Focus on the Story 2022 Catalog by Focus on the Story

INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL AND VISUAL STORYTELLING S UMMIT | JUNE 2022

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Articles 3

Picking Up Where We Left Off

Calendar

Neil Kramer on His Hilarious, Poignant Photographic Journey Through the Pandemic

Jared Soares on Community, Identity and Finding Your Voice in Your Art

The Personal Cost of Witnessing Trauma; It’s What We Do

Creating Cinematic Images with Jonathan Thorpe

The Beauty in Brutalism Photo Walk

Telling the Stories of the Navajo Weavers

EXHIBITS

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

We’re back. Not that we ever went anywhere but this year, it feels like we’re finally back to – if not normal – the … new normal? After two years without in-person talks, the fifth annual Focus on the Story International Photo Festival returns this year with an outstanding lineup of events, including a full day of free talks at the Eaton Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C. One of the highlights will be our conversation with Neil Kramer, the New York City photographer who spent the pandemic orchestrating a series of funny portraits depicting life in lockdown with his ex-wife and 86-year-old mother. Those photos deservedly went viral because they not only made you laugh, they made you feel. They were filled with depth, longing and sensitivity. We saw our own struggles with isolation, loneliness and anxiety in Neil’s photos. They made us remember our humanity during the worst of times.

Picking Up Where We Left Off

It’s fitting that Neil’s first time in front of an in-person audience will be with us during our June 4 Visual Storytelling Summit. He has talked about his project in front of virtual audiences around the world but, like us, Neil is ready to leave the safety of his quarantine and venture into shared spaces. It’s not a decision he takes lightly, and neither do we. After two years of mostly virtual programming, we made the decision that we needed to be back in front of live audiences. We’re spacing out seats, suggesting that people wear their masks and requesting that people be vaccinated and boosted. We’re also paring down our Visual Storytelling Summit from three days to one. We want the chance to mingle with fellow photography lovers—a chance to reconnect over our shared passion for impactful visual storytelling. And thanks to a grant from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, we are able to make all of the talks at this year’s June 4 summit free. In fact, most of the events during our month-long celebration of photography are free. We’re excited for the chance to see art in person again. Be sure to check out the great photo exhibitions around town this month. And join us June 2 as we kick off the month with an opening reception for Behind the Loom at Lost Origins Gallery. The exhibition features the work of Fleurette Estes, the winner of our 2021 Emerging Storytellers Grant. Fleurette tells the story of Navajo weavers and how the art form they practice tells the history of a people and their culture.

international photo festival

FOCUS ON THE STORY Board of Directors Joe Newman, president Jason Hamacher, vice president Shelly Han, vice president Farrah Skeiky, secretary Ray Alvareztorres Maria Daniel Balcazar Cheriss May Shedrick Pelt Facing page: From our 2019 Visual Storytellling Summit © Thomas Petzwinkler

You’ll see information about all the exhibitions that are part of our festival in the pages that follow. We hope to see you out there. JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

The Echoes of Ellis Island An Exhibition by Jarob Ortiz

June 23–July 21 Viewing hours 1–4 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays Opening reception 6–9 p.m., Thurs., June 23 Artist talk 6–8 p.m., Thurs., July 7 Closing party 6–9 p.m., Thurs., July 21 Chevy Chase Pavilion 5335 Wisconsin Ave. N.W. First Floor Washington, D.C.

Friendship Heights JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

Calendar JUNE 1 VIRTUAL ARTIST TALK: A talk with Shelby Swann and Kristian Whipple, winners of Photoworks’ 2021 Photo Slam. 7 P.M. ON ZOOM. SEE GLENECHOPHOTOWORKS.ORG FOR MORE INFO.

JUNE 2 OPENING: Behind the Loom an exhibition by Fleurette Estes. 7–10 P.M., LOST ORIGINS GALLERY, 3110 MOUNT PLEASANT ST. N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C.

JUNE 3 WORKSHOP: Marketing for photographers workshop with Momenta Workshops. 9:30 A.M. – 4 P.M., EATON HOTEL, 1201 K ST. N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C. (THIS IS A PAID WORKSHOP. PLEASE SEE BIT.LY/FOTS22MOMENTA TO REGISTER)

PHOTO WALK: Join a free photo walk led by Jamie Rose of Momenta Workshops and Erica Robinson of Tamron. Free Tamron loaner lenses available for the walk. 6–8 P.M., MEET OUTSIDE OF EATON HOTEL, 1201 K ST. N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C.

OPENING AND CURATOR TALK: More than Your Eyes Can See an exhibition featuring the work of Middle Eastern photographers. 6–8 P.M., MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE, 1763 N. ST. N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C.

JUNE 4: Fujfilm presents “Jared Soares on Community Identity and Finding Your Voice in Your Art.”

JUNE 4 PHOTO WALK: Aperturent.com presents the “Beauty in Brutalism” photo walk with photographer Deane Madsen. 9:30 A.M.–NOON (EVENT SOLD OUT; WAITING LIST AVAILABLE)

DEMONSTRATION: Tamron presents “Creating Cinematic Lighting” with Jonathan Thorpe. 10–11:15 A.M., EATON HOTEL, 1201 K ST. N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C.

PANEL DISCUSSION: Women Photojournalists of Washington present “The Personal Cost of Witnessing Trauma; It’s What We Do.” 1–2:15 P.M., EATON HOTEL, 1201 K ST. N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C.

SPEAKER: Fujfilm presents “Jared Soares on Community Identity and Finding Your Voice in Your Art.” 2:30–3:30 P.M., EATON HOTEL, 1201 K ST. N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

SPEAKER: Focus on the Story presents “Neil Kramer on His Hilarious, Poignant Photographic Journey Through the Pandemic.” 4–5 P.M., EATON HOTEL, 1201 K ST. N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C.

RECEPTION: Photoworks hosts a gallery reception for the Photo Slam 2021 Winners Exhibition. 4–6 P.M., PHOTOWORKS, 7300 MACARTHUR BLVD., GLEN ECHO, MARYLAND

KICKOFF PARTY: A social event with drinks, a photo projection show and DJ Les Talusan. 7–10 P.M., EATON HOTEL, 1201 K ST. N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C.

JUNE 5 DEMONSTRATION: A 4x5 large format camera mini-workshop with Kerrenton Snow. 11 A.M. - 12:30 P.M. ON THE NATIONAL MALL IN FRONT OF THE SMITHSONIAN CASTLE.

ARTIST TALK: Photographer Fleurette Estes talks about her Behind the Loom exhibition. 2–4 P.M., LOST ORIGINS GALLERY, 3110 MOUNT PLEASANT ST. N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C.

OPENING PARTY: A Long Way Down an exhibition featuring the work of DC-area photographers exploring the DC Metro. 5–8 P.M. METROBAR, 640 RHODE ISLAND AVE. N.E., WASHINGTON, D.C.

JUNE 9 OPENING RECEPTION AND ARTIST TALK: Behind the Words / Detrás De Las Palabras by Carolina Gutiérrez. 6–9 P.M., EMBASSY OF ARGENTINA, 1600 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE. N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C.

JUNE 5: A 4x5 large format camera mini-workshop with Kerrenton Snow.

JUNE 17

JUNE 23

FILM SCREENING AND PANEL: A screening of the documentary Joe Buffalo, followed with a panel discussion on the representation of Indigenous people in the media. A reception follows the panel discussion.

OPENING RECEPTION: Echoes of Ellils Island, an exhibition by Jarob Ortiz of the empty structures on Ellis Island.

6–9 P.M., HOUSE OF SWEDEN, 2900 K ST., WASHINGTON, D.C.

JUNE 11 PHOTO WALK AND WORKSHOP: A photo walk of the Shaw neighborhood with writer and oral historian Shilpi Malinowski, followed by a film developing demonstration with Shedrick Pelt. THIS IS A PAID EVENT. REGISTRATION INFO AT BIT.LY/FOTS22-SHAW

JUNE 18 RECEPTION AND ARTIST TALK: An event for Black is… a photo exhibition that shines a light on the Black experience.

6–9 P.M., 5351 WISCONSIN AVE. N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C.

JUNE 26 PHOTO SLAM: Photoworks presents its annual Photo Slam where a live judging panel will review and critique work submitted by area photographers. 7–10 P.M. METROBAR, 640 RHODE ISLAND AVE. N.E., WASHINGTON, D.C.

2–4 P.M, MONTPELIER ARTS CENTER, 9652 MUIRKIRK ROAD, LAUREL, MD

To learn more about the exhibits and viewing hours visit focusonthestory.org JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

Neil Kramer is finally out of the house. And he’s coming to D.C. to talk about Quarantine in Queens, his funny take on what it was like to unexpectedly find himself on Covid-19 pandemic lockdown with his ex-wife and 86-year-old mother. As his photos, which he posted on his Instagram account went viral, Kramer found that people all over could relate to the stories he was telling. He has since been featured on NBC’s The Today Show, The Washington Post, NPR, BuzzFeed News and dozens of media outlets around the world. Along with the media attention, have come accolades. Quarantine in Queens earned him “Portrait Photographer of the Year” at the 2020 Annual Photography Awards, 1st Place in Family Photography at the ND Awards, and finalist in the Portrait Project at the Lucie Foundation. And while he has told his story to online audiences, he has yet to tell it before a live audience. That is until now. When we invited him to speak, this was his response through Facebook Messenger: “Sounds great! You mean in person? Like actually leaving Queens? Hallelujah!” Kramer’s talk will cap a full-day of speakers and panels on visual storytelling at the Eaton Hotel in downtown D.C.

About Neil Neil Kramer is a dynamic storyteller with 20 years of experience in photography, writing and filmmaking. His work combines humor and compassion in the telling of stories about personal relationships, including those from his own life.

FEATURED TALK

Neil Kramer on His Hilarious, Poignant Photographic Journey Through the Pandemic SATURDAY, JUNE 4 4–5 P.M. EATON HOTEL 1201 K ST. N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. FREE

“Day 26.” © Neil Kramer

He is a graduate of Columbia University and USC Film School and has exhibited his photography in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, South Carolina, and internationally in Sydney, Australia, Seoul, South Korea, and Trieste, Italy.

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

“Day 55” © Neil Kramer

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

“Day 133” © Neil Kramer

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

Fujfilm Creator Jared Soares, an editorial and commercial photographer whose work has appeared in Billboard, Elle, GQ and National Geographic, will talk about what he describes as his “DNA” as a photographer – how his interests in particular cultures inform his personal practice and how those self-initiated projects have led to commissioned work. In short, he will talk about how he found his voice as a photographer and figured out how to be comfortable in his own skin as an artist. Based in Washington, D.C., Soares’s work takes him across North America and beyond. He uses portraiture and long-form essays – often through the lens of sports and subcultures – to create projects based around community and identity. His personal projects include an exploration of Hip Hop culture in Roanoke, Va, an ongoing look at the culture and community surrounding futbol in Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico, and the photo essay The Farms, which tells the story of the Barry Farm neighborhood in SE D.C., a historic Black community that the city erased a few years ago to make way for development. Of his Roanoke project, the New York Times wrote: “His images present a world that includes young musicians hoping to hit it big and weekend warriors who go from their day jobs to rapping in their free time. Mr Soares catches them in quiet moments in their neighborhoods or backstage, as well as reveling with friends or on stage. There is joy.”

FUJIFILM PRESENTS

Jared Soares on Community, Identity and Finding Your Voice in Your Art SATURDAY, JUNE 4 2:30–3:30 P.M. EATON HOTEL

Of The Farms, Lens Scratch said: The Farms “focuses on the best of the east of the river communities: the palpable sense of community spirit and neighborly concern that defines this area for me. He sensitively captures the portrait of a place whose identity has too often been conscripted into a caricature.” In 2016, TIME named him one of the Instagram photographers to follow in the United States. From TIME: “Instagram is my journal and probably the closest thing I will have to a photo album,” says Soares. And like any good photo album, there are a lot of stunning portraits – from politicians to athletes and everyday people. Plus, he says, Instagram “provides a way for me to continue a conversation with the people that I meet on assignment or in the field during personal projects as well as my friends and family.” He is on Instagram @jaredsoares.

1201 K ST. N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. FREE

“From The Farms” © Jared Soares.

Soares’s work is held in several collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Portland Museum of Art and the Tate Library and Archive in London. JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

WPOW PRESENTS:

The Personal Cost of Witnessing Trauma; It’s What We Do SATURDAY, JUNE 4 1–2:15 P.M. EATON HOTEL 1201 K ST. N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. FREE

Join Women Photojournalists of Washington for a discussion with veteran and emerging WPOW member photographers who have covered the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the attack on the US Capitol, the Black Lives Matter demonstrations, political instability as well as personal loss. In this important discussion, WPOW members will talk about taking care of your mental health while keeping a sharp focus on our unfolding history. Please join Carol Guzy, Sarah Silbiger, Shuran Huang, Yijo Shen, Candace Dane Chambers (participants may change due to the nature of assignment work) as they share details about their work experiences, their personal strategies for wellness and how member organizations, such as WPOW, can help navigate these chaotic times. Indira Williams Babic, WPOW Exhibition Committee Chairperson, will moderate.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

Commercial photographer Jonathan Thorpe takes us through a live photoshoot, starting with one light and then adding more, as he creates a really cool and fun cosplay photo. This is a live look into how to create a shoot, from concept, to execution to a very quick edit. Learn how to use multiple lights in a portrait and create a scene that looks like it’s straight from a movie poster. Lighting can take any image and make it jump off the page and truly help create a style that is not only dynamic but defining in your own photography. If you’ve never used multiple lights before, now’s your chance to see how easy it can be, and if you have used multiple lights, you’ll learn some new ways to really use these lights to the best they can be. He’ll be joined in the shoot with DC area cosplay model Emily-Grace. This event is sponsored by Tamron.

About Jonathan Jonathan Thorpe is a cinematic photographer whose technical ability to light and direct a story rings true in the images he produces. His approach drums emotion, yet maintains a level of verisimilitude in the form of “Hyper Realistic” portraiture. Alongside his photography, Jonathan teaches and lectures around the world, helping other photographers grow confident in their careers and forays into photography

TAMRON PRESENTS

Creating Cinematic Images with Jonathan Thorpe SATURDAY, JUNE 4 10–11:15 A.M. EATON HOTEL 1201 K ST. N.W. WASHINGTON, DC FREE

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

APERTURENT PRESENTS

The Beauty in Brutalism Photo Walk SATURDAY, JUNE 4 9:30 A.M.–NOON LOCATION TBA FREE

Brutalist architecture has gained a reputation for being severe, stark, and boring. The growth of Washington, DC through the 1960s and 70s has led to a dearth of examples of the style in the central core of the Capital. The very same things that make Brutalism infamous make it a great subject for a photo walk around Washington, DC. In this photo walk sponsored by Aperturent.com, DC photographer and architecture critic Deane Madsen will take participants to examples of some of the city’s iconic Brutalist structures. He’ll spend some time at each stop exploring the buildings, sharing tips, and sharing a new appreciation for an often maligned style of architecture.

About Deane Deane Madsen, Assoc. AIA, is an architecture critic and photographer living and working in Washington, DC. He is the founder of BrutalistDC.com, an appreciation society for Brutalist architecture in the nation’s capital. Madsen earned a master’s degree in architecture from UCLA before moving to Washington to serve as associate editor of design for Architect Magazine, then pursued freelance writing for various industry periodicals including Architectural Record, ArchitectureDC, Landscape Architecture Magazine, Metropolis, Oculus, and Wallpaper, among others.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

Telling the Stories of the Navajo Weavers It’s easy to look at the colorful creations that come from the looms of Navajo weavers and admire the craftsmanship and beauty. But for Fleurette Estes, an artist and photographer based in San Antonio, Texas, the rugs, blankets and other items created by the weavers, have a much deeper importance and meaning. They carry with them the proud and resilient history of a people struggling to keep their customs alive. “I’ve seen blood, sweat, and tears poured into their looms and felt the struggle to keep culture and tradition thriving,” said Fleurette, a member of the Navajo Nation, who refer themselves as Diné. Fleurette has spent the past few years documenting the Diné weavers as part of an ongoing project to show that the Navajos and other Native Americans are still here contributing to their culture, communities and country. Last year, Focus on the Story awarded Fleurette its 2021 Emerging Storytellers Grant to help her continue the work. The grant included a $2,000 award and camera gear provided by Fujifilm.

All photos © Fleurette Estes

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

The result is her exhibition, Behind the Loom, which will open at Lost Origins Gallery in DC during this year’s Focus on the Story International Photo Festival. Fleurette sat with Focus on the Story to discuss her upcoming exhibition. FOCUS ON THE STORY: What inspired you to become a photographer? FLEURETTE ESTES: I have loved photography, especially black and white photography, and I was inspired by Ansel Adams and Edward C Curtis when I was younger. But I wanted to be a photographer because of my family. I loved taking snapshots of my family and creating photo albums and sharing them with my

family. Many years later, my family would giggle, laugh, or cry when we looked through my photo albums. Those memories are very special to me to this day. I am also happy that I did take those photos of my family, my maternal grandfather passed away recently, and I will always cherish those photos of my grandparents. Things are different today. Everyone has a camera on their phone, so it is easier to capture, but my favorite thing is to hold a photograph in my palm and then share those stories. This inspired me to become a photographer. FOTS: What led you to engage in the project, and how did you go about creating and choosing the presented series?

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

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ESTES: We talked about what inspired me. Well, my family and culture inspired my project. I am a huge cheerleader of my sister, Pamela Brown, a generational master weaver. She makes these fantastic pictorial rugs. The process in which she works is rich with cultural teachings. From shearing the sheep, dying and spinning the wool into a string consistency to begin weaving, then start warping the loom, and it continues. These photographs are about the Navajo weavers behind the loom. Telling their stories and processes and a glimpse of the Navajo weaving community. When Covid-19 hit, my sister’s firstborn, Devin, was graduating high school. She wove a rug that inspired her Covid-19 mask pictorial rug. A young man with a facemask on clouds drifting in the background. This rug was about “brighter days ahead.” I loved it and had to buy it.

Find the full interview on focusonthestory.org

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

The Giving Black Women Their Flowers exhibition at the 2021 festival © Farrah Skeiky.

A Long Way Down Behind the Loom The Echoes of Ellis Island Arctic Highway More Than Your Eyes Can See Black is… Soul Connection Photoworks Presents: The Winners of the 2021 Photo Slam 16th Annual Exposed D.C. Photography Show Behind the Words / Detrás De Las Palabras Quarantine: 40 Days and 40 Nights Tree Eternal Cold Warriors

28 35 38 41 42 45 48 51 53 54 58 60 63

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

A Long Way Down OPENS JUNE 5 4 P.M.–12 A.M. THURS.–FRI. NOON–12 A.M. SAT. NOON–10 P.M. SUN. METROBAR

Focus on the Story and metrobar present A Long Way Down, which explores both the architectural grandeur of the D.C.’s Metro subway system and the reality of a public transit network that is both loved and hated by its users and visitors. The D.C. Metro’s six lines move passengers through the heart of the nation’s capital and into both Virginia and Maryland. Completed in 1976, the D.C. Metro is the second busiest rapid transit system in the U.S. behind New York City. A Long Way Down presents the work of several D.C.area photographers whose images document the grit, the weirdness, the grind and the humanity of life underground.

640 RHODE ISLAND AVE. N.W. WASHINGTON D.C.

Clockwise from top: © Angela Napili, Stacey Lewis, Rob Hill

The exhibition was curated by Focus on the Story founder Joe Newman and was generously sponsored by metrobar, an outdoor venue in northeast D.C. that has a D.C. Metro subway car as its centerpiece. As an arts space, metrobar has a mission to advance cultural, educational, and social programming through collaborative, arts-driven, and authentic D.C. experiences.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

From left: © Victoria Pickering, Arpita Upadhyaya

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

Clockwise from top: © Geoff Livingston, Alain Lazaro Gutiérrez Almeida, Julian Ortiz

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

Behind the Loom: The Legacy, Heritage & Resilience of Navajo Weaving JUNE 2 – AUG. 7 NOON–5 P.M., SAT. AND SUN.; ALL OTHER TIMES BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. OPENING RECEPTION 7–10 P.M., THURSDAY, JUNE 2 ARTIST TALK 2–4 P.M., SUNDAY, JUNE 5 LOST ORIGINS GALLERY 3110 MT. PLEASANT ST. N.W WASHINGTON, D.C.

“I’ve seen blood, sweat, and tears poured into their looms and felt the struggle to keep culture & tradition thriving.” Behind the Loom: The Legacy, Heritage & Resilience of Navajo Weaving is a collection of images by Fleurette Estes documenting Navajo weaving, one of the most sought after Native American art forms. The work was curated by Molly Roberts and Jason Hamacher. Estes, a Navajo photographer, was inspired by the labor of her stepmother and sister, both famed master weavers. Fleurette was compelled to pick up her camera and document the stories, struggles and people keeping the weaving traditions alive. This body of work was made possible in part by the Focus on the Story Emerging Storyteller Grant and the support of Fujfilm. JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

The Echoes of Ellis Island is a collection of work from Jarob Ortiz, a large format photographer for the National Park Service. He created these images

The Echoes of Ellis Island

from 2016 and 2018 as part of a Historic American Buildings Survey project to highlight important, historic architectural, engineering and landscape details around the island. Through these frames, he puts viewers in the shoes of the millions of

JUNE 23 – JULY 21 1–4 P.M., SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS OPENING RECEPTION 6–9 P.M., THURS., JUNE 23 ARTIST TALK 6–8 P.M., THURS., JULY 7 CLOSING PARTY 6–9 P.M., THURS., JULY 21 CHEVY CHASE PAVILION 5335 WISCONSIN AVE. N.W. FIRST FLOOR WASHINGTON, D.C.

immigrants who passed through the U.S. immigration port at Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954. Today, the old immigration facility is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, with the main building now restored and serving as the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. Ortiz’s images, however, take us beyond the parts of the island that are open to the public to areas that still appear as they did when immigrants passed through what is often called the Island of Hope and Tears. Ortiz’s images were painstakingly achieved utilizing traditional zone systems photography on large format film cameras in conjunction with off-camera flash. The poor lighting conditions in some of the areas required an immensely detail-oriented approach to produce detail-rich negatives for future generations to consume and reflect upon. The National Park Service hired Ortiz in 2016 to a job that has often been referred to as the service’s “Ansel Adams” position. While Adams is famous for the photos of National Parks he made for the U.S. Department of Interior, Ortiz’s work is more often focused on historic, sometimes endangered, structures. But the one thing Ortiz has in common with Adams is that he also uses large format view cameras in his work, though Ortiz also uses more modern cameras, as well. Every image Ortiz creates for the National Park Service serves as public record and is archived at the Library of Congress for public use. The Echoes of Ellis Island was curated by Maria Daniel Balcazar, an internationally recognized documentary and fine art photographer who is a member of the Focus on the Story Board of Directors. This exhibition was made possible by the National Park Service with the generous support of the Friendship Heights Alliance and Clarion Partners.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

Arctic Highway: Unbounded Indigenous People

Across the Arctic landscape, culture and art has traveled effortlessly along with the movement of the wind, the sun and our reindeer herds, creating a network of Arctic Highways. Highways that are cultural and spiritual, real and thriving – but as invisible as the system of national borders that have imposed their rigidness and weight upon us, pitilessly trying to nullify the free flow of ideas and identity connecting our souls. We are indigenous peoples who live in different countries and on different continents, and yet regard ourselves as peoples with kindred spirits. The borders of nation states, arbitrarily drawn without regard to the landscapes of our ancestors, have been used to group the Sámi people, and to set us up to fight against our brothers and sisters living on the other side, fencing in and silencing our voices and our knowledge.

THROUGH MID-JULY NOON–5 P.M. SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS HOUSE OF SWEDEN 2900 K ST. N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C.

With this exhibition we want to tell our own story, through our own experiences, using our own forms of expression. We want to provide opportunities to think broadly about what it means to be unbounded, pointing to the limits that borders set, not just for indigenous people, but for all of us.

It takes its starting point in the pandemic that swept over the world during 2020 and 2021. How will its ramifications affect indigenous peoples? Can the knowledge of our ancestors, which we still have partially intact, become important and valuable in a changed global reality? We, twelve indigenous artists from the Arctic region, ask you to join us in a search for answers and commonalities, and for a way to cross the frozen borderland between the two words “us” and “them”. Together we can embark on a journey along the Arctic highway of culture and life that stretches from the past into the future – without ever passing a border. JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

More Than Your Eyes Can See: Contemporary Photography from the Arab World JUNE 3 – OCT. 21

More Than Your Eyes Can See features leading and emerging photographers from the Middle East and its diaspora who use the camera and new media as tools for storytelling, invention, and the imagining of multiple realities and futures. The multiplicity of artists represented challenge dominant narratives and provide new and intimate perspectives employing a range of photojournalistic, conceptual, and fine art photography. As an act of reclamation, the photographers shed light on the lived experience and take viewers to new and underexplored places. Their thought-provoking and diverse work provides a highly personal, unconventional, and dynamic lens on the Middle East as they explore notions of memory, place, identity, culture, the environment, and more.

MON.–FRI. 10 A.M.–5 P.M. OPENING RECEPTION 6–8 P.M., JUNE 3 MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE ART GALLERY 1763 N ST. N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C.

Artists featured include: Mohammad Alfaraj, Eman Ali, Amr Attamimi, Zied Ben Romdhane, Imane Djamil, Farah Foudeh, Rula Halawani, Yasmine Hatimi, Samar Hazboun, Amir Hazim, M’hammed Kilito, Seif Kousmate, Fethi Sahraoui, Najla Said, and Ismail Zaidy. Countries represented: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Presented by the Middle East Institute, a policy, education and arts institute dedicated solely to the study of the Middle East, and Tribe photo magazine, a non-profit publication focused on documenting film and video from the Arab World. Laila Abdul-Hadi Jadallah (Curator) is an arts administrator, exhibition producer, curator, and researcher working in Washington, D.C., whose work in the arts has spanned exhibition development, communications, and cultural heritage protection.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

Black is… JUNE 11 – AUGUST 7 10 A.M.–5 P.M. MON.–SAT. RECEPTION AND ARTIST TALK 2–4 P.M. SATURDAY, JUNE 18 MONTPELIER ARTS CENTER 9652 MUIRKIRK ROAD LAUREL, MD

Black is … is a photo exhibition that shines light on the Black experience. It includes works of four renowned photographers: Cheriss May, Dee Dwyer, Tone Mobley, and André Chung. Curated by the artists, this collection exudes power with its compelling visual storytelling of what it means to be unapologetically Black.

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

Soul Connection MAY 6 – MID-JULY 10 A.M.–6 P.M. MON.–WED. 10 A.M.–7 P.M. THURS.–SAT. 11 A.M.–5 P.M. SUN. LEICA STORE D.C. 977 F ST. N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C.

Photographer Cheriss May discovered that visual storytelling is her passion, and found her purpose. She documents history and democracy as a photographer based in Washington, D.C. Cheriss’s work centers on the intersectionality of race, culture, and politics — from the White House to Capitol Hill, and in communities in the Washington metropolitan area. Through her recent work documenting the ceremonial vote count at the U.S. Capitol, Cheriss was inside during the insurrection. Although traumatic, Cheriss continued to work while barricaded in Congressman Jim Clyburn’s office with his staff. She finds strength through telling the powerful stories of people who are passionate in what they do, resilient in spite of challenges. Cheriss, a member of the Focus on the Story board of directors, is an advocate for inclusive storytellers and storytelling, lecturing and leading photography organizations that work towards gender, racial and social parity in the industry.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

PHOTOWORKS PRESENTS

An exhibition of winners of the 2021 Photo Slam competition. The annual competition hosted by Photoworks has area photographers compete in front of a panel of live judges. Last year's overall winner was Shelby Swann.

The Winners of the 2021 Photo Slam Competition MAY 27 – JULY 5 1 – 4 P.M., SAT.–SUN. PHOTOWORKS AT GLEN ECHO PARK 7300 MACARTHUR BLVD. GLEN ECHO, MD

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

Exposed D.C. is excited to partner with Lost Origins Gallery to present the 16th annual Exposed D.C. Photography Show in an outdoor installation in Mount Pleasant. The show features 38 images that were taken by local photographers and selected from a contest for their unique perspective of the D.C. metro area. The exhibition will be on view at Lost Origins Outside located along the exterior wall of Ellē restaurant at 3221 Mt Pleasant ST. N.W. through July 24. Join us for an opening celebration on Sunday, May 29 from 3:00-6:00 p.m. View all the winning images together, chat with featured photographers and the Exposed D.C. team, and purchase an exhibition program or a framed print of one of the images in the show.

16th Annual Exposed D.C. Photography Show MAY 29 – JULY 24 ALL DAY, EVERY DAY LOST ORIGINS OUTSIDE GALLERY

Five of the photographs will receive a Best in Show award along with a $100 cash prize. These awards are selected by independent judges who are acclaimed photographers in the D.C. community. This year, we’re thrilled to have Dee Dwyer, Andrew Harnik, Kenny Holston, Cheriss May, and Michael McCoy selecting these special awards. Get to know the judges now and stay tuned to find out which photos they selected in the days leading up to the show.

ON THE EXTERIOR WALL OF ELLE'S RESTAURANT 3221 MT. PLEASANT ST. N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C.

Since 2006, Exposed D.C. has been celebrating life and culture in the Washington, D.C. area through the perspectives of photographers who live, work, play, and love here. Our annual photography show shines a spotlight on life in the D.C. metro area as seen through the lenses of some of the region’s most passionate amateur photographers and professionals alike.

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

The Argentine Embassy is delighted to announce an exhibition of the Argentine emerging

Behind the Words / Detrás De Las Palabras JUNE 9 – AUGUST 31 10 A.M.–1 P.M. MON.–FRI. 3–6 P.M. BY APPOINTMENT OPENING RECEPTION AND ARTIST TALK 6 P.M. JUNE 9 EMBASSY OF ARGENTINA 1600 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE. N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C.

artist Carolina Gutiérrez entitled Behind the Words / Detrás De Las Palabras curated by Gabriela Mizes. The exhibition will focus on the manifold ways in which the word is not said, in the action of writing and in the importance of what has been discovered by women unknown to the world. These works honor, deconstruct, and reimagine objects we encounter in our surroundings capturing the beauty and resilience of the environment. Words are confined, tangled, blackened, or unsaid. Pills, syringes, diskettes, brown paper bags embellish mannequin heads to highlight inventions by women giving them a new reality. The concept of Gutiérrez’s work Without Words, is the lack of word, the unsaid, the forbidden words, the silence, the secret, what cannot be said, what we do not dare to talk about. And on that idea, Gutiérrez uses sheets of books, which are the written word (the word that yes, it could be said) but they are trapped, tied, burned, broken or unfulfilled. The artist represents that word in different conditions and settings. Objects are decontextualized as symbols to stage and represent the lack of speech. Fire that destroys or purifies. A book’s page that floats or is thrown dented. Wire and rope that tie, trap, and drown. Jars or bottles that enclose and imprison; brooches that hold and squeeze. In the series Con Nombre Propio, Gutiérrez creates exotic wigs on white painted and veiled foam heads to stress the powerful thoughts of scientific unknown entrepreneurs, how their contributions went unrecognized or unremarked. Great ideas spring from their feminine abilities and are carried over their heads. Each one shows an invention. Gutiérrez wants to reflect on the role of women throughout history by paying homage to these forgotten, almost anonymous, exceptional

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

scientists who have impacted the world with their discoveries and deserve to be vindicated for their effort and tenacity despite the adversities of their time. They did not allow societal barriers stop them from pursuing their passion. Despite their courage and how many unprecedented advances have been made, gender equality is yet to be achieved. In this exhibition, the viewer will not only be encouraged to reflect on the aesthetic value of the photographs but also on the inner message that might not be immediately visible on the surface.

About Carolina Carolina Gutiérrez lives and works in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She uses digital and analogic black and white photography, which she develops and copies herself. Gutiérrez also works with photo gravure Intaglio type, using a nontoxic technique, taking care of the environment. She has participated in various exhibitions in Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Montevideo, Santander, Barcelona and received First Mention of Engraving at the Salón Nacional, Buenos Aires, in 2013. Since 2013 Gutiérrez experiments with photography processes such as Cyanotype and Van Dyke showing her art projects in different museums, art galleries, art fairs in Argentina and abroad.

About Gabriela Gabriela Mizes is the Principal Art Advisor at Gaby Mizes Fine Art organizing and curating exhibitions, representing artists from the Washington, D.C. area as well as Latin American artists. She has worked at Glenstone Museum for fourteen years as Director of Registration where she orchestrated the move of its post-World War II and contemporary art collection into a new building which opened in October 2018. She has also worked for other private art collections, and for the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research in Maryland, the American Federation of Arts and MoMA in New York, and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires.

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

Geandy Pavón’s exhibition, Quarantine: 40 Days and 40 Nights, is a timely and imaginative photographic exploration of life under quarantine. A weekend visit to his partner Imara López in the early days of the pandemic turned into an indefinite lockdown in Buffalo, NY that would dramatically change the course of their lives. Anticipating a short visit, Pavón had packed only essential gear. This basic equipment would become the primary medium of expression and provide a challenge for his explorations.

Quarantine: 40 Days and 40 Nights THROUGH JUNE 19

These photographs from quarantine chronicle a journey into topics such as the reinterpretations of known works of art, to religious themes, to Classical mythology. Unfolding historical moments have also threaded their way through the narrative. In addition to the body of photographs in the exhibition, Pavón created process videos to further narrate some of these moments.

10 A.M.–5 P.M., TUES.–SUN. ART MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAS F STREET GALLERY 201 18TH ST. N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C.

About Geandy Pavón Geandy is a multi-disciplinary artist who explores the ills that plague global society and expresses these observations through paint, photography and video. Pavón’s work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions such as Caribbean: Crossroads of the World, at The Studio Museum in Harlem and PAMM; The X Files Bienal at El Museo del Barrio; and the Annenberg Space for Photography as part of Pacific Time LA/LA.

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

Tree Eternal by Van Pulley celebrates the Cypress

MULTIPLE EXPOSURES GALLERY PRESENTS

Tree Eternal MAY 4 – JUNE 12 OPEN DAILY 11 A.M.–5 P.M. MULTIPLE EXPOSURES GALLERY TORPEDO FACTORY ART CENTER 105 N. UNION ST. #312 ALEXANDRIA, VA

Multiple Exposures Gallery is pleased to present two exhibitions during the month of June: Tree Eternal and Cold Warriors (see page 57)

wood, known as the “wood eternal,” stemming from its famed durability and resistance to rot and pests. Ironically, this prized durability threatens the sustainability of the ancient species that yields this precious and beautiful wood—the Bald Cypress. The fifth oldest living thing on earth is a Bald Cypress discovered in NC that dates to the 6th century BC. But sadly, very few old-growth cypress forests remain. Most of these unique and potentially long-living trees have surrendered to rapacious logging, agriculture, man-made alterations to their native hydrology, or the most recent threat, sea level rise and saltwater intrusion into fragile coastal wetlands and swamps where they have long thrived. Pulley and his lens meander through the bayou to bring focus to these remarkable and mysterious trees at one of the most wondrous cypress forests left on earth. He raises the hope that in protected havens, future generations can appreciate not only the ‘wood eternal’, but marvel at the beauty and resilience of the ‘tree eternal’.

About Van Van Pulley is a fine art photographer living in Northern Virginia. Living abroad and working on international development at the World Bank for almost 3 decades sensitized him to the uncommon beauty, singular gestures and compelling structures that those inured to a local place sometimes overlook. His photography explores the sublimity of natural landscapes, the diverseness of urban environments and the assortment of people and cultures that breathe activity and uniqueness into the places they live.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

MULTIPLE EXPOSURES GALLERY PRESENTS

Cold Warriors JUNE 14 – JULY 24 OPEN DAILY 11 A.M.–5 P.M. MULTIPLE EXPOSURES GALLERY TORPEDO FACTORY ART CENTER 105 N. UNION ST. #312 ALEXANDRIA, VA

Cold Warriors by Tom Sliter is a series of images that examine the aircraft that defined the early years of the Cold War. Rather than focusing on their firepower, however, the exhibit delves into their underlying design elements — the grand sweeps, smooth lines, sharp angles, and graceful curves that are a hallmark of the relentless search for higher, faster, farther.

About Tom Tom Sliter is a fine art photographer in Washington, D.C. His photography has received national and international recognition. He is juried member of the Torpedo Factory Artist Association and has been a member of MEG since 2018.

But underneath the metallic surface lies an uneasy tension between the aesthetic shapes of these aircraft and their darker purpose. Unlike most aviation photography, the black and white images in Cold Warriors intentionally present only a partial picture, leaving the viewer to ponder the dichotomy inherent in the machines of that era, and which persists to the present.

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOCUS ON THE STORY INTERNATIONAL PHOTO FESTIVAL

JUNE 2022 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

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