Carlow University Art Gallery presents a photographic exhibit titled “Displacement/Replacement.”
| Marketing and Communications | For Immediate Release |
| Drew Wilson, Director,Media Relations | February 12, 2016 |
| 412.578.2095 (phone) | |
| 412.260.6807 (cell) | |
| 412.578.2080 (fax) | |
| agwilson@carlow.edu |
Four African American Photographers Tell The Stories of Their Communities
Pittsburgh, Pa. – “Displacement/Replacement,” an important photographic exhibit that examines community narratives and changing milieus in predominantly African American and working class neighborhoods as seen through the camera lenses of four African American photographers, will have its opening reception on Thursday, February 18, 2016, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Carlow University Art Gallery, located on the second floor of University Commons, on the Carlow campus.
The four local African American photographers – Charles “Teenie” Harris, Chris Ivey, Curtis Reaves, and Tom Jefferson – look at the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of the Hill District, East Liberty, Braddock, and of Butler County, respectively. These communities were marked by “urban renewal,” gentrification, and environmental blight, and have seen the displacement of thousands of low-income residents, primarily African American and/or working class people.
“We envision this program as a springboard for critical dialogue on campus and in the Pittsburgh community about the very important issue of the displacement of African American and working class communities in the process of gentrification and urban renewal,” said Sylvia Rhor, PhD, an associate professor of art history and the co-director of the Carlow University Art Gallery. “Though this is a national issue, the photographs and videos in this show focus on the effects in the Pittsburgh area, and we wanted to focus on the work of photographers from this area.”
“Displacement/Replacement” is guest curated by Jen Saffron, MFA, the director of Communications for the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. A producer of media, education, and social documentary exhibitions for the past 25 years, Saffron’s work documents and questions the impact and causes of such social concerns as war, religious intolerance, and race relations in the United States.
“We’re excited to bring together these photographs and video to help raise community questions,” said Saffron. “We are looking forward to the Carlow University Art Gallery serving as a place for serious dialogue about topics that truly must be discussed and resolved if we are going to actually be “the Most Livable City” – racism, gentrification, and our environment.”
On Wednesday, March 30, 2016, a public lecture by Georgette Norman, former director of the Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University, and a panel discussion with three of the photographers will take place in the art gallery.
“Displacement/Replacement” runs through May 6, 2016. For public tours or more information, please contact Sylvia Rhor, PhD, at scrhor@carlow.edu or by phone at (412) 578-6208.
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About Carlow University Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Carlow University was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1929. Offering both undergraduate and graduate programs, Carlow University is a comprehensive master’s institution dedicated to learner-centered education at the collegiate levels and at the elementary school level in the Campus School of Carlow University.