Photoville To Present For Freedoms Town Hall As Opening Night Program

Event brings together experts in various disciplines such as art, design, policy making, and community organizing to discuss issues related to freedom; and features a special performance by the Resistance Revival Chorus

Photoville 2018 gives photographers the unparalleled opportunity for 90,000+ people, from the general public to industry professionals, to discover their work; and gives NYC a place to see and learn about photography, and eat, drink and dwell in panoramic Brooklyn Bridge Plaza, September 13-23

United Photo Industries (UPI), the Brooklyn-based non-profit that produces and presents Photoville, is pleased to announce that the seventh annual edition of their innovative free photography festival will open with a town hall presented by For Freedoms, a platform for civic engagement, discourse, and direct action for artists co-founded by Hank Willis Thomas and Eric Gottesman, on Wednesday, September 13. Taking place on the inaugural week of their 50 State Initiative, the For Freedoms Town Hall highlights a freedom which is close to all of our hearts-Freedom of Speech where Mark Skidmore, Political Advisor, For Freedoms will moderate a panel with Paola Mendoza, Women's March Co-Founder; Photographer Kisha Bari, Artist and activist Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Artist and Educator Lorie Novak, and Evan Walsh & Emma Nuzzo from For Freedoms. The evening also includes a special performance by the Resistance Revival Chorus, a collective of more than 50 women who join together to breathe joy and song into the resistance, and to uplift and center women's voices.

Following the Town Hall, UPI will present the 41 photographers that were featured on the 2018 FENCE, which will be exhibited in eight cities across North America this year. The People's Choice award winner will also be announced.

The event begins at 7:30pm, and takes place inside the Photoville Smorgasburg Beer Garden. It is free and open to the public.

More about Photoville 2018

In addition to exhibitions in and on 60+ shipping containers with over 95 exhibitions, in Brooklyn Bridge Plaza, Photoville, which runs September 13-23, offers nighttime projection programs; hands-on workshops; panel discussions; tents with vendors, publishers and gear demonstrators; and a Food & Beer Garden by Smorgasburg. Photoville is open to the public-all ages, dogs included-free of charge, making it unlike any other photo festival in the world.

Since its inception in 2012, Photoville has become the largest annual photographic event in New York City, and one of the most attended photographic events nationwide. Last year Photoville drew over 90,000 visitors, industry professionals and general public alike, providing participating photographers an unparalleled opportunity to have their work seen. No other museum, gallery or festival exposes work by such a wide range of artists and photojournalists to so many people in so little time, for free.

Photoville Hours

Wednesday, September 12 6 - 9 PM United Photo Industries Benefit Picnic & Photoville Press Preview at 6pm
Thursday, September 13 4 - 10 PM Photoville OPENS FREE to the Public (Press Invited to 4pm Tour)
Friday, September 14 4 - 10 PM PhotoShelter (9am - 6pm), Exhibitions & Night Time Programming
Saturday, September 15 12 - 10 PM Exhibitions, Talks , Workshops & Night Time Programming
Sunday, September 16 12 - 10 PM Exhibitions, Talks, Workshops & Night Time Programming

Thursday, September 20 4 - 10 PM Education Day (9am - 6pm), Exhibitions & Night Time Programming
Friday, September 21 4 - 10 PM Exhibitions, Workshops & Night Time Programming
Saturday September 22 12 - 10 PM Exhibitions, Workshops & Night Time Programming
Sunday September 23 12 - 8 PM Exhibitions, Workshops plus Beer Garden

Photoville 2018 Programming Highlights

This year's programming includes:

• Over 90 exhibitions in and around shipping containers, including Undocumented, a project representing 10 years of photojournalism by Getty Images special correspondent John Moore on the issues of immigration and border security; New York Through the Lens of New York, New York Magazine's celebration of 50 years of photography from its pages, highlighting the visual stories that have defined New York and the world, as well as originally commissioned art covers from the magazine's rolling public art project 50 New York Artists, curated by Jody Quon; Grandma Techno Checks In, a look at the often unacknowledged heroes of the healthcare industry through an exhibition of iPhone photographs shared on Instagram by photographer Patricia Lay-Dorsey, known in Detroit as 'Grandma Techno'; MFON's ALTAR: Prayer, Ritual, Offerings, presenting work that engages attributes and religious traditions specific Africa and its diaspora, by 40 women photographers of African descent; Nowhere Left But Here, an exhibition that explores the phenomenon of petty crimes committed by elderly women in Japan; Lynn Johnson's The Geography of Hate, presented by National Geographic, documenting the locations where violent acts and the resulting deaths occurred between 1998 and 2017 within the United States; As-Salaam-Alaikum, America, highlighting the rich diversity of Muslim communities across the United States, photographed on assignment for National Geographic by Lynsey Addario and Wayne Lawrence; Topic.com's Federal Project 2, offering a diverse group of American artists a chance to reflect upon and expand American art and storytelling; Soul(s) of..., a series of portraits by New York-based photographer Makeba Rainey, highlighting the voices of Black women in gentrified communities; Focal Points, featuring the work of CatchLight's inaugural Fellows, exploring visualizations of the U.S.- Mexico border, growing nationalism among American teens, and life inside a youth prison camp in California; a surrealistic feminist photo statement by teen photographers from The Lower Eastside Girls Club of NY and their sister programs; Her Take: (Re)Thinking Masculinity, an exhibit from photographer-owned agency VII, forwarding inclusive conversations about gender, power, and representation; Cit.i.zen.ship: Reflections on Rights by Teen Photographers, an exhibition of photographs, collages, and video by high school students reflecting on the Civil Rights Act and social justice in present day America; Humble Cats: Photoville edition, which challenges the idea that cat photography lives solely for viral cute-ness; and more.

• Nightly outdoor projection shows, includes a showcase of standout photography from the Getty Images staff and contributing photographers; a celebration of 50 years of New York Magazine's visual stories, hosted by Director of Photography Jody Quon; a discussion, lead by National Geographic, with the photographers who contributed to their recent series of stories on race and diversity in America; an evening with The New York Times; and a town hall presented by For Freedoms that will bring together experts in various disciplines such as art, design, policy making, and community organizing to discuss issues related to freedom.

• Photoville Talks, over the course of two full days, featuring some of the most innovative work and pressing issues in photography today, with conversations led by partners Leica Camera, Magnum Foundation, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and CatchLight. Full Programming will be announced on August 14, 2018.

• PhotoShelter's Luminance, a full-day conference showcasing insights and resources for building a photography business (Friday, September 14). Photo practitioners, curators, editors and industry leaders will discuss practical topics for the working photographer, including ways to market their work, leverage personal work into paid assignments, and decode the intricate relationship between editors and photographers; the conference will feature a keynote presentation by legendary photographer, Jamel Shabazz. Registratration will be open on August 14, 2018.

• Workshops providing practical, skills-based instruction in some of photography's most sought-after markets and led by some of the most talented working photographers in the industry. Workshop highlights include a hands-on street photography workshop with celebrated photographers and New Yorkers, Meryl Meisler and Tequila Minsky; a Sports Photography workshop on the courts and fields of Brooklyn Bridge Park, led by Photoville favorites Getty Images staff photographer Elsa Garrison and ESPN Senior Photo Editor Julianne Viracchi, showing that the world of sports photography is not only a man's game (however everyone is welcome to join!); a Product and Food Styling Workshop held by West Elm DUMBO; a twilight photography workshop in the streets of DUMBO, led by the International Center for Photography and Brooklyn Central, where participants can gain hands on experience on a photo shoot.

• Education Day: A full-day photo-based field trip welcoming over 600 NYC public-school students, designed to inspire, enlighten, and entertain. Professional artists & curators lead tours giving students the opportunity to explore exhibitions that cover a diverse range of photographic styles and subject matter with guidance and insight from celebrated practitioners working at the top of their field.

• Red Hook Editions' Community Bookstore, returning to its shipping container, where the team from Red Hook Editions will be selling photography books from within the Photoville community and their own imprint.

• EmergiCubes: A new set of exhibitions by emerging photographers who participated in the 2018 New York Portfolio Review, nominated and curated by James Estrin and David Gonzalez, co-founders and photo editors of The New York Times Lens Blog. The photographers' work will be featured outdoors on 4-foot high cubes scattered around Photoville. Those selected include Angela Ponce, Courtney Garvin, Eslah Attar, Esther Mbabazie, Gabriel Ellison-Snowcroft, Hadeer Mahmoud, Lebohang Kganye, Mark Kauzlarich, Mohamed Mahdy, Moriah Rattner, Sebastian Hidalgo, and Sinjun Strom.

• Tents housing vendors, photo book publishers, and camera gear demonstrations, as well as information booths for art schools, local entities and foundations. Highlights include the return of the Leica tent, which offers workshops, camera loans and the opportunity to explore Photoville through the Leica lens; and a brand new digital demonstration space dedicated to the Adobe Creative Suite featuring enlightening presentations by celebrated visual artists and practitioners.

• Women Photograph at Photoville: The second annual workshop for female and non-binary photographers, by the new Women Photograph initiative. This event has expanded to two days and will involve skills-building talks on a wide array of issues ranging from the importance of registering your copyright to hands-on technical demonstrations on lighting. Experts will also be on hand for one-on-one sessions on book editing, grant proposal writing, portfolio reviews, and more.

• Tintype Portrait Sessions, offering tintype portrait sessions by The Penumbra Foundation at affordable prices just for Photoville audiences. Each tintype is unique, and in a world of digital visuals that come and go, these are items to take home and hold onto forever.
  

• Photoville's outdoor food and beer garden run by Smorgasburg, showcasing local, popular Brooklyn food vendors, with beer provided by Brooklyn Brewery.

Photoville 2018 is made possible with the support of founding partners United Photo Industries, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Two Trees Management, Photo District News; Marquee partners Leica Camera, PhotoWings, the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in New York, DUMBO Business Improvement District and Smorgasburg; Community partners New Dock Street School, NYC Ferry, St. Ann's Warehouse; daytime programming partner the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation, and Education Day partner PhotoWings.

For more information about Photoville 2018, please visit www.photovillenyc.org.

About United Photo Industries

United Photo Industries is a New York-based nonprofit organization that works to promote a wider understanding of and increased access to the art of photography. Sam Barzilay, Dave Shelley and Laura Roumanos launched United Photo Industries in 2011. In their new ground-floor gallery space at 16 Main Street (formerly the site of Galapagos Art Space) in DUMBO, they work with the ambition and energy of an idealist start-up, identifying, harnessing, and conjuring unexpected exhibition opportunities. Together they champion new directions in photography and cultivate ties within an ever-expanding, globetrotting community of photographers.

Over the past seven years, United Photo Industries has rapidly solidified its position in the public art landscape by consistently showcasing thought-provoking, challenging, and exceptional photography from across the globe.

Proudly devoted to cultivating strategic partnerships, creative collaborations, and community spirit, United Photo Industries has presented dozens of public art installations in partnership with a number of agencies and organizations, including the NYC Department of Transportation, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the NY Department of Parks, NY Waterways and the East River Ferry, the DUMBO BID, and numerous arts festivals both domestic and international.

The marquee event UPI produces each year is Photoville, New York City's premier free photo destination. A modular venue built from repurposed shipping containers, Photoville creates a physical platform for photographers of all stripes to come together and interact, and for audiences to experience their work. Each year Photoville exhibits hundreds of artists, with dozens of exhibitions, talks & workshops, and nighttime events in an outdoor beer garden.

About Brooklyn Bridge Park

Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation, known as Brooklyn Bridge Park (BBP), is the not-for-profit entity responsible for the planning, construction, maintenance and operation of Brooklyn Bridge Park, an 85-acre sustainable waterfront park spanning 1.3 miles along Brooklyn's East River shoreline. As steward of the park, BBP has transformed this previously deteriorated stretch of waterfront into a world-class park where the public can gather, play, relax and enjoy sweeping views of New York Harbor. The self-sustaining park was designed by the award-winning firm of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc. and features expansive lawns, rolling hills, waterfront promenades, innovative playgrounds, a greenway, sports facilities and the popular Jane's Carousel. BBP serves thousands of people on any given seasonal day, who come to picnic, walk their dog, play soccer, jog, bike or roller skate. Brooklyn Bridge Park is a signature public investment for the 21st Century and will be an enduring legacy for the communities, elected officials and public servants who made it happen. More information is available on the park's website: www.brooklynbridgepark.org

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