A Flashback to Today

At AFH, it takes three—a mentor, a teen (in this case 5) and a client. This time our mission came to life with Boston Athenaeum (BA), who partnered with Artists For Humanity (AFH) to capture teen perspectives on Boston in response to their exhibition, Developing Boston: Berenice Abbott and Irene Shwachman Photograph a Changing City.

The exhibition features the first joint presentation of work by the two pioneering photographers of the 1930s and 1960s as they captured a Boston roiled by the Great Depression and urban renewal movement.

The teens were challenged to bring their visual take on Boston into conversation with the seminal works of Abbott and Shwachman. The journey led to 10 exquisite, contemporary images of Boston, in both B&W and color, becoming part of BA’s permanent archival collection for thousands to discover and enjoy for years to come.

Top (L to R): Rose Narcisse “Savoy,” Nancy Gonzales “Gamba Rotta,” “Portali,” and “To Apathy,” Victoria 'Tori' Kutta “Fenestration,” and Axander Vazquez “Modern Blues.” Bottom (L to R): Axander Vazquez “Construcción,” Nancy Gonzales “Free Will,” Nancy Gonzales “Hidden In Obscurity,” and Victoria 'Tori' Kutta “Enfilade.”

In addition to having their works on exhibit, three of the four teens—Nancy Gonzales, Victoria 'Tori' Kutta, and Axander Vazquez—participated in a public panel moderated by Graves and engaged in meaningful conversations with visitors about the partnership with BA and their artwork.

(L to R) AFH Director of Photography Mary Nguyen, AFH Teen Photographers Victoria "Tori" Kutta, Nancy Gonzales, and Axander Vazquez, and Assistant Assistant Curator Lauren Graves in front of their photos on exhibit.

Interested in seeing the exhibition?

Developing Boston is open to the public for viewing through December 30 at the Boston Athenaeum, 10-1/2 Beacon St., Boston.

Impact video produced by Artists For Humanity Video Production Studio.