New photo exhibit celebrates the neighborhood's storefronts

[Click for a better view]

East Village-based photographers James and Karla Murray are curating a new exhibit at the Theater For The New City Gallery starting on Monday evening.

Per the Murrays, whose books include "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York" — "The purpose of the exhibition is to act as an artistic intervention helping draw attention to and raise awareness of the importance of preserving the small shops whose existence is essential to the unique and colorful atmosphere of the city’s streets."

Here's a short summary of the workshops and exhibition:

Experience activism and community through the lens of 30 photographers, as they display their work from two free 2017 workshops with photographers and award-winning authors Karla and James Murray. In two sessions at the Neighborhood Preservation Center, the duo taught participants how to use photography and oral history to raise public awareness, build community, and encourage advocacy. Participants learned to create their own powerful photographs of neighborhood storefronts and to connect with the proprietors through personal interviews.

Also, we would like to note that two of the storefronts that participants photographed for the workshop, and were chosen by us to be printed for the exhibition are now closed — Cup & Saucer on Canal Street and the Golden Food Market on First Avenue at East 7th Street. So in the short time that we held the 2 two free workshops (between April and June of this year) and began printing the photographs participants took, we have lost 2 small businesses, both affordable eating establishments. We hope that after people see the photos and read the interview excerpts, that they will help support these small mom-and-pop businesses by actively dining and shopping at them.

The opening reception is from 6-9 p.m. on Monday at the Theater For The New City Gallery, 155 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street. The exhibit will be up through Sept. 18.