"Border Seen" Photo Exhibit at NMCAC

THE NARCISO MARTINEZ CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

Presents

“Border Seen, Impoverished Children in San Benito
Chronicle Their Lives Through Photographs”

When: April 5, 2008 @ 7:00 p.m. Closing Reception with refreshments; open to the Public, Donation $5.00

Where: The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center, 225 E. Stenger St., San Benito, Texas

Contact: Visual Arts Coordinator, Celeste De Luna @ 956-454-1809 or email litebluna@yahoo.com or Rogelio T. Nunez @956-367-0335 or email @ nrogelio@hushmail.com

Over a period of seven months freelance journalist Jesse Bogan documents life at an impoverished but affordable apartment complex in San Benito, Texas. The project enlisted children and willing adults to take pictures using disposable cameras and borrowed digital cameras. This poignant photo essay was featured on the cover of the July 2007 issue of the Texas Observer.
Everyday life is captured in this exhibit of 50 photographs, and is especially touching because many of the photos were taken by young children. Some of the photos are joyful as children are when they are playing or dressing up for Halloween. Some are tragic as that of a young, debilitated women lying on a couch getting high on spray can paint. By the end of the project, the apartment complex is being refurbished by new owners, rents are raised, and residents are compelled to move out.
This exhibit is on display from March 9-April 5, 2008 at Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center and will have a closing reception for the artist, Jesse Bogan on April 5, 2007 at 7:00pm.

A panel discussion with the topic of “Affordable Housing Options” with the artist will begin at 6:00pm. Also, copies of the July 2007 Texas Observer featuring this exhibit will be made available for sale to the public. Journalist Jesse Bogan will be there to sign them along with some of the children from the project.

TAOB Note: Sounds like an interesting insight into people's lives, especially when the subjects of the photography were the photographers themselves and that many of them were children and will be present at the reception.