NYC SALT

Alumni spotlight: Saida Blair?? Saida (Salt class of 2016) is a Caribbean oral historian and artist from Harlem, NY. She received a BFA in Photography & Art History from SUNY Purchase, and her MA in Visual & Critical Studies from the Art Institute of Chicago.

Round trip?? NYC-FLORIDA w Noah Kato-Samuel 2nd-year student Noah Kato-Samuel’s recent photographs of Florida. His photographs are a vivid, saturated portrayal of every-day life in Miami.

Alumni Spotlight: Isora Lithgow ??????????? Isora Lithgow Isora (Salt class of 2012) is the CEO and creator of Isora Lithgow Creations, a wedding and branding photography agency. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a BS in Public Communication and an MEd in higher education. Are you looking for ways to help our organization? Hiring our alumni is a great way to make an impact, you won’t regret it!

Behind the photograph — the shoot, editing process, and the final result— with 3 year Salt student, Ibrahim Ben Zitun! Ibrahim Ben Zitun Ibrahim’s project explores and complicates traditional notions of masculinity: "The story behind the photograph is [my friend] being both a spy and a dancer. In capturing those slick moves, I’m trying to show a side of him that he isn’t typically allowed to use, a side where he can express himself freely…well, now I’m realizing that, if he was an actual spy (which he might be) he probably wouldn’t be able to show that side, either.”

Full circle moment with our alumni last weekend — once a Salt kid, always a Salt kid! We’re so grateful for the connections, memories, and continued support of this incredible community. We can’t wait to share the incredible work and talent of our alumni with you all. Stay tuned for our big plans ahead!??

Mentor Spotlight: Pit Pass by @arkanzakharov ??? Pit Pass is a photographic exploration of the great American phenomena of the demolition derby—or, in other words, a spectacle of destruction where cars and trucks crash into each other until one winner emerges from the muddy wreckage. Bound with a coiled spine to mimic a mechanic's manual, Pit Pass captures demolition derbies as they spread around the globe, specifically in Ontario between 2015 and 2017. Zakharov's work goes outside of the "theatre" of demolition, offering insight into the afterwards, or — in his own words — the processes in which mechanics try to “resurrect the cars for their showdown.” Arkan Zakharov is an award-winning photographer, director, and multi-disciplinary artist based in Brooklyn. His work builds on intuition as opposed to referenced inspiration. He is currently working with Salt as a mentor to current student Chloe Zhou (check out our recent post on her portfolio)! We are so excited for him to join the Salt team! Images courtesy of Arkan's website.

Photography students from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) came by Salt last week to exchange portfolios with our students and offer college advice! ?? Sierra Allen, a current RIT student is currently interning with Malike Sidibe, a Salt alumni and professional photographer. Thanks to RIT for partnering with us, we are excited to collaborate again!! #nycsalt #nycphotography #community #photography #supportthearts #20yearsstrong

??Alumni spotlight ?? Grace Mc Nally We are thrilled to highlight Grace McNally (‘18) and her cooking show, Not Ya Mamas Cooking! (https://lnkd.in/e4kTTftb) Filmed at the Salt studio, Grace uses Not Ya Mama’s Cooking to celebrate family, culture, and the immigrant experience through food, highlighting recipes by first-generation immigrants in NYC and their families. Outside of sharing delicious recipes, Grace is a “creative renaissance woman.” She specializes in self-portraits and is a photographer, art director, and producer by trade. She dabbles in a plethora of creative expressions from zine-making, to claymation, to poetry. You can subscribe to our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/ekRJV5Zj for some behind-the-scenes photographs of the show and to learn more about Salt’s incredible alumni.

We are going live TOMORROW on the Kelly Clarkson Show! Tune in at 3:00 PM (NYC time) on NBC to see a special feature with Alicia, Danieli, and Malike! ?? To find out what time and where to watch the show in your city, check this link: https://lnkd.in/dJWv8g8C Thank you for having us ?? #thekellyclarksonshow #KellyClarkson #NBC #rockefellercenter #nonprofit #nycsalt #nycphotography #community #photography #supportthearts #20YearsStrong #scholastic

Last week, our students visited @printedmatterinc in Chelsea, a bookstore and organization dedicated to artists’ books, zines, and unconventional methods of publication and presentation. Thank you to Craig and the Printed Matter team for teaching us about the entwined histories between photography and book-making, and inspiring us to share our photography in new & exciting ways!