News Archives - 2009

Photo documentary has connections to Augsburg

32 x 4, a documentary project presented by OverExposure, features the work of four local photographers, three of whom have connections to Augsburg College staff or faculty. The exhibit runs through Mar. 1 at the Minneapolis Central Library. A reception and program titled Using Photography to Engage Community will be held Tuesday, January 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the library's Pohlad Hall. This program is free and open to the public.

From the project didactic:

Twin Cities neighborhoods are experiencing unprecedented demographic and structural changes: growing immigrant and refugee communities, the collapse of the real estate market, and rising home foreclosures. Through the photographers' interpretation of these changes and challenges in our community, it is our hope people will better understand themselves and how they see the world and bolster community pride and identity.

32 x 4 is a contemporary narrative on 32 Twin Cities neighborhoods presented by four local photographers. The second phase of a three-year neighborhood documentary project called "What's New?," these photographs record candid encounters, formal portraits, and neighborhood events and present a contemporary perspective on the changing demographics and cultural complexities of Minneapolis and St. Paul neighborhoods.

Selected from a pool of over 25 applicants, Michael Dvorak, Dusty Hoskovec, Sarah Stacke, and Xavier Tavera, while differing in technical approach, have collectively created work that intersects the familiar with the exotic. Working either individually or with community partners from around the Twin Cities, each photographer has created a series of photographs that inspire thought, dialogue, and suggest placement in a larger communal context.

Michael Dvorak, a black and white film documentary and editorial photographer, "finds" his subjects in many settings throughout the area. Stating an attraction to eyes, his beautifully crafted black and white fiber prints integrate traditional photographic boundaries with a contemporary perspective on the changing Midwest landscape. Dvorak is married to Andrea Dvorak, coordinator of short-term programs with Augsburg Abroad.

Xavier Tavera uses color film to create portraits that reveal unfolding narratives of the people he shoots. Challenging stereotypes, Tavera's photographs force viewers to look beyond the surface and modify their initial perceptions. Tavera is married to Maria Tina Tavera, director of the McNair Scholars Program at Augsburg.

Stacke, who entered photography as an assistant to Burt Glinn of Magnum Photo, uses color to heighten the stark reality of the individuals, business owners, and residents of local communities. Stacke is the daughter of Bob Stacke, Augsburg music department chair.

Similar to his "Faces of Minneapolis" project, Hoskovec creates photographs to help bridge the gap of cultural differences and foster acceptance from all sides, painting a picture of our new and evolving community.

Yet another connection to Augsburg lies in the fact that photography professor, Susan Boecher, serves as the executive director for OverExposure. For more information on 32 x 4 or OverExposure, go to www.overexposuremedia.org.

Photos top to bottom: Memorial Day #6 by Michael Dvorak, Central neighborhood by Xavier Tavera, Riverside 4 by Sarah Stacke