En Foco

En Foco’s rich 35-year history has supported contemporary fine art and documentary photographers of diverse cultures, thrusting them into their field and facilitating their careers.  The nonprofit organization is a leader in documenting the work created by these artists—particularly those of Latino, African, Asian, and Native American heritage—who are often overlooked by the mainstream art world.  Through exhibitions, workshops, events, and publications, En Foco uses photography as an accessible means to promote cultural equity.  The remarkable results are two-fold: under-resourced artists are given a strong platform to develop their work, and communities often excluded from the arts arena are finally brought into the fold.

Started by several New York-based Puerto Rican photographers in 1974 with the goal of helping minority artists be more visible in their communities, early En Foco artists displayed artwork in improbable places; block parties in the Bronx, neighborhood bodegas, and Greenwich Village coffee houses became their unlikely galleries.  Today, their mission remains the same.  Led by Executive Director Miriam Romais, En Foco programs continue to engage similar artists in the same communities.  Its award-winning photographic journal, Nueva Luz, is a publication for artists to submit their portfolios and features essays and articles by leading photography critics, curators, and authors.  Quarterly exhibitions through En Foco’s Touring Gallery, which are free and open to the public, display work in accessible sites and educate artists with the steps necessary to prepare their work professionally.  The New Works Photography Awards is an annual fellowship that honors three to six minority photographers and assists the honorees in creating or completing an in-depth photographic series, while providing the platform needed for national visibility and a professional exhibit of their work in the New York area.  These programs, coupled with En Foco’s professional development workshops and Permanent Collection, provide ample opportunity for photographers of color, and often propel these artists to new levels in their careers.

However, it’s not solely about the artists.  “One of the ways En Foco has changed the art world is by insisting that the act of looking at photographs made by artists of a particular culture should not exclude any viewership,” explained Lisa Henry, independent curator.  With roots deeply embedded in the South Bronx of New York City, En Foco exhibitions often involve the participation of local high school students and other community-based organizations.  Annually, the group donates thousands of copies of Nueva Luz to New York City schools, exposing students to art in which they can relate, and which they otherwise would have no access.  En Foco has been credited with aiding the evolution of the Bronx as a creative community, and has received several awards and accolades for its outstanding contributions to the cultural life of New York City.

En Foco’s efforts and achievements are not without challenges.  Expansion of programs and opportunities for artists in recent years has resulted in a striking increase in its exposure and activities, but an existing infrastructure that has struggled to support it.  Historically, En Foco has relied on government grants—as much as 90 percent five years ago.  To improve long-term sustainability, a capacity-building initiative has been launched by the organization, in part with a Charles E. Culpeper Arts and Culture Grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.  Building momentum from En Foco’s recent achievements, the initiative is focused on formalizing fundraising and development efforts and a revitalized communications plan that responds to the growth of new media outlets.  Its goals include working with a consulting firm on the expansion and diversification of their donor base, building a major gifts program, revamping its membership structure, developing a corporate sponsorship strategy, and empowering the group’s board of directors.  In addition, En Foco plans to further engage and communicate with their audience through social media tools like Twitter, Facebook, blogs, podcasts, and by digitally distributing their materials.  Their hope is to solidify En Foco’s roadmap for future growth and expansion, which will benefit current and future generations of artists, and the underserved communities that they touch.  “It all revolves around the artist—that’s the driving force,” Romais said.

With its razor-sharp focus on continued success and capacity building for minority artists, En Foco is certain to sustain its leadership role both in the photographic world and in the larger context of arts and culture, media, and social equity.  “As an independent curator I have seen En Foco change the direction of artists’ careers in ways both large and small, but I have also been personally swept up by the staff’s enthusiastic advocacy for new and interesting work,” Henry said.  “En Foco is constantly reminding me why I do what I do, and why I love it.”

Photo by Alejandro Chaskielberg. The Foreigner (La Extranjera) from The High Tide series, 2007.