This year's Photo Urbanism Fellow is uplifting intergenerational public housing families and community spaces in the Bronx.

Design Trust for Public Space, in partnership with the Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA), presents “NYCHA’s Flowers” by Bronx photographer and Design Trust’s Photo Urbanism Fellow Latricia Morgan. The exhibition is on view at the Bronx Council on the Arts (2700 East Tremont Ave, Bronx, NY) from Tuesday, June 18, 2024 through Thursday, July 18, 2024. Born and raised at the Ruben Betances Houses in the South Bronx, Latricia documents intergenerational community at NYCHA’s open spaces through portraiture, bringing a lens of luxury to her subjects and uplifting the beautiful bloom and growth of the human spirit, combining mixed-media and texture. In celebration of the exhibition's unveiling, join the Design Trust and BCA for opening night with the artist:

WHAT: NYCHA's Flowers: A Photo Urbanism Exhibition 

WHO: The Design Trust for Public Space Photo Urbanism Fellow Latricia Morgan and Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA)

WHEN: Exhibition Opening Reception on 6/18 6-8pm. RSVP here to attend.  On View 6/18-7/18, free and open to the public.

WHERE: 2700 East Tremont Avenue, The Bronx, NY 10461

“Photo Urbanism is one of Design Trust’s longest standing programs. It aims to showcase NYC public spaces through the lenses of emerging photographers.”said Akemi Sato, Program Director of the Design Trust for Public Space. “This year’s photo exhibition documents the multigenerational care and glamor that blooms in NYCHA’s public spaces.”

“I grew up in the NYCHA Betances Houses. I’ve watched the creativity brew in my community for as long as I was able to come outside to explore. The underserved and underrepresented communities that make up NYCHA are a garden to me that everyone here holds a stake in," said Latricia Morgan, Design Trust for Public Space Photo Urbanism Fellow. “Black and Brown seeds were planted in New York City Housing Authority Projects and have been blooming ever since. There is magic growing in these neighborhoods and it's time to shine a brighter light on the flowers that bloom within these gardens.”

"I'm thrilled to partner with Design Trust for Public Space in the Photo Urbanism project and to be able to offer BCA's venue in Westchester Square to bring the NYCHA’sFlowers exhibition to our community,”  said BCA’s Executive Director, Viviana Bianchi. “I'm also proud to be able to showcase Bronx photographer and Photo Urbanism Fellow Latricia Morgan, whose work demonstrates amazing skill, and deep care and commitment to NYCHA's families and communities.”

Founded in 2001, the Design Trust for Public Space Photo Urbanism program offers fellowships to local photographers to create a new body of work illuminating the public spaces of NYC. This year’s Photo Urbanism fellow, Latricia Morgan, is documenting community at New York public housing campuses, alongside our Green Space Connections project, a partnership with the Public Housing Community Fund creating and activating resident-designed open space at four NYCHA public housing developments in Brooklyn and the Bronx. This Photo Urbanism project is funded by NYC DCLA, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Learn more at photourbanism.org.

Since its founding in 1962, the Bronx Council on the Arts has worked to support Bronx artists and arts organizations across the borough. BCA acts as a connector, resource, and advocate through programs that connect communities to the arts, provide resources to artists and arts organizations to continue their work, and advocate for Bronx arts and culture. Through partnerships such as this one, and through its work as presenter of exhibitions at its Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos and at its Headquarters in Westchester Square, BCA continues to provide a space to lift local artistic voices and to provide Bronx residents with opportunities to engage directly with the arts.

The artist and organizers are available for further comment. Please contact Alexa Mauzy-Lewis (amauzy@designtrust.org) to coordinate an interview or to RSVP for opening night.

###

About the Design Trust for Public Space 

The Design Trust for Public Space is a non-profit organization that unlocks the potential of New York’s public spaces. Our unique model catalyzes design ideas into action for a more just and equitable city. Founded in 1995 by Andrea Woodner on the tenet that New York City’s cultural and democratic life depends on viable public space, today, the Design Trust ia a nationally recognized incubator and thought leader that transforms New York City’s shared civic spaces—streets, plazas, parks, public buildings, transportation, and housing developments—to create a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable city. 

About the Bronx Council on the Arts

Founded by visionary community leaders in 1962, the Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA) is a pioneer in advancing cultural equity in The Bronx. From our early beginnings as a presenter of affordable arts programming in select Bronx neighborhoods, we have grown into a cultural hub that serves the entire creative ecosystem of the borough. Our programs serve artists, the public, and the field at large by building connections, providing resources, and advocating for equitable practices. Then as now, we focus on supporting the work of underrepresented groups – especially artists of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Through this lens we offer affordable programs for seniors and youth and provide direct services to over 1,500 artists and 250 community-based arts groups each year. For more information, please visit www.bronxarts.org.