Monroe Gallery of Photography specializes in 20th- and 21st-century photojournalism and humanist imagery—images that are embedded in our collective consciousness and which form a shared visual heritage for human society. They set social and political changes in motion, transforming the way we live and think—in a shared medium that is a singular intersectionality of art and journalism.
— Sidney and Michelle Monroe
In a panel discussion moderated by National Book Award–winning author and Marine veteran Phil Klay, distinguished conflict journalists and photographers Victor J. Blue, Ashley Gilbertson, and Danielle Paquette will discuss their work in conflict zones on several continents over the past couple of decades. How has their work changed? How has it changed them? And as we move into a chaotic time both in the news industry and in foreign relations, where old assumptions about the international order are quickly being upended, what are unique challenges of covering wars now? And what insights can long-time war correspondents offer as we look out into an uncertain future?
Phil Klay is an author, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, and a professor at Fairfield University. His short story collection Redeployment won the 2014 National Book Award for Fiction, and his novel Missionaries was listed by former President Barack Obama as one of the best books of 2020. He also regularly writes essays on politics, culture, and American military policy for publications such as the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Atlantic, and the Washington Post.
Ashley Gilbertson is an Australian photographer and writer living in New York City recognized for his critical eye and unique approach to social issues. He is a frequent contributor to major media outlets and a collaborator with the United Nations. For over twenty years, Gilbertson’s work focused on refugees and conflict, an interest that in 2002, led him to Iraq. His work from that country was awarded the Robert Capa Gold Medal, and in 2007, Gilbertson’s first book, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, was released, going on to become a best seller. Today, Gilbertson documents global migration in Africa and Europe, and works on climate, social and health issues in the United States and Asia. He writes regular opinion and news stories for outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, ProPublica, and UNICEF. In 2014, a multimedia story on the militarization of the South China Sea earned him an Emmy nomination.
Victor J. Blue is a New York based photojournalist whose work is most often concerned with the legacy of armed conflict, human rights and the protection of civilian populations, and unequal outcomes resulting from policy and politics. He has worked in Central America since 2002, concentrating on social conflict in Guatemala, and since 2009 has photographed the Counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan. He has completed assignments in Syria, Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Iraq, and India, and has documented news stories and social issues across the United States. He worked as a staff photographer at The Record in Stockton CA, and holds a Masters Degree in Visual Communication from Ohio University. He practices a deeply reported, character driven documentary photography that tries to both inform viewers intellectually and move them emotionally, and communicate something universal from the particular circumstances of individual lives and struggles.
Danielle Paquette is a national correspondent for The Washington Post. She previously served as West Africa bureau chief and has reported from more than 20 countries on four continents. Paquette joined The Post in 2014, starting as a roving economics reporter. A native of Indiana, she has also worked for the Tampa Bay Times and the Los Angeles Times. She resides in the nation’s capital with her husband and dog.
The International Photographic Council (IPC) is a non-profit organization committed to promoting the power of photography as a universal means of communication. IPC is a Civil Society Organization formally associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications. Through our global community of photographers, educators, and industry experts, we strive to foster intercultural understanding and collaboration through visual storytelling.
In 1935, Arthur Rothstein, freshly graduated from Columbia University, was recruited by his former professor in economics, Roy Stryker, to join the photography unit of the Historical Section, later part of the Farmer Security Administration (FSA) under the New Deal. The Historical Section’s role was to document—and create a history for—the FSA’s work. Faced with the prolonged economic depression, Rothstein quickly took up the offer, not knowing that he would soon author some of the most reproduced images of his time.
This is where New Deal America: Photographs by Arthur Rothstein, on view at Kingsborough Art Museum, begins. Bookended by one of Rothstein’s earliest and most famous “Dust Bowl” pictures (Heavy Black Clouds of Dust Rising over the Texas Panhandle, Texas [1936]) and a deceptively serene scene taken as the U.S. fully entered World War II (Saturday Afternoon in a Prosperous TVA town [1942]), the exhibition surveys what is arguably the most successful period in Rothstein’s career—travelling across the United States on assignment, he photographed rural and suburban communities affected by the Great Depression and the FSA’s efforts toward rehabilitation and resettlement.
Ed Kashi and Julie Winokur: American Sketches: People of a Place at This Time
Nina Berman, Photographer & Professor of Journalism, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Richard Sharum, Spina America
Dudley Brooks, Moderator
In 2025, America finds itself in a very confused and divided place. 250 years ago, it embarked on the greatest experiment in human history to overthrow the old norms of monarchies and despotic rule. America thrived, evolved, and conflicted during those two-and-a-half centuries.
Today, Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address penned 161 years ago is more relevant than at any other time since it was first spoken.
Four score and seven years ago, our forefathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.
Today we are testing whether this nation can long endure. The photographers in this panel will present to us a heartfelt and critical view of what America looks and feels like today.
Dudley Brooks
Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Dudley M. Brooks was the Deputy Director of Photography for The Washington Post, where he managed the creative strategy and production of photo-oriented content for the Features, Local and Sports departments. He was also the Photo Editor for The Washington Post Magazine before it was discontinued in 2022. From 2007-2014 he was the Director of Photography and Senior Photo Editor for the monthly magazine Ebony and its weekly sister periodical Jet. These iconic publications chronicled the African American experience for nearly eight decades and Brooks was a key member of the senior staff responsible for redefining the visual prominence and editorial relevance to their international readerships. Brooks was also the Assistant Managing Editor of Photography at The Baltimore Sun newspaper (2005-2007) and the co-creator/director of the landmark 1990 photography book and exhibition Songs of My People: African Americans – A Self-Portrait. This was an international project sponsored by Time-Warner and the Smithsonian Institute Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). In 2003 he created and co-directed Imagenes Havana. This event was a five-day exhibition in Havana, Cuba that displayed the work of twenty-five international storytelling photographers. It was supplemented by three days of roundtable forums that addressed the difficulties of documenting the international community, opportunities in photo book publishing, and ethical issues facing the working photographer from a global perspective. Brooks retired from The Washington Post in late 2024.
Nina Berman
Nina Berman is a documentary photographer, filmmaker, journalist and educator. Her work explores American politics, militarism, environmental issues and post violence trauma. She is the author of Purple Hearts – Back from Iraq, (Trolley, 2004) portraits and interviews with wounded American veterans, Homeland, (Trolley, 2008) an examination of the militarization of American life post September 11, and An autobiography of Miss Wish (Kehrer, 2017) a story told with a survivor of sexual violence which was shortlisted for both the Aperture and Arles book prizes. Additional fellowships, awards and grants include: the World Press Photo Foundation, Pictures of the Year International, the Open Society Foundation, the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, the MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellowship and the Aftermath Project. She started her photographic career in 1988 as an independent photographer working on assignment for the world’s major magazines including Time, Newsweek, Life, the New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, German Geo, and the Sunday Times Magazine. Her work has been exhibited at more than 100 international. Public collections include the Smithsonian National Museum of American History; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Museum of the City of New York; the Harvard Art Museums; and the Bibliothèque nationale de France among others. She is a tenured Professor of Journalism at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she directs the photojournalism/documentary photography program.
Ed Kashi
Ed Kashi is a renowned photojournalist, filmmaker, speaker and educator who has been making images and telling stories for 40 years. His restless creativity has continually placed him at the forefront of new approaches to visual storytelling. Dedicated to documenting the social and political issues that define our times, a sensitive eye and an intimate and compassionate relationship to his subjects are signatures of his intense and unsparing work. As a member of VII Photo, Kashi has been recognized for his complex imagery and its compelling rendering of the human condition.
Kashi’s innovative approach to photography and filmmaking has produced a number of influential short films and earned recognition by the POYi Awards as 2015’s Multimedia Photographer of the Year. Kashi’s embrace of technology has led to creative social media projects for clients including National Geographic, The New Yorker, and MSNBC. From implementing a unique approach to photography and filmmaking in his 2006 Iraqi Kurdistan Flipbook, to paradigm shifting coverage of Hurricane Sandy for TIME in 2012, Kashi continues to create compelling imagery and engage with the world in new ways.
Along with numerous awards from World Press Photo, POYi, CommArts and American Photography, Kashi’s images have been published and exhibited worldwide. His editorial assignments and personal projects have generated fourteen books.
Richard Sharum
Richard Sharum is an editorial and documentary photographer based in upstate New York. Mainly focusing on socio-economic or social justice dilemmas concerning the human condition, his work has been regarded as in-depth, up-close and personal.
Selected exhibitions include Kyoto, Japan; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Reggio Emilia, Italy; New York, Boston, Chicago’ and Dallas. His work is in the permanent collection of the Witliff Center for Documentary Studies, Amon Carter Museum, Cleveland Museum of Art, and others.
Commissions include The Meadows Foundation, Centers for Community Cooperation, Harvard Law School, Student Conservation Association, Children's Medical Center (Oncology), Children's Cancer Fund.
Publications include those by LFI (Leica International), British Journal of Photography, LensCulture, The Atlantic, Texas Monthly, Publico (Portugal), El Pais (Spain), Observer (UK), The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian (UK), B+W Photo Magazine, Huck Magazine, Glasstire, PATRON, Creative Review, among others.
Richard Sharum's debut monograph Campesino Cuba was published in 2021 (GOST) and his latest, Spina Americana, was just released in November 2024 (GOST). Richard Sharum is represented by The Hulett Collection, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Julie Winokur
Executive Director, Talking Eyes Media
Julie WinokurJulie Winokur, Executive Director of Talking Eyes Media, has been a storyteller for over two decades, first as a magazine writer and then as a documentary filmmaker. She launched Talking Eyes Media in 2002 as a way to create visual media that catalyzes positive social change. Her work has appeared on PBS, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, and National Geographic. Beyond broadcast and publication, Winokur works extensively with nonprofit organizations to develop their messages and put Talking Eyes' films to work at the grassroots level. She is the co-founder of Newest Americans, a storytelling project about immigration and identity based in Newark, New Jersey, that was named Best Online Storytelling Project in 2020 by Pictures of the Year International. She is also the producer/director of The Sacrifice Zone and Bring It to The Table, both documentary films with extensive impact campaigns. Winokur is a National Geographic Explorer and has been on the faculty of Rutgers University-Newark and the International Center of Photography in New York.
On Thursday, May 1, we welcome Nina Berman to “Meet the Artist” night at CPW. Nina will present work from her career and recent images around campus protest and the free speech crackdown at Columbia University.
Nina Berman is a documentary photographer, filmmaker, journalist and educator. She is a 2025 Guggenheim Fellow, working photojournalist, and tenured Professor of Journalism at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Her work explores American politics, war and militarism, environmental issues and post violence trauma. She is the author of three books, Purple Hearts – Back from Iraq, Homeland and An autobiography of Miss Wish. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Museum of the City of New York, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France among others. She is a professor at Columbia University.
"Monroe Gallery of Photography, also based in Santa Fe, is showing striking works from Diné photographer Eugene Tapahe’s Art Heals: The Jingle Dress Project (2020-present), which intertwines ritual and protest to foster collective healing."
“One of the things that got me into photography when I first started was realizing that with a camera and a small amount of skill, you could go to any show for free at the 9:30 Club when I couldn't afford to,” said photographer Sanjay Suchak. “So, I learned that if I found a publication willing to run my photos, I could kind of come in with a camera and bring a friend. It seemed like a pretty good deal.”
For Suchak, who currently serves as a tour photographer for the Dave Matthews Band, Public Enemy and Slightly Stoopid, choosing photography as a profession was not an option. It was a hobby – something he learned about in his teens from his mother and explored on the side throughout his college years in New York.
“Being the son of a first-generation immigrant, you're not going to necessarily declare that you're going to go to college for art,” he said. “So, I went to school for business and international relations and decided to forge a path in government.”
During his college years, Suchak continued growing as a photographer, capturing images on weekends and evenings. After graduating, he took on a six-month stint as a photographer’s assistant where he learned more about lighting and composition. He then spent a handful of years working in government and nonprofit roles until photography won out and he took on a full-time role as staff photographer at a Maryland community college.
“I found that I was having more success with photography than what I actually went to school for,” said Suchak. “The rewards were more noticeable — not just financially — but just in terms of people connecting with what you do and appreciating what you're putting out there. And it sort of felt like this was going to be my natural path.”
From 2013 to 2023, while freelancing as a videographer and eventually tour photographer for the Dave Matthews Band, Suchak served as the senior photographer for the University of Virginia, covering day-to-day life at the school. This included athletics, faculty research, student activities, marketing and “telling the story of the history of that sort of impressive behemoth of an organization.”
During his time at UVA, Suchak — whose work has been featured in various publications including The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and Rolling Stone — also captured the August 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. It was during this time that he became interested in covering political protests and the removal of Virginia statues, eventually serving as one of only two photographers who were granted access to witness the melting down of Charlottesville’s Robert E. Lee statue that once stood in the Market Street Park.
Sanjay Suchak
Foundry workers prepare to melt down the face of the Robert E. Lee statue for repurposing, October, 2023
He became one of DMB’s official photographers after snapping an image of Dave Matthews and Stevie Wonder during the September 2017 Concert for Charlottesville. Suchak, who always kept a camera on his hip while working in a video capacity, captured the two musicians on stage together, talking to the audience and holding hands.
“I never really envisioned a career in that,” said Suchak, “but over the years, being in Charlottesville, crossing paths with members of the band and then getting to know other people in the music community, I've sort of created a pretty large career out of working for the musicians, and it's been pretty great.”
For Suchak, who also works as a commercial photographer, choosing a career in the arts turned out to be a pretty good decision.
“I let my dad do my taxes” said Suchak, “so he understands I'm not gonna starve.”
Some of the photographic works represented in the embedded video contain explicit language.
Information about Suchak’s work can be found on his website.
Photojournalism uniquely bridges the worlds of art and storytelling, capturing moments that resonate deeply with audiences. The Monroe Gallery, a leader in this field, has dedicated itself to showcasing the transformative power of images. In this episode our hosts explored this fascinating realm with Sydney and Michelle Monroe, founders of the Monroe Gallery. Celebrating over two decades in Santa Fe, the Monroes shared their insights into the significance of photojournalism and their preparations for the upcoming APAD show in New York.
The Birth of Monroe Gallery
The Monroe Gallery’s journey began with a pivotal meeting with Alfred Eisenstadt, a founding photographer of Life Magazine. This encounter sparked Sydney and Michelle Monroe’s passion for photojournalism, leading them to recognize its potential within the gallery system. Their mission became to elevate photojournalistic images from magazine pages to gallery walls, transforming them into enduring pieces of art and historical evidence. The Impact of Photojournalism
Photojournalism, as the Monroes describe, is about more than capturing moments; it’s about documenting history and inspiring change. The images they curate are visually striking and carry deep social and political relevance. From war scenes to tender moments of love, these photographs tell timeless stories. The Monroes emphasize the importance of context, ensuring viewers understand the historical and emotional backdrop of each image. Handling Sensitive Subjects
Presenting sensitive subjects is a challenge the Monroe Gallery navigates with care. The Monroes provide context to balance human suffering with stories of heroism and hope, offering a comprehensive view of the human experience. This thoughtful curation is evident in exhibitions like Grey Villet’s work on the Loving family, highlighting photojournalism’s societal impact. It is also seen in their latest special exhibit titled “WWII – Eighty Years”, which will be presented at APAD this year. The exhibit highlights the historic triumphs and devastating losses of the war that were captured by thousands of wartime photographers. It is a reminder that we must learn from our history so that these same actions may never be repeated.
Supporting Modern Photojournalists
In today’s evolving media landscape, the Monroe Gallery supports contemporary photojournalists, many of whom rely on print sales to fund their work. The Monroes represent a diverse range of voices, from legends to emerging talents like Eugene Tapahe, whose “Jingle Dress Project” beautifully combines art and journalism. This dedication ensures the gallery remains a vibrant platform for storytelling.
The Monroe Gallery’s journey underscores the enduring power of photojournalism. Through thoughtful curation and commitment, Sydney and Michelle Monroe have created a space where images challenge perceptions and inspire change. As they prepare for the APAD show, the Monroes continue to champion photojournalism as both art and historical record, inviting all to explore the profound impact of these stories.
The Guggenheim Foundation’s 100th Class of Fellows Taps 198 Trailblazing Artists and Scholars Across 53 Fields; including Nina Berman for Photography, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY. Berman's Fellowship will allow her to continue her important series "Acknowledgment of Danger ", examining the toxic legacy and continued environmental impact of US military activities on the American landscape from native lands to national forests, from major rivers to the skies above.
(New York, NY--April 15, 2025) -- The Board of Trustees of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation announced today their appointment of the 100th class of Guggenheim Fellows, including 198 distinguished individuals working across 53 disciplines. Chosen through a rigorous application and peer review process from a pool of nearly 3,500 applicants, the Class of 2025 Guggenheim Fellows was tapped based on both prior career achievement and exceptional promise. As established in 1925 by founder Senator Simon Guggenheim, each Fellow receives a monetary stipend to pursue independent work at the highest level under “the freest possible conditions.”
The 100th class of Fellows is part of the Guggenheim Foundation’s yearlong celebration marking a century of transformative impact on American intellectual and cultural life. In addition to appointing its newest class, the Foundation also launches a refreshed brand identity and website this month and will present a special exhibit later this year in collaboration with The New York Historical, highlighting rarely-seen treasures from its vast archive.
“At a time when intellectual life is under attack, the Guggenheim Fellowship celebrates a century of support for the lives and work of visionary scientists, scholars, writers, and artists,” said Edward Hirsch, award-winning poet and President of the Guggenheim Foundation. “We believe that these creative thinkers can take on the challenges we all face today and guide our society towards a better and more hopeful future.”
In all, 53 scholarly disciplines and artistic fields, 83 academic institutions, 32 US states and the District of Columbia, and two Canadian provinces are represented in the 2025 class, who range in age from 32 to 79. More than a third of the 100th class of Fellows do not hold a full-time affiliation with a college or university. Many Fellows’ projects directly respond to timely themes and issues such as climate change, Indigenous studies, identity, democracy and politics, incarceration, and the evolving purpose of community. Since its founding in 1925, the Guggenheim Foundation has awarded over $400 million in fellowships to more than 19,000 Fellows.
Monroe Gallery of Photography will be located at Booth C8 and will present a distinctly curated exhibit, with a central focus on Diné (Navajo) photographer Eugene Tapahe’s “Art Heals: TheJingle Dress Project”. “The Jingle Dress Project” originated from Tapahe's dream inspiring him to bring global attention to Native American issues in these uncertain times of social differences through the healing power of the Ojibwe jingle dress dance. Since then, Tapahe has traveled over 25,000 miles, documenting family members dancing the healing jingle dress dance in National Parks and Monuments, honoring the places where their ancestors once lived. This project has received national and international recognition for its unifying effect on communities. Monroe Gallery is the exclusive representative for Tapahe’s “Jingle Dress” fine art prints. Tapahe will give an Artist's talk on Friday, April 25 at 5:30 pm in Booth C8.
Also on exhibit will be a selection of important contemporary photojournalism with a focus on American politics, climate issues, and refugee migration. Three newly represented independent photojournalists will be featured: Tracy Barbutes, Ron Haviv and Bing Guan. Barbutes is a photojournalist, writer, and wildfire photographer based near Yosemite whose photograph of an upside-down American flag hanging from El Capitan near Yosemite recently went viral. Haviv has produced an unflinching record of the injustices of war covering over 25 conflicts, and his photography has had singular impact.
Young displaced girls from Darfur, Sudan leave a camp to gather firewood for their families. The US government declared the war in Darfur a genocide. Darfur, Sudan 2005
Guan is a full-time freelance photographer, journalist, and artist based in New York City. He is currently an adjunct professor of photography at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
An upside-down American flag hangs from El Capitan near Yosemite National Park’s Horsetail Falls to protest the thousands of federal job cuts made by President Donald Trump’s administration, February 22, 2025
On February 22, 2025 – almost exactly 80 years to the day after Joe Rosenthal’s Iwo Jima Photograph - Tracy Barbutes photographed an inverted American flag — historically used as a sign of distress — off the side of El Capitan, a towering rock formation in Yosemite National Park, hung to protest the Trump administration’s cuts to the National Park Service. Hundreds of visitors had gathered to photograph an annual phenomenon in the park known as firefall, when the setting sun causes a seasonal waterfall on El Capitan to glow orange. One spectator commented: “I feel like our national parks are national treasures, and they need to be protected, as does our democracy. It was a call to action and a call for hope.”
"Heading to Yosemite that Saturday, I had been told there might be some form of protest at El Capitan (Tu-tok-ah-nu-lah), the park’s iconic 3,000-foot granite monolith.
There were unconfirmed reports that at least one recently-fired park employee would rappel with an American flag to protest his firing, as well as to protest the thousands of federal jobs lost due to the Trump administration/Elon Musk DOGE cuts.
The event would likely happen near Horsetail Fall, during “firefall” – a natural phenomenon that draws thousands of spectators each February.
I stood under El Cap, something I’ve done hundreds of times, and as I documented the unfurling of that upside down American flag, an act signaling distress, I couldn’t help but think of the paradox of the overall situation as we were gathered on colonized Indigenous land.
There wasn’t an immediate or overwhelming reaction from the crowd, though there was no missing the event. While intent on capturing a series of images, I was mindful that I was documenting a bold, courageous, historic act.
It wasn’t until later that night and the next morning as the image went viral that I began to understand what those actions, and the image, meant. Did Nate Vance, the fired park employee behind the flag protest, and his cohorts, shake people out of a collective stupor and spark a movement of resistance." -- Tracy Barbutes
Barbutes is a photojournalist, writer, and wildfire photographer based near Yosemite.
Monroe Gallery will exhibit this photograph and other examples of Guan’s work at the 2025 Photography Show presented by AIPAD in booth #C8, April 23 – 27 at The Park Avenue Armory in New York City.
Ryan Vizzions describes Atlanta as a uniquely diverse melting pot shaped by its history. He credits Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the city’s role as a hub for African Americans during segregation as foundational to its identity. This legacy, he says, makes Atlanta exceptional not only in the South but across the entire country as well.
Photography as a Purposeful Journey
Ryan captured this photo during the procession of civil rights activist John Lewis.
(Photo by Ryan Vizzions)
Vizzions’ photography began as a personal outlet but evolved into a passion for storytelling. Over the years, he embraced various forms, from photojournalism to architectural and street photography. He views his work as a medium for raising awareness and documenting social movements.
Standing Rock and Activism
This photo from Standing Rock is one of the most influential in Ryan’s career.
(Photo by Ryan Vizzions)
One of the defining moments in Vizzions’ career was his documentation of the Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Inspired by a haunting resemblance to the Civil Rights era, he felt compelled to witness the movement firsthand. What began as a spontaneous trip turned into a six-month immersion, during which he lived at the camp and captured some of the most recognized images of the movement.
Honoring Atlanta’s Modern-Day Leaders
This is one of Ryan’s final images for Colors of Atlanta.
(Photo by Ryan Vizzions)
Vizzions chose to highlight contemporary changemakers for his Atlanta-focused project for “Colors of Atlanta.” He selected civil rights attorney and activist Gerald Griggs, president of the Georgia NAACP. Vizzions first met Griggs during the Black Lives Matter protests in Atlanta and later during the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial. Impressed by Griggs’ relentless advocacy in the courtroom and on the ground, Vizzions wanted to create a powerful portrait that Griggs and his family could be proud of.
Auburn Avenue: Connecting Past, Present and Future
Vizzions selected Auburn Avenue, a historic street in Atlanta, as the backdrop for his photograph. Known as Black Wall Street, Auburn Avenue holds deep cultural significance. It was home to jazz legends at the Royal Peacock and the pulpit of Dr. King at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Vizzions sought to intertwine Atlanta’s rich past with its present and future.
Stepping Beyond Photojournalism
Ryan captured the image in Auburn Avenue. (Photo by Andrew Clark)
Although Vizzions’ background is rooted in documentary and photojournalism, this project pushed him into the editorial realm. Initially nervous, he quickly found his rhythm, collaborating with Griggs to create powerful, meaningful images. He expressed pride in the final result, seeing the work as a collective achievement.
Atlanta’s Influence on his Art
Vizzions draws continuous inspiration from Atlanta. For him, photographing Atlanta is more than capturing its skyline; it’s about preserving the spirit of its people, honoring its leaders and ensuring that its legacy endures.
Learn more about other talented photographers featured on “Colors of Atlanta” and watch the TV series.
Reflections from the 2025 Contest global jury (With Nina Berman)
Chosen from nearly 60,000 entries by 3,778 photographers from 141 countries, the award-winning images are those of struggle and defiance, but also of human connection and courage – visually stunning work that draws you deeper into stories behind the news. This enriching selection of the world’s best photojournalism and documentary photography was chosen by an independent international jury based on their visual quality, storytelling approach, and commitment to diverse representation.
"My hope is that tomorrow’s lawyers, reporters, and policymakers will be affected and moved by these images, and that perhaps they will strike a chord in some of today’s 11-year-olds, who, having forged the beginning of a relationship with them, will continue their life journey knowing that pictures, and the stories they tell, matter.
We made our choices with an eye on the final mix: as much as a World Press Photo Contest award is an immense recognition for photographers, often working under difficult circumstances, it is also a recap of the world’s major events. Yet, what we have here is just a partial overview. Not all the events that were topical in 2024 were covered by the photos submitted, but the jury selected images, I believe, fully aware of their power, and of the legitimacy that the award would lend them." – Lucy Conticello, director of Photography, Le Monde, and 2025 Contest global jury chair
Young displaced girls from Darfur, Sudan leave a camp to gather firewood for their families. The US government declared the war in Darfur a genocide. Darfur, Sudan 2005
Santa Fe, NM - Monroe Gallery of Photography is honored to announce exclusive representation of acclaimed photographer Ron Haviv for fine art print sales.
Ron Haviv is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and an award-winning photojournalist. He co-founded VII Photo Agency and The VII Foundation, where he currently serves as a director. He is dedicated to documenting conflict and raising awareness about human rights issues around the globe.
Haviv has produced an unflinching record of the injustices of war covering over 25 conflicts, and his photography has had singular impact. His work in the Balkans, which spanned over a decade of conflict, was used as evidence to indict and convict war criminals at the international tribunal in The Hague. President George H.W Bush cited Haviv’s chilling photographs documenting paramilitary violence in Panama as one of the reasons for the 1989 American intervention. His work is in the collections of numerous museums and he has produced five monographs. He also has provided expert analysis and commentary on current events for the media including opinion pieces for the Washington Post and The New York Times and spoken at TEDx along with numerous other lectures at Universities and conferences.
Monroe Gallery will exhibit several examples of Ron Haviv’s work at the 2025 Photography Show presented by AIPAD in booth #C8, April 23 – 27 at The Park Avenue Armory in New York City.
Monroe Gallery of Photography was
founded by Sidney S. Monroe and Michelle A. Monroe in 2001. The gallery
specializes in photography that embodies the universal understanding and
importance of photojournalism. Monroe Gallery was the recipient of the 2010
Alfred Eisenstaedt Award for Excellence in Photojournalism.
At a Black History Month celebration at Gracie Mansion, Adams said some people were disposable matches and others were flames worth protecting. Photograph by Ashley Gilbertson/NY Times
As the oil company Energy Transfer sues Greenpeace over the 2016 Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, we speak with Indigenous activist Winona LaDuke, who took part in that historic uprising. LaDuke is an enrolled member of the Mississippi Band of Anishinaabe who lives and works on the White Earth Nation Reservation and was among the thousands of people who joined the protests in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to protect water and Indigenous lands in North Dakota. She highlights the close links between North Dakota’s government and Energy Transfer and says that while the lawsuit targets Greenpeace, Indigenous water and land defenders are also on trial. “North Dakota has really been trying to squash any kind of resistance,” says LaDuke. “If they can try to shut down Greenpeace, they’re going to shut down everybody.”
"Nina Berman’s “Marine Wedding” chronicles the marriage in 2006 of mutilated Iraq War veteran Tyler Ziegel, a plastic dome replacing his broken skull, and his childhood sweetheart Renee Kline. The bride appears grief-stricken, the couple divorced within a year and Ziegel died at 30 from an overdose.
The first such major survey in a European museum, American Photography, drawn from the Rijksmuseum’s eclectic collection plus well-targeted loans, is timely, launched as Europe struggles to understand Trumpian America. Installed thematically — “Face to Face”, “At Home”, “On the Road”, “Selling Points”, “Death and Disaster” — it records how the camera has eyed the country in reportage, advertisements, protest posters, family and amateur snapshots, photo-booth strips, memorabilia." --Full article here
Photo exhibition "A brief guide to investigating war crimes"
The non-profit journalism organization iMEdD (incubator for Media Education and Development) presents the photo exhibition "A Brief Guide to Investigating War Crimes", curated by award-winning photojournalist and director of the VII Foundation, Ron Haviv and the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN).
The exhibition features photographs from the GIJN Guide for journalists on war crimes investigation, with the participation of VII photographers, offering a compelling visual narrative on conflicts, war crimes and their consequences. Through these images, the exhibition highlights the importance of investigative journalism, human rights research and legal documentation in reporting the truth.
The exhibition will be hosted at Stereosis, Thessaloniki, from 7 to 20 March 2025.
The opening will take place on Friday, March 7 at 20:00 and admission will be free.
In the context of the exhibition, the educational pillar of iMEdD, Ideas Zone, organizes two parallel events:
Drawing on his experience in more than 25 conflicts, including his work in the Balkans used to convict war criminals in The Hague, Haviv will share knowledge on war crimes documentation, best practices for ethical reporting, and the role of visual evidence in legal liability. Participants will gain practical skills and a deeper understanding of the responsibility involved in recording history through the lens.
Date and time: Saturday 8 March 2025, 11:00-13:00 (Duration: 120')
Lecture by Ron Haviv | "Testimony 1989-2024"
A dynamic retrospective of conflicts from Central America and the Balkans to the Arab Spring and Ukraine. Through short films and personal reflections, Haviv explores the role of the photographer, the consequences of war and the responsibility of being a martyr.
Date & Time: Sunday 9 March 2025, 11:00-13:00 (Duration: 120')
Monroe Gallery of Photography presents Grey Villet’s tender images of the couple who legalized interracial love
Sixty years ago, Life Magazine photographer Grey Villet photographed Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial married couple who had been arrested and convicted under Virginia’s anti-miscegenation laws. The Lovings were eventually vindicated in 1967 by the U.S. Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia, a landmark civil rights decision that legalized interracial marriage and paved the way for same-sex marriage decades later.
But in 1965, when Villet photographed them, the Lovings were still weary from their yearslong legal battle and publicity-shy due to threats of lynching.
Villet’s photographs of the couple, on view at the Monroe Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe through April 13, show them engaged in everyday domestic activities. As the late photographer’s wife, Barbara Villet, wrote in a New York Times essay, these photographs humanized the Lovings and showed that they were “a quintessentially ordinary couple extraordinarily in love with each other.”
“Emotional content always mattered most to Grey in his work and pursuit of images ‘as real as real could get.’ It’s what gives his take on the Loving family its intimacy and strength,” she wrote. “Unlike many other celebrated photographers, he avoided posing his subjects, refused to manipulate the action and simply waited patiently for telling moments to emerge, in the belief that reality would supply more truth than any imposition of his own ego.” Villet was famous for his spending many days with his subjects and shooting only with available light and a hand-held long lens, which allowed him to disappear into the background. Even the Lovings, who were quiet, private people, felt comfortable enough in his presence to reveal their intimate lives.
In addition to challenging racist ideas, Villet’s photographs of the Lovings challenged notions of gender and class, as well.
In some of his photographs, including one where Mildred is mending Richard’s shirt button and one where Richard is reclining with his head in her lap, Mildred is positioned higher in the frame than her husband, whereas in most art directed photographs and films of that era, women were traditionally positioned lower. Villet’s authentic slice-of-life images subverted the prevailing gender hierarchy.
His tender images also challenge stereotypes about working-class masculinity. As Barbara Villet wrote in the Times essay, her husband’s portraits of Richard Loving, in particular, revealed “the face of a laborer who, despite the macho exterior, is a sensitive man.”
Monroe Gallery’s “Loving” gives viewers the opportunity to reflect on this unlikely, history-making couple 60 years after Villet first photographed them.
‘LOVING’ By Grey Villet
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; through April 13
WHERE: Monroe Gallery of Photography, 112 Don Gaspar Ave., Santa Fe
