Washington, DC - Aimed at examining the effect of the 9.11.01 attacks and their aftermath, here is new york began with just one photograph taped to the window of a SoHo storefront on September 12, 2001. In the days afterward a call for entries went out, and by Christmas more than 1,500 photographers had contributed upwards of 4,000 pictures. As many as 3,000 visitors lined up each day to view this grass-roots exhibition that quickly evolved into an international phenomenon. Marking the first anniversary of the events of September 11, here is new york: a democracy of photographs opens at the Corcoran Gallery of Art on September 7.
The exhibition is sponsored by Target Stores.
"The work of world-famous photographers hangs alongside pictures by police officers, firemen, businessmen, bystanders, school teachers, construction workers and children," says Michael Shulan, one of the founding directors of here is new york. "The intent was, and is, partly therapeutic. As visitors move from photograph to photograph, searching for the one that speaks to their particular emotion, the power of art to move and even heal is continually affirmed."
"Target learned about here is new york after it had been on display in New York for only a few weeks, but it was evident immediately that a phenomenal event was taking place," said Ann Aronson, Director of Community Relations Marketing, Target Corporation. "The grass-roots effort of a few individuals established a forum for thousands of people to express their reactions to September 11th- that's community at its best. Like many of the visitors, the range of emotion expressed in the imagery profoundly moved us. Target is honored to help sustain the mission of this exhibition by bringing it to the Washington area."
Some of the pictures included in the exhibition were taken by professional photographers who rushed to the scene after the attacks began. Most were taken by ordinary people, students at nearby Stuyvesant High School, witnesses helplessly watching the tragedy unfold from the rooftops in TriBeca or Williamsburg or on the Brooklyn Heights promenade. And some were taken by those caught up in the havoc.
After the images were selected, they were scanned, digitally printed and clipped to wires strung along the walls of the empty SoHo store. They were displayed anonymously without labels or captions.
Replicating the exhibition installation in New York, the Corcoran’s presentation will feature approximately 2000 photographs. Pictures of ground zero, rescue workers, funeral services, sidewalk shrines and people sitting in Central Park poring over newspapers on September 12 will be included. Photographs from Pennsylvania and the Pentagon will be added to the exhibition for the Corcoran’s presentation. In addition, an 11-minute documentary shot immediately after the tragedy, entitled "The First 24 Hours," will be shown.
In keeping with the theme "a democracy of photographs," here is new york announces a call for photographs from Pennsylvania and the Pentagon about the events of that day and beyond. Everyone is invited to participate - schoolchildren, bystanders, and photojournalists alike. Photographs can be sent by mail to the Corcoran or brought in to the Corcoran Information Desk during Museum hours. Photos may be no larger than 8 x 10 inches and cannot be returned without a self addressed stamped envelope. Digital images can be submitted to www.hereisnewyork.org/washington, instructions online. All submissions must relate to the events of 9.11.01 in the broadest and yet most intimate sense.
here is new york was conceived by four individuals: Alice Rose George, independent curator and photo editor; Gilles Peress, an internationally acclaimed photo documentarian; Michael Shulan, a writer and the owner of the SoHo storefront; and Charles Traub, a photographer and Chairperson of the MFA Program in Photography and the Related Media at New York School of Visual Arts. Their aim was to create a forum for people to think about what had happened and present a way of making sense of all of the haunting images. The exhibition evolved into a photographic memorial to the tragic events, and to the spirit of renewal and a sense of world community.
"We initially thought that here is new york would exist for a short time in New York as a respite for the public to bear witness to the events of September 11," says Charles Traub, one of the founding directors of here is new york. "But the overwhelming response to this exhibition has demonstrated a clear need for these images to be seen by an even broader audience."
Since opening the New York exhibition, here is new york has established itself as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to archiving and exhibiting these images around the world. Digital prints of images included in the exhibition are available for sale for $25 each. Net proceeds from sales of the prints have been donated to public charities that assist those whose lives have been directly affected by the tragedy. To date, here is new york has given more than $600,000 to the Children's Aid Society's World Trade Center Relief Fund and continues to raise money for it and other charities. The organization’s website address is www.hereisnewyork.org
Press Preview
A press preview for here is new york: a democracy of photographs is scheduled for Thursday, September 5, 2002 from 10 am to noon. For more information, or to RSVP, please call the Communications Office at (202) 639-1703 or email at PR@corcoran.org
About Target Stores
Minneapolis-based Target Stores serves guests at 1,081 stores in 47 states nationwide by delivering today’s best retail trends at affordable prices. Whether visiting a Target store or shopping online at target.com, guests enjoy a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to thousands of unique and highly differentiated items. Target Stores, along with its parent company Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT), gives back more than $2 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs.
About the Corcoran
A privately funded institution, the Corcoran Gallery of Art was founded in 1869 as Washington’s first museum of art. It is known internationally for its distinguished collection of historical and modern American art as well as European painting, sculpture, and decorative arts. Founded in 1890, Corcoran College of Art + Design is Washington’s only 4-year college of art and design offering BFA degrees in Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Digital Media Design, Photojournalism and Photography—and AFA degrees in Fine Arts, Interior Design and Photography. The College’s Continuing Education Program, which offers part-time credit and non-credit classes for children and adults, draws more than 3,500 participants each year.
The Corcoran Gallery of Art is located at New York Avenue and 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC, and is open every day, except Tuesday, 10 am – 5 pm, and until 9 pm on Thursdays. The Corcoran is closed every Tuesday. Admission to the Corcoran is: $6.75 for adults; $12 for families; $3 for seniors and member guests; $1 for students with valid ID. The public information line for the museum is (202) 639-1700. The information line for the college is (202) 639-1800.
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CONTACT:
Kristin Guiter
Manager of Media Relations
(202) 639-1867,
kguiter@corcoran.org
Media Resources:
Curator Philip Brookman
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