Pulitzer Prize Winning Photographer to Discuss Latino Experience in America

José Galvez will talk about his most recent book on Sept. 20 at The College of Wooster

WOOSTER, Ohio — Pulitzer Prize winning photographer José Galvez will discuss his most recent book, Shine: Stories and Photographs by José Galvez, during an appearance at The College of Wooster on Thursday, Sept 20. The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. in Room 223 of Ebert Art Center (1220 Beall Ave.). There will also be a one-day exhibition of his photographs prior to the event (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) in the Commons of Kauke Hall (400 E. University St.).

Known for his compelling black-and-white images of the Latino experience in America during the past 40 years, Galvez’s photographs have been exhibited in museums and galleries across the country and around the world, including the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Galvez’s interest in photography began at the age of 10 when he visited the newsroom of The Arizona Daily Star and eventually became a permanent fixture there. He acquired his first camera from a pawnshop when he was in high school and went on to major in journalism at the University of Arizona. He then went to work as a staff photographer with The Star, where he took a particular interest in the people who lived and worked in the barrios of Tucson.

Galvez was the first Mexican-American photographer to be hired at The Los Angeles Times, and in 1984 he was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize for a landmark series on Latino neighborhoods in Southern California. He also served as senior photo editor for Americanos, a book by actor Edward James Olmos. His first solo book, Vatos (2000), was a collaborative effort with esteemed poet Luis Alberto Urrea. He also worked with historian Patricia Martin to explore the lives of Mexican pioneer ranchers in the American Southwest for the book Beloved Land. He currently lives in Durham, N.C., where he works as a freelance photographer documenting Latino communities in the South.

Galvez’s appearance is sponsored by the Departments of Spanish, Art, Film Studies, English, and Comparative Literature at The College of Wooster, as well as Wooster’s Center for Diversity and Global Engagement, with generous support from the Cultural Events Committee. For more information, please contact Brian Cope, associate professor of Spanish and film studies, by phone (330-263-2203) or e-mail.