Among Peers: The United States of Young Photographers

June 28, 2021 (Los Angeles) - Lucie Foundation and publisher Minor Matters have partnered to form Lucie Witness, a new youth-focused photography program designed to elevate the work of young photographers, while fostering intergenerational conversations in photography with the visions and voices of Lucie Honorees.

Its first project is Among Peers: The United States of Young Photographers. Six organizations, including some of the longest-running youth photography programs in the United States - First Exposures, San Francisco; Las Fotos Project, Los Angeles; Literacy Through Photography/FotoFest, Houston; NYC Salt, New York; YoungArts, Miami; and Youth in Focus, Seattle - have collaborated with Lucie Witness by submitting photographs made by their constituents during the challenging conditions of the last two years.

From poignant portraits to thoughtful abstractions, this timely book brings together recent work from over 100 photographers—ages 14-21—and holds our emerging state of being through the eyes of our future.

By engaging with regional organizations that support emerging photographers at a pivotal time of reckoning in the United States, Lucie Witness is fostering much needed equitable representation of our youth population, demonstrating to them and through them what a balance of viewpoints can look like.

The Lucie Witness website will feature online information about the six youth organizations featured in the inaugural publication, as well as the Adobe Resource Page, and a gallery of the images included in the book. Lucie Witness is proud to highlight the efforts of these organizations, and the young people they serve.

"Conversations with Lauren Wendle, president Lucie Foundation, during the isolating months of COVID in 2020, and our mutual desire to create equity in the photo community now, and for the future, led to the Lucie Witness program. The six unique organizations featured in Among Peers, each of whom had significant challenges in the last year yet still took the time to collaborate with us, demonstrate that great results can flourish from shared expertise," stated Michelle Dunn Marsh.

The images included in Among Peers: The United States of Young Photographers have been selected by publisher Michelle Dunn Marsh and the book is now available for pre-sales through Minor Matters Books, with a deadline of July 30, to achieve the goal of 400 copies sold. All those who purchase before July 30 are named as co-publishers of this book. With the successful publication, each participating photographer will receive at least two copies of the book. All net proceeds will be split equally among these worthwhile organizations, with a priority to provide a cash honorarium to each photographer, and any balance to be used to the institution’s greatest needs.

Book Specs: Among Peers: The United States of Young Photographers, 9.25 x12 inch vertical hardcover, 176 pages, over 100 color and black and white photographs, $50 plus $9.95 shipping, deadline July 30 to be named in the book.

Special thanks to Sony and to Adobe for their generous sponsorship of Lucie Witness.

About Lucie Foundation - Lucie Foundation’s mission is to honor master photographers, recognize current photographers, discover and cultivate emerging talent, and promote the appreciation of photography worldwide. The foundation presents year-round programming to support emerging photographers through the Lucie Scholarship Program and master photographers through The Lucie Awards. Other programs include The Lucie Technical Awards (LTA), exhibitions, talks, and workshops, The Lucie Photo Book Prize, and The Story Behind the Image photographer talks and presentations. The Lucie Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable foundation. www.luciefoundation.org

Minor Matters - Founded in 2013 by Michelle Dunn Marsh and Steve McIntyre, Minor Matters is a collaborative publishing platform for contemporary art, bringing books into being through the engagement of our international audience. We highlight underrepresented voices in contemporary art and preserve our present for the future through publishing their work. At Minor Matters, we recognize that significant art and ideas may stay on the fringes without the support of a community. Like us. With you. Everyone who buys our books in pre-sales is listed as a co-publisher—we’re making books together. https://minormattersbooks.com

MEDIA CONTACTS: sberger@luciefoundation.org