Photo courtesy John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Congratulations to LaToya Ruby Frazier, the only photographer to win a MacArthur Fellowship (a.k.a. "genius grant") this year. (She's also a videographer.)
(Here's the direct link to the above video on YouTube.)
She works to document what's happening in Braddock, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh and the site of Andrew Carnegie's first steel mill. It's an American town that has lost 90% of its population and about the same percentage of its former prosperity and social order. (The Carnegie Library there, the first, is struggling to survive.)
MacArthur Fellows receive $625,000 over five years, no strings attached. Here's some insight as to how past recipients have handled their windfalls.
Mike
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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:
Doug Howk: "Ms. Frazier is an asst. professor at the School/Art Institute of Chicago; and has published a book with Aperture. She appears to be an outstanding role model for her students."
Robert Roaldi: "What a pleasure it was to read the article about past winners. Decent good people doing decent good things; nice to know it happens."
As any photographer knows, photography is a tough field of endeavor especially documentary photographers and it is always gratifying to see talent rewarded.
My congratulations to Ms. Frazier.
I have to answer my phone now!
Mi dos centavos
Posted by: Hugh Smith | Thursday, 01 October 2015 at 08:41 AM
Congratulations indeed to LaToya Ruby Frazier. I understand she teaches at the SAIC but I have no contact with the museum's school so I've not met her.
I noticed that Ms. Frazier was recently featured in one of The Met's "The Artist Project" short videos, commenting on an iconic Gordon Parks image so she seems to be notching-up her public relations. She'll certainly get more attention now.
Posted by: Ken Tanaka | Thursday, 01 October 2015 at 09:24 AM
There was an NPR story with a selection of her photographs, too:
http://www.npr.org/2015/09/29/444222920/with-her-camera-macarthur-genius-tells-an-african-american-rust-belt-story
Posted by: KeithB | Thursday, 01 October 2015 at 09:34 AM
Wow, what is it about Braddock, first Tony Buba and now LaToya Ruby Frazier?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/movies/tony-buba-the-bard-of-braddock-at-anthology-film-archive.html?_r=0
Posted by: Doug Chadwick | Thursday, 01 October 2015 at 10:31 AM
Not easy combining politics and personal/local history into art that is uniquely relevant, current and engaging.
Congratulations!
Posted by: Stan B. | Thursday, 01 October 2015 at 02:40 PM
Awesome, congratulations to LaToya. I was surprised to see she is documenting Braddock, a really interesting steel town just outside Pittsburgh that I have photographed several times over the past few years.
Posted by: Shaun | Thursday, 01 October 2015 at 02:52 PM
I've seen her work and it's predictable and mediocre. Great bio photo though, wonderful marketing. And I hope the cash helps her Mom.
Posted by: Frank | Thursday, 01 October 2015 at 07:54 PM
And very inspiring to see her apparently photographing with a behemoth RZ67 without tripod :-)
Posted by: Richard Man | Friday, 02 October 2015 at 06:39 AM
I agree with Frank above. Very average photos. Wouldn't like to see the also-rans.
Posted by: Bruce | Friday, 02 October 2015 at 04:53 PM