Calling all local BIPOC and Latinx Photographers

Image courtesy HistoryMiami Museum and Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation

When you pick a camera, what do you feel? What do you capture through the lens?

For the love of photography, new doors are being opened in the South Florida community.

Excited to discuss the new call to artists, Belissa Alverez, Director of The Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation explained, “Timid artists can find comfort in knowing that their work is inspiring other creatives to embrace artistic risk-taking, enriching lives and helping catalyze a thriving arts community.”

Photographers are evolving daily, and the community has listened in hopes of advancing their efforts.

HistoryMiami Museum has established a fellowship for South Florida-based photographers who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, or Latinx in conjunction with The Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation’s CreARTE grant program. The program has been working to bridge gaps in key areas impacting the creative community most, including access to affordable workplaces, cultural equity, and education since 2019.

Michael Knoll, Director of Curatorial Affairs and Chief Curator at HistoryMiami said, “We continuously work to seek out voices across the community and identify areas where growth is needed to become a wholly inclusive institution. This project is central to that effort as we work to address representational gaps.”  He continued by explaining, “At HistoryMiami Museum, we believe everyone’s story matters, and we hope this fellowship will offer South Florida-based BIPOC photographers an opportunity to represent our diverse community through photography.”

Contributors believe that the fellowship will allow photographers to work towards a common creative goal of their choosing, while also contributing to their historical record. The community will be able to engage with the photographer’s new work and the narrative. It will also help these photographers build audiences for the future and solidify South Florida as a world-class cultural destination in the arts.

The HistoryMiami Photography Fellowship includes rewarding one photographer a $25,000 grant to fund the creation of new Miami-themed work. Select images will be permanently placed in HistoryMiami’s photography collection, and a museum and/or offsite exhibition of the fellow’s work will be produced.

An opportunity to work with local youth in collaboration with HistoryMiami’s Education Department is also key to the fellowship; the recipient will spend time with local youth to share the experience of exploring a medium through which they may authentically express themselves. Public programs will also be developed to feature work related to the fellowship.

“The Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation aims to empower all artists and creatives to continuously expose new audiences –across all walks of life – to the thrilling world of art,” said Alvarez.

The application is intentionally open to emerging photographers at least 18 years of age, who would like to use their creative abilities to create an impact within the local community. To partake in this fellowship is an opportunity of a lifetime; it is a chance to be part of something bigger than oneself.

“We believe art can spark new ideas and philosophies surrounding key social issues that create positive change across society,” explained Alvarez. The partnership between The Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation and HistoryMiami Museum was created with the goal of ensuring “all members of our community – including Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and Latinx – have opportunities to participate and engage with it,” she concluded.

Don’t leave your images to age in storage. Be the next photographer to transform and inspire your community.

The deadline to apply for the 2022-2023 fellowship is May 31, 2022. By June 30, 2022, the selected fellow will be revealed.

Details on how to apply are provided at historymiami.org.

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