Photography exhibit, lecture and reception
Photographer Matt Black is showcasing his project “The People of Clouds” at the Porterville College Art Gallery at Porterville College, 100 E. College Ave.
In addition, the college will present a multimedia presentation, film screen, a lecture by the artist and a reception in his honor.
“The People of Clouds” runs from 12 to 2 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Feb. 4-28.
The presentation and Black’s lecture is slated from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Porterville College Theater, with a reception immediately following at the Porterville College Art Gallery.
His latest installment of the project, “After the Fall” tells the story of Santiago Mitlatongo, a small farm community that washed away in a slow-motion landslide last year. First published in Orion magazine, the project has also been featured online in the New York Times and the Boston Globe, exhibited at The Fresno Art Museum and featured at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City.
The project explores the sources and consequences of migration in the Mixteca region of southern Mexico, where rampant land erosion, deepening poverty from free trade and population loss from migration is decimating some of the western hemisphere’s oldest indigenous communities. Through photographs and documentary multimedia, this work tells the little-known story behind one of the US’s fastest growing immigrant groups.
Joining Black will be Santiago Mitlatongo and community members who will share their first-hand observations and discuss the human impact of the disaster that befell their community.
Black’s photographs explore the social landscape of contemporary rural life. His photographs routinely appear in some of the nation’s best periodicals and have been honored by some of the top prizes in photojournalism, including the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Award and the Golden Eye Award from the World Press Photo Foundation.
Black lives in Exeter with his wife, Melissa Martell Black, and their two children.
Parking is unrestricted during the time of the lecture and reception. For other times, contact the Porterville College front desk upon arrival for a free temporary parking permit.
