody, but others, from Marion’s then-mayor to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, or KBI, are also implicated.During the raid of the Record’s newsroom, Cody took the opportunity to rifle through reporters’ documents about himself — even though the raid was purportedly over newsgathering about a local restaurant owner. Cody was suspended and then resigned, but he was replaced by an interim chief who also participated in the raid (as did the entire police department). Other officers directed Cody to the files about him and suggested he review them.

Rather than limiting the seizure to records related to the purported investigation, Cody said officers should “just take them all,” because he was hungry. Cody then allegedly had a “pizza party” with the county sheriff. Meanwhile, the Record struggled to publish its next edition without any of its files.

Cody spoke to the restaurant owner whose information the Record was accused of “unlawfully” accessing on a public website by phone between the raids of the Record’s newsrooms and the Meyers’ home. He reportedly started the call with “Hey honey, we can’t write anything,” before providing a verbal play-by-play. The restaurant owner has also acknowledged that she deleted texts with Cody pursuant to his requests.

After the raid drew national backlash, Cody sought an arrest warrant for two Record reporters. Two hours later, the Marion County attorney revoked the search warrants that prompted the raids due to a lack of evidence.

The KBI, which attempted to distance itself from the raid after the fallout, was actually on board from the outset, receiving an advance copy of the search warrant and communicating with Cody throughout the ordeal. County Attorney Joel Ensey, who initially said he hadn’t reviewed the warrants, also reportedly received an advance copy from police. Days after news of the KBI’s involvement in the raid broke, the KBI asked the CBI to take over its investigation of the raid.

Prior to the raid, Cody allegedly tried to persuade a Record reporter, Phyllis Zorn, to leave the newspaper and start a competitor, promising he would invest in the rival paper. Zorn is now one of the reporters suing over the raid.

Prior to the raid, then-Marion Mayor David Mayfield allegedly reposted a Facebook post by his wife asking “If anyone is interested in signing a petition to recall [then vice-mayor Ruth Herbel] and silence the MCR [Marion County Record] in the process, let me know.”

Eric Meyer has said that he filed his lawsuit reluctantly — not wanting to bankrupt his hometown — and will donate any punitive damages to charitable causes. His hesitance is understandable. But accountability is desperately needed. Hopefully the CBI will help provide some, and soon.

AIPAD Exposure Newsletter: The Photography Show Highlights

 

Via AIPAD Exposure Newsletter April 11, 2024   Santa Fe’s Monroe Gallery will be showing a selection of contemporary photojournalism, with a central focus on Sanjay Suchak's Take Them Down project documenting the deinstallation and repurposing of monumental Confederate statues. The gallery, which recently began representing Mark Peterson, will also show photographs Peterson made at the Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond, Virginia, in 2020 as well as other works by the photographer. Other photographs on view at the Monroe Gallery’s booth will focus on climate change, women’s rights, and the 2016 Standing Rock protest to stop the Dakota Access pipeline. The gallery will also have a special selection of fashion, WWII, and portrait photographs by Tony Vaccaro, who passed away in December 2022 at the age of 100 and who was a longtime gallery artist and a frequent presence in the Monroe Gallery booth during previous AIPAD Shows.

Sanjay Suchak, Robert E. Lee Monument Overhead, Richmond, Virginia, July 2, 2020. Courtesy Monroe Gallery of Photography

Sanjay Suchak, Foundry workers prepare to melt down the face of the Robert E. Lee statue for repurposing, October, 2023. Courtesy Monroe Gallery of Photography

Mark Peterson, Portrait of George Floyd projected on General Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond, VA, June 8, 2020, by lighting designer Dustin Klein. Courtesy Monroe Gallery of Photography

Ryan Vizzions, A church flooded by Hurricane Florence stands silently in its reflection in Burgaw, North Carolina, 2018. Courtesy Monroe Gallery of Photography

Tony Vaccaro, The Guggenheim Hat, New York, 1960. Courtesy Monroe Gallery of Photography

Missiles on the Rez Nominated for 28th Annual People's Choice Webby Award

Ella Weber stands in front of a nuclear silo on Fort Berthold Reservation. (NINA BERMAN)

Gallery photographer Nina Berman was among the journalists behind Scientific American's multimedia reporting project on US nuclear weapons, told in video, print and podcast.

The five-part podcast The Missiles on the Rez explores the past, present, and future of nuclear weapons on the only Native American tribe hosting nuclear weapons in the United States. More here.

The Missiles on Our Rez is a 2024 Webby Award Nominee. 

Vote here.

Egypt’s City of the Dead as Seen by Acclaimed Photojournalist Ed Kashi

Via Cario Scene

April 11, 2024

 American photojournalist Ed Kashi guides us through his exhibit 'The Living City of the Dead'.

At the heart of the Citadel of Salah El Din in Old Cairo, the captivating narratives of a vital part of this locale's history unfold—the stories of those residing within the 'Living City of the Dead'. As part of Cairo Design Week, the Cairo-based photography school Photopia curated and hosted an exhibition featuring the work of acclaimed American photojournalist Ed Kashi. This collection stems from his visit to Egypt in 1993, during which he spent three weeks in the City of the Dead.

At one point, Cairo's vast 13th-century necropolis, known as the City of the Dead, was primarily inhabited by caretakers, who were employed by families to tend to their ancestral mausoleums. However, with the rapid increase in Cairo's population density, driven by a housing shortage, the city's main cemetery became home to people seeking shelter.

By 1993, the City of the Dead had become a bustling hub, with over one hundred and twenty thousand residents living, working, shopping, and attending school amidst the mausoleums. Today, this population has grown even further. Makeshift huts now dot the landscape, nestled between tombstones where life somehow goes on. Amongst the grand burial sites of renowned religious and political figures from Egypt's storied past, masses of people now live and work in makeshift dwellings.

Originally tasked by National Geographic to explore urban landscapes in Egypt, Kashi and his then-girlfriend (now wife) found themselves drawn to the daily existence in the City of the Dead. Amidst the backdrop of corpses and decay, they discovered a life that, while unique, also took on elements of the ordinary and routine. Over those three weeks, Kashi immersed himself in the community, capturing their traditions—from weddings to religious rituals, schools, and workplaces.

In this exclusive CairoScene & El Fasla interview, the photographer guides us through the exhibit, where images from the past come to life within the historic Citadel's walls. Against the backdrop of Cairo's rapidly changing urban landscape, Kashi urges viewers to contemplate this archival documentation of a community and landscape on the brink of disappearance.

Nate Gowdy and Monroe Gallery Announce Major Aquisition of "Insurrection" prints

 April 10, 2024

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nate Gowdy (@nategowdy)

Via Nate Gowdy:

With permission from the collector, I’m proud to report the largest fine art commission of my career. He’s acquired a ten-image portfolio of 20x30-inch prints from January 6, 2021. This is a HUGE stabilizing force for me going into the summer. I am working with my partners at @monroegallery and a master printer to make the prints, too large for my trusty Epson. An exhibition opening at Midwest Museum of American Art in my hometown of Elkhart, Indiana, is slated for the first part of 2025.

Bob Gomel: Artist Talk and Film Screening April 3

 Via The Alta Arts

Bob Gomel: Eyewitness is a documentary film that examines the stories behind the stories of some of the most significant events in the 20th century, especially the turbulent 1960’s.

Join us for An Evening with Bob Gomel – with Q&A to follow. Hear and see history unfold from the perspective of a legendary LIFE Magazine photographer.  Moderated by Don Carleton of the Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas in Austin.

Admission is free – however, reservations are required.  Follow the book online link.

April 3, 2024 - 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

The exhibition Bob Gomel: Eyewitness continue through April 13, 2024 at The Alta Arts.

Mark Peterson Photographs for the NY Times Feature "The Race to Reinvent CPR"

 Via The New York Times

March 27, 2024

Mark Peterson photographed for the NY Times feature story "The Race to Reinvent CPR". 

 Monroe Gallery of Photography recently announced exclusive representation of acclaimed photographer Mark Peterson for fine art print sales. His work will be included in our exhibit at The Photography Show Presented by AIPAD at the Park Avenue Armory in New York April 25-28, 2024.

Photojournalists on the Front Line: The Emotional Toll Moderated by Gallery Photographer Sanjay Suchak

 Photojournalists on the Front Line: The Emotional Toll — Karsh Institute of Democracy (virginia.edu)

Via University of Virginia Karsh Institute of Democracy

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Photojournalists document the world around us. We see their images directly on our devices and televisions, capturing emotions and connecting us to stories at home and abroad. How do photojournalists help us understand difficult topics and breaking news? How does covering complex and emotional issues affect photojournalists personally?

Join a distinguished panel of photojournalists—including Pulitzer Prize–winning photographers—as they explore how their profession keeps the public well-informed and share their perspectives on what it’s like to work in some of the most challenging areas in the world.

Co-sponsored by UVA's Karsh Institute of Democracy and Public Service Pathways.

SPEAKERS

Michael Robinson Chávez

Freelance Visual Journalist (Washington, D.C.)

Ryan M. Kelly

Freelance Photojournalist (Richmond, VA)

Kirsten Luce

Independent Photojournalist (Brooklyn, NY)

Sanjay Suchak (moderator)

Practitioner Fellow in Democracy, Karsh Institute of Democracy

Independent Documentary and Commercial Photographer (Charlottesville, VA)

WHEN:

Tuesday April 9, 2024

1:00pm - 2:15pm

WHERE:

UVA's Rotunda (Dome Room)

1826 University Avenue Charlottesville, VA

REGISTER HERE

Sanjay Suchak's photographs from his "Take Them Down" project documenting the process of dismantling Confederate iconography across the Commonwealth will be on exhibit during the AIPAD Photography Show in New York City, April 25-28.  The next step of this project aims to answer the question of “what's next” for these relics of the Jim Crow era. A short documentary was filmed about his work on this project.

Musee Magazine: THE MOVIES | MONROE GALLERY OF PHOTOGRAPHY

 Via Musee Magazine

March 21, 2024

Sid Avery/mptvimages: Audrey Hepburn On Her Bike With Pet Dog, 

Paramount Studio Lot, Hollywood, 1957

"The Movies at the Monroe Gallery of Photography is a visual treat for anyone from the most hardened film buff to the casual moviegoer. The sheer breadth of iconic images will dazzle the eyes and inspire the mind, taking visitors back to that first romantic time they laid eyes on the silver screen." - click for full review

View the exhibition here.

Monroe Gallery Announces Representation of Mark Peterson

 Monday, March 18, 2024

Mark Peterson: The Capitol's reflection, January 3, Washington, DC, 2021

Santa Fe, NM - Monroe Gallery of Photography is honored to announce exclusive representation of acclaimed photographer Mark Peterson for fine art print sales.

Mark Peterson is a photographer based in New York City. His work has been published in the New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Fortune, National Geographic, Geo Magazine and other national and international publications. In 2018 he was awarded the W. Eugene Smith grant for his work on White Nationalism. His many awards include a first place Feature Picture Story in the Pictures of the Year International Competition. Peterson’s work has been featured in numerous exhibitions including his pictures of lowriders shown in “Museums Are Worlds” at the Louvre in 2012.

He is the author of two books: Acts Of Charity published by Powerhouse in 2004 and Political Theatre, published by Steidl in the fall of 2016. His work is collected in several museums including The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC and the Museum Of Fine Arts, Houston. In 2024 Steidl will publish his book The Fourth Wall.

Although often not beautiful, or easy, Peterson’s images shake and disquiet us; and once seen are etched in our memories forever.  “I like a lot of chaos in my pictures. I do like to be close to the action. It gives me a feeling of what is happening. I want to pull back the curtain and show these politicians as they really are.”

Monroe Gallery will exhibit several examples of Peterson’s work at the 2024 Photography Show presented by AIPAD in booth #A52, April 25 – 28, 2024 at The Park Avenue Armory in New York City. On Thursday, March 21st at 7pm Eastern, The Griffin Museum hosts Mark Peterson for an on-line conversation about his creative path, his pull to politics and what it takes to frame his vision as part of the museum’s current focus on power and perception, democracy and how we see and envision our elected leaders.

Mark Peterson | Political Theatre Artist Talk

 Via The Griffin Museum

"Over the past ten years I have been photographing the presidential candidates as they lead rallies, meet with voters and plead for their votes. I started just before the government shutdown in 2013 at a tea party rally at the U.S. Capitol. Politicians railed against the president and the Affordable Care Act — a show to get a sound bite into the next news cycle."--Mark Peterson

March 21 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

As part of our current focus on power and perception, democracy and how we see and envision our elected leaders, we are pleased to present the work of Mark Peterson. His stark portrayal of the power players in Washington DC is unique in its vision and we can’t wait to see and hear more about how he gets the images that his lens finds and holds in our collective memory.

Join us ONLINE on Thursday March 21st at 7pm Eastern / 4pm Pacific in the Griffin Zoom Room for a conversation with Mark about his creative path, his pull to politics and what it takes to frame his vision.

This conversation is FREE to Members / $10 for General Admission. Interested in the benefits of Membership? Take a look here for Member Levels and Benefits.

About Mark Peterson –

Mark Peterson is a photographer based in New York City. His work has been published in New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Geo Magazine and other national and international publications. In 2018 he was awarded the W. Eugene Smith grant for his work on White Nationalism. He is the author of two books Acts Of Charity published by Powerhouse in 2004 and Political Theatre which was published by Steidl in the fall of 2016.His work is collected in several museums including The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. In 2024 Steidl will published his book The Fourth Wall.

 
$10.00

Griffin Zoom Room

67 Shore Rd
Winchester, 01890

Mark Peterson’s monograph Political Theatre, published in 2016 by Steidl Verlag Publishing can be found on their website alongside his upcoming book The Past is Never Dead. Find him on Instagram @markpetersonpixs

Limited Edition of Lowrider Magazine Dedicated to the Women Shaping the Culture Features Photographs By Gabriela E. Campos

 

Limited Edition of Lowrider Magazine Dedicated to the Women Shaping the Culture 

Special issue was completely written and designed by women.  

Gabriela E. Campos

Known for their hopping hydraulics, custom upholstery, and intricate paint jobs, lowrider cars are symbols of empowerment and freedom, and a celebration of the broader lowrider culture. To honor Women's History Month and celebrate women who have played integral roles in lowriding culture, Mexican beer manufacturer Modelo partnered with MotorTrend Group (the parent company of MotorTrend and Lowrider magazine) to produce a limited edition of Lowrider.

The special, one-time reissue of Lowrider (which you can read in digital format here) champions the women of lowriding. It's made by women, for women—from the editorial direction led by Dr. Denise Sandoval, a professor of Chicana/o studies, to the photographers, creative directors, writers, and more. Modelo donated advertising space in the publication to women-owned businesses to further support and spotlight entrepreneurs driving the lowrider industry.

The roots of lowriding trace back to the 1940s when car culture was beginning to take hold across post-WWII America. As the hot rod trend swept the country, Mexican Americans began to alter their cars as a means of distinguishing themselves on and off the road. Eventually, the concept of lowriders and the broader lowriding culture stretched far beyond customizations and the Mexican American community.

Historically, depictions of women in Lowrider magazine were often limited to models on the hoods of cars. This limited-edition revival highlights the women behind the wheel who have fought for their place as drivers, builders, mechanics, painters, and welders in a male-dominated world.

Lowrider magazine ceased regular print publication in 2019. Fans in the Los Angeles area can be the first to get a copy of the magazine at the Lowrider Long Beach Super Show at the Long Beach Convention Center on Saturday, March 9, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time. Fans nationwide can access the digital version of the issue here.

'A walk back in time': Monroe Gallery of Photography takes viewers back to classic Hollywood

Via The Albuquerque Journal

March 11, 2024

By Kathaleen Roberts

Francis Ford Coppola directing Marlon Brando.

Jimmy Stewart working on “Harvey.”

James Dean taking a nap in his truck.

Santa Fe’s Monroe Gallery of Photography is taking viewers back to old movie glamour with photographs from classic Hollywood.

“We wanted to take a little break from some of our more serious exhibitions,” said Sidney Monroe, gallery co-owner. “And this being awards season with the Academy Awards coming up, there’s a great range of materials with the photographers we represent.”

The 45 images feature such Hollywood icons as Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Steven McQueen, Robert Redford, Rock Hudson, Audrey Hepburn and more. The photographs depict them both on and off the set and in studio portraits.

“It’ll be a little bit of a walk back in time,” Monroe said.

Steve Schapiro was the on-set photographer for “The Godfather” (1972).

Marlon Brando and Francis Ford Coppola, “The Godfather,” Steve Schapiro.

Courtesy of Monroe Gallery

“I remember him telling us they were collaborating,” Monroe said. “Coppola’s telling Brando where the camera’s going to come in. It’s an interesting behind-the-scenes moment with an actor and director.”

Photographer Richard Miller captured James Dean sleeping during a break in the filming of “Giant” (1956).

“He’s napping in his truck with his feet up in the window,” Monroe said. “That James Dean was killed shortly after contributed to that icon. (Miller’s) got another one of Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean taking a break.

James Dean takes a break from filming “Giant,” Richard C. Miller, Texas.

Courtesy of Monroe Gallery

“It’s photography that creates images of these bigger than life characters,” he added.

In “Harvey” (1950), James Stewart played a man dubbed crazy due to his insistence that he has an invisible six foot-tall rabbit for a best friend. Life magazine’s Ida Wyman, best known for her images of New York street life, shot Stewart during the filming. Wyman was one of the early female photographers. The field was almost exclusively male when she started during the 1940s.

“She found a lot of work for Life in Los Angeles,” Monroe said.

Sonia Handelman Meyer’s striking 1948 image of the Paramount Theater encapsulates the glitz and glamour of the movies.

“We’ve got a beautiful photograph of the marquee.” Monroe said. “The movies (functioned) as an escape from hard times.”

Tony Vaccaro’s on-set shot of Federico Fellini directing 1960s “La Dolce Vita” reveals the old school cameras used in the production.

Fellini on the set of “La Dolce Vita,” Tony Vaccaro, Italy.

Courtesy of Monroe Gallery

“The director’s stepping in,” Monroe said. “To me, it looks like he’s telling the actress how to pose.”

Ocean’s Eleven” cast, Sid Avery/mptv images

Courtesy of Monroe Gallery

Sid Avery’s photograph of the 1960 “Ocean’s 11” cast features Joey Bishop, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Peter Lawford, among others.

“Now there’s been I don’t know how many remakes or new versions have been made,” Monroe said. “We actually had that picture in the gallery in New York when the first remake was being made. Julia Roberts came in and bought it as a gift for the director (Steven Soderbergh.)”

'THE MOVIES'

WHEN: Through April 14

WHERE: Monroe Gallery of Photography, 112 Don Gaspar Ave., Santa Fe

MORE INFO: monroegallery.com, 505-992-0800

Bob Gomel: Eyewitness at Alta Arts, Houston

 Via Alta Arts

March 1, 2024

Bob Gomel: Eyewitness Exhibition Opening Reception

March 7, 2024 - 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

The triumphs and tragedies of the 1960s provided photographer Bob Gomel extraordinary opportunities to help advance American photojournalism. As the images in Eyewitness demonstrate, when history was made, Gomel often was there, making iconic and innovative images of world leaders and events, athletes and entertainers, and great moments in contemporary history — including President John F. Kennedy, the Beatles, Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X, and Marilyn Monroe.

This exhibition, presented by Alta Arts and sponsored by the Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas at Austin, and in conjunction with the 2024 Fotofest Biennial, serves as a retrospective of Gomel’s work and includes photographs from his personal collection that are featured for the first time in a public showing.

Born in New York in 1933, Gomel earned a journalism degree from New York University in 1955 and then served as a U.S. Navy aviator. Gomel joined LIFE in 1959 and shot for the immensely popular magazine for a decade. He later freelanced for Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, Fortune and Forbes magazines, and shot national advertising campaigns for Audi, Bulova, GTE, Merrill Lynch, and Shell Oil, among others.

Eyewitness also features selections from the Bob Gomel Photographic Archive, part of the extensive photographic holdings of the Briscoe Center. The center’s photojournalism archives have flourished over the past two decades into a renowned collection of national-level importance. Gomel’s archive at the Briscoe Center ranges from 1959 to 2014 and includes film negatives, contact sheets, and exhibit prints.

Curated by Bob Gomel.

Contact Monroe Gallery of Photography for fine art print information.

Installation team:  J.P. Zenturo Perez and Alexander Uribe of Alta Arts.

Alta Arts

5412 Ashbrook Drive

Houston TX 77081

Greenwich Historical Society Exhibit Features 6 Women Photographers Whose Iconic Images for LIFE Magazine Helped Create Modern Journalism

Via Greenwich Free Press

February 29, 2024


Six pioneering women whose photographs for LIFE magazine skillfully captured events on a quickly evolving world stage will be the subject of Greenwich Historical Society’s new exhibition to debut March 6. These photographers enabled the public “to see life; to see the world; to eyewitness great events,” as described by LIFE magazine founder and editor-in-chief Henry Luce.

Martha Holmes, photograph from “Mr. B.,” LIFE, April 24, 1950 © LIFE Picture Collection, Dotdash Meredith Corp. Martha Holmes began photographing for LIFE in 1944. On view in the exhibition are Holmes’s 1950 photographs of mixed-race singer Billy Eckstine, including one of Eckstine being embraced by a white fan—a provocative image that Holmes felt was one of her best because she felt that it “told just what the world should be like.” Henry Luce supported this opinion.


LIFE: Six Women Photographers features iconic images from these talented women who helped create modern photojournalism through their work as featured in the pages of LIFE magazine.

On view through July 7, 2024, the exhibition presents more than 70 photographs by Margaret Bourke-White (1904-1971), Marie Hansen (1918-1969), Martha Holmes (1923-2006), Lisa Larsen (ca. 1925-1959), Nina Leen (ca. 1909-1995) and Hansel Mieth (1909-1998).

“We are thrilled to showcase the works of these talented photographers who were on the vanguard of a transformative change in how twentieth-century Americans received and understood global cultural and political events,” said Maggie Dimock, curator of exhibitions and collections at Greenwich Historical Society.

“This insightful exhibition offers a glimpse into how each of these remarkable women used their camera to capture topics that dominated American discourse through the last century, including U.S. industrial strength, the role of women and the family in modern American society, race relations, World War II, labor movements and the Cold War.”

A long-time Greenwich resident, Henry Luce (1898 – 1967) was convinced that American political, economic, and cultural power would, and should, dominate the era and that photojournalism, or “photo essays” as he coined them, could effectively shape America as an international power, inspiring its people, in his words, “to live and work and fight with vigor and enthusiasm.”

For decades, Americans saw the world through the lens of the photographers at LIFE, and the magazine’s innovative photo essays became the publication’s trademark.

Of the 101 photographers on staff at LIFE during the magazine’s run as a weekly, only six full-time photographers were women. LIFE: Six Women Photographers highlights the work of these photographers while providing insight into the process through which they worked with editors to create visual stories, through the inclusion of photographs, vintage prints, copy prints and contact sheets. Published and unpublished photographs along with select memos, correspondence and other items from Time Inc. records show the editing process behind the final, published stories.

“The topic will provide fascinating historical context to the enormous changes underway today in media,” said Greenwich Historical Society Executive Director and CEO Debra Mecky. “And it will enable us to further our mission to strengthen the community’s connection to our past, to each other and to our future. Henry Luce was a Greenwich resident during the time he was arguably the most influential media figure in the twentieth century and one of the country’s most prominent citizens.”

LIFE: Six Women Photographers has been organized by the New-York Historical Society. The exhibition is curated by Marilyn Satin Kushner, curator and head, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections; and Sarah Gordon, curatorial scholar in women’s history, Center for Women’s History; with Erin Levitsky, Ryerson University; and William J. Simmons, Andrew Mellon Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellow, Center for Women’s History. The New-York Historical Society holds the research archive of Time Inc., which was acquired by the Meredith Corporation (now Dotdash Meredith Corp.) in 2018.

A series of lectures, workshops and discussions, film screenings and other activity related to the exhibition will be presented by Greenwich Historical Society throughout the duration of the exhibition, beginning with two in March:

Women of Photos and Letters: Margaret Bourke-White, Clare Booth Luce and Annie Leibovitz
Thursday, March 14 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm


In honor of Women’s History Month, Louisa Iacurci of the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame will explore the inspiring histories of Hall of Fame inductees whose work and lives are intertwined with social advocacy and journalistic activism, including photographers Margaret Bourke-White and Annie Leibovitz and writer, journalist and politician Clare Booth Luce.

LIFE: Six Women Photographers: A Lecture with Curator Marilyn Satin Kushner

Thursday, March 21 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm

In an illustrated lecture, Dr. Marilyn Satin Kushner, Curator and Head of the Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections at New-York Historical Society, will expand on the curatorial process for LIFE: Six Women Photographers.

The full program schedule is available online: https://greenwichhistory.org/life-six-women-photographers/

Guided Gallery Tours:
Tours will be offered on select Sundays through June, from 1:00 – 1:30pm. Free with admission, participants will enjoy an in-depth docent-led discussion of LIFE: Six Women Photographers, that shares insightful interpretation of the photographs on view, and a modern perspective to understanding the complex social backdrop in which they would have originally been seen by magazine readers.

Dates: March 10, 24; April 7, 21; May 5, 19; June 2, 16, 30.

For more information: https://greenwichhistory.org/event/guided-gallery-tour/.

Margaret Bourke-White, photograph from “Franklin Roosevelt’s Wild West,” LIFE, November 23, 1936 © LIFE Picture Collection, Dotdash Meredith Corp. Margaret Bourke-White became one of the first four staff photographers at LIFE in 1936.

This exhibition has been generously supported by Joyce B. Cowin, with additional support from Sara Lee Schupf, Jerry Speyer, Robert A.M. Stern and Northern Trust.

Support for this exhibition at the Greenwich Historical Society has been generously provided by Josie Merck and annual donors to the Greenwich Historic Trust.