The Bronx has been captured through photography and will be displayed at a new exhibit.
This Friday, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., the Bronx Photographers Collaborative invites you to the opening reception of the ’Capturing The Bronx: Bronx Photographers’ exhibition.
The exhibit’s opening reception, which will take place on the second floor of the Community Commons at Metropolitan College of New York’s Bronx campus, 463 E. 149th Street, will showcase several dozen photos that represent different neighborhoods and themes of the Bronx.
The 41 photographs will cover topics such as architecture, culture, education, history, landmarks, transportation, and more.
“Each neighborhood of the Bronx has a different identity with different themes – and we wanted to showcase that,” said Walter Pofeldt, who began working as a full-time photographer for the Bronx Times in the early 2000s after working for the NYC Housing Authority for nearly a decade. He has lived in the Bronx for over 15 years. “It’s fun for photographers who take pictures of different parts of the Bronx, each with different perspectives, to bring their ideas together in an exhibit setting.”
Pofeldt said his interest in photography began as a child, when he would look at the pictures in Life Magazine, which his parents purchased through a subscription.
In August, Pofeldt held a one-man exhibition at Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, where he showcased photographs he took after visiting Cuba earlier on in the year.
“The Bronx has always gotten somewhat of a negative reception because of its history,” said Miriam Quin, who began her career as a photographer covering events for MAS Productions in the late 2000s and now works for the Bronx Times. “This exhibit will show visitors the positive, uplifting side of the Bronx that they’ve never seen!”
Over the years, Quin has lived in many Bronx neighborhoods, including Longwood and Bedford Park. She also attended James Monroe High School and Lehman College, and has won awards at various Bronx photograph contests, including events at Edgar Allan Poe Park and Pelham Parkway.
For both Pofeldt and Quin, photography began as an hobby that led to a career and a new way of life.
Other local photographers who will also have their pictures on display in the exhibit include Mitch Bleier, Silvia Blumenfeld, Dinorah Capota, Carol Foresta, Clarisel Gonzalez, Debby Kawalick, Evelyn Katz, Alex Krstevski, Fernan Luna, Eileen McNamee and Ira Merritt.
Quin personally thanked Bleier, who purchased the frames for her photos. Without the frames, Quin’s photos couldn’t have been displayed in the exhibit.
Each of these established individuals are members of the Bronx Photographers Collaborative, a club/organization of photography enthusiasts that was started two years ago.
In April 2018, the Bronx Photographers Collaborative will hold another photo exhibit at Edgar Allan Poe Park, with the assistance of Lucy Aponte, head of the Friends of Soundview Park.
The organization plans to hold other exhibits at different Bronx venues in the near future.
The exhibit will run until Tuesday, August 15.
