Laura Roumanos welcomed everyone to the opening night of Photoville 2020 along with co-founders Sam Barzilay and Dave Shelley for a unique ninth anniversary version of Brooklyn’s great photography destination. The ZOOM show starts under the Brooklyn Bridge and that’s where the Photoville team started the Opening Night tour. I saw more of the artists on the zoom show than I ever have walking through the containers.

This year they are forgoing their signature shipping containers for the fences and freestanding exhibits throughout Brooklyn Bridge Park and all five boroughs of New York City. Exhibitions will be shown in some incredible outdoor spaces in Manhattan, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island. Photoville 2020 will run from September 17 to November 29, 2020. Online talks, workshops, and community events are scheduled between September 17 and October 4, 2020. Online talks, workshops, and community events are scheduled between September 17 and October 4, 2020. All locations are adhering to the mandated safety guidelines outlined by the New York State government.

It was a good feeling to see the installations along the borders of the Brooklyn Bridge base. The grandeur of the exhibits in the shadow of the bridge is one of the charms of Photoville. This year the exhibitions stretch the length of the park. New York City Parks teamed with Photoville to provide venues around the city. Who could ask for a better gallery?

One exhibit that immediately caught my eye is Last Wildest Place by Jason Houston on display at Brooklyn Bridge Park – Pier 3.

Jason Houston has been documenting Peru since 2015, as part of a team from Science Magazine, investigating the possible causes for a dramatic increase in contact events between isolated tribes and remote villagers. With writer Chris Fagan, he visited remote villagers to better understand the tenuous relationship between isolated tribes, and settled Indigenous tribes, and how loggers, drug traffickers, and new roads could be forcing isolated tribes into already occupied watersheds.

On Staten Island, the boardwalk becomes a showcase for Home Away From Home, a snapshot of a small town in New York City, and the process of rediscovering home.

Stephen Obisanya is a documentary photographer based in Staten Island. Stephen’s work is heavily rooted in exploring the foundations of human connection and condition through
the lens of family and community. Born (1989) in Lagos, Nigeria and now residing in New York City, much of Obisanya’s work is informed by his dual identity: a cultural background as an African, and a lived experience as a first-generation immigrant in America.

I hope that I can see all of the exhibits. At least online. There will be an online walking tour of all the exhibits upcoming in October. Watch for dates to be announced.

All exhibitions and online talks are open to the public and free of charge. For online workshops, a $10 deposit is required to reserve your spot, which will be refunded after you attend.

Photoville is asking for a suggested donation of $5 to secure the longevity of this community event. Donations can be made online here.

SEPT 17 The Seed of An Idea with Lynn Johnson & Elizabeth Krist  Presented by Leica  SEPT 18 Back to Business: Workflow Presented by Diversify Photo Workshops SEPT 19 Mobile Photography: Focus on Food Presented by Adobe

SEPT 19 Diversity in Visual Storytelling  Presented by Leica Women Foto Project SEPT 19 Behind the Reporting: Pablo Albarenga and Ana Maria Arevalo  Presented by Pulitzer Center SEPT 20 Then & Now: Photographers Repicturing Their Archive in 2020   Presented by Everyday Projects, HuffPost, RYOT

SEPT 20 Styling Beyond Instagram Presented by Robin Zachary SEPT 20 Conversation with the Winners of the 2020 Zeke Award   Presented by Social Documentary Network  SEPT 20 How to Visually Define Historic Moments with Brian Bowen Presented by Adobe

SEPT 20 Reimaging our Family Archives Presented by Kamal Badhey