16 years

advocating for

human rights

Image: A CITY IN LIMBO by Brittany Greeson

ON VIEW:

Borders Cruzadas:
A WELCOMING PLACE

September 20, 2024 – November 1, 2024

Location: Marquette Park

AWP is pleased to debut Borders Cruzadas: A Welcoming Place as part of diversión, a curatorial intervention at Marquette Park.

This outdoor installation kicks-off our public engagement campaign leveraging the universal power of photography and storytelling to foster a more inclusive discourse on immigration. Through a series of photographs by Oscar B. Castillo and Wil Sands, the installations demonstrate how small acts of welcome can turn urban spaces into refuges of hope and belonging. Thanks to support from the Walder Foundation, the campaign aspires to create a tool for understanding and a reminder that cities are shaped by their inhabitants. 

Additional installations will launch this fall on October 11 at Humboldt Park and Ping Tom Park.

Borders Cruzadas: A Welcoming Place on view at Marquette Park

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Astrig Agopian, 2023 Emerging Lens Fellow

 

PROJECT LAUNCH:

"LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW"

What would you take with you if you only had hours to leave a home you can never return to?
 
This is the central question French-Armenian photojournalist and 2023 Emerging Lens Fellow Astrig Agopian explores through her interactive digital exhibition, “Like There’s No Tomorrow.” Featuring an immersive display of photography, videos, essays and interviews, Astrig’s visual storytelling project covers a three year period documenting the lived experiences of ethnic Armenians in and outside of Nagorno-Karabakh. Her fieldwork began immediately following the second Nagorno-Karabakh War, culminating in a blockade of the region in 2022. With very little access to the world outside, and very little international medial coverage, residents in the region faced severe humanitarian crises including starvation and displacement. The situation escalated in September 2023, when Azerbaijani forces launched a ground offensive, bringing the region under their control within 24 hours and forcing the remaining 120,000 ethnic Armenians to flee.
 
Learn more about Astrig’s project and how you can learn more about what’s at stake for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh here.
 
VIEW THE DIGITAL EXHIBITION

AWP Presents:

Eight Years of Emerging Lens at 2024 Photoville FESTIVAL

The Emerging Lens Fellowship is ART WORKS Projects’ signature program, highlighting and celebrating global and community-centered photojournalism by supporting new and early career documentary photographers. 
AWP will be exhibiting work from the Emerging Lens Fellowship at the 13th annual Photoville Festival in New York City from June 1–16, 2024. Featured photographers include our 2022-23 fellows Astrig Agopian and Mustaga Saeed, along with early fellows Mark Anthony Brown Jr., Megan Farmer, Brittany Greeson, Emmanuel Guillén Lozano, Isadora Kosofsky, and Rachel Woolf. Opening weekend will be June 1st and 2nd in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Learn more about Photoville and AWP’s exhibition, Emerging Lens: Safety, Visibility, Justice, and a Hope for the Future. 
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Emmanuel Guillén Lozano, 2016 Emerging Lens Fellow

Person standing in the center surrounded by a group, all looking towards the camera.

Jean Chung for Women between Peace and War: Afghanistan

18 Years, 35 Projects

ART WORKS Projects leverages the power of photography and documentary film to raise awareness and educate the public about some of the most pervasive and grave human rights violations.

Since ART WORKS launched 15 years ago, we’ve supported 35 projects documenting stories around the world.

SEE OUR WORK

our timeline

AWP opens with traveling exhibit “DARFUR/DARFUR” to 25 international cities.
2006 | AWP opens with traveling exhibit “DARFUR/DARFUR” to 25 international cities.
“Horn of Africa” opens at George Washington University
2011 | “Horn of Africa” opens at George Washington University
Person standing in the center surrounded by a group, all looking towards the camera.
2012 | AWP partners with SAPPI, Ideas That Matter, and UNWOMEN to produce exhibit "Women Between Peace and War"
In honor of World Refugee Day, images from “Sanctuary/Sustenance” are displayed in 20 international cities
2013 | In honor of World Refugee Day, images from “Sanctuary/Sustenance” are displayed in 20 international cities
Child sitting on shoulders of person cheering
2014 | “Children of Syria” exhibit opens at 625 Gallery; Filming begins for AWP’s first full-feature documentary film, “The Prosecutors”
Photographer Amanda Rivkin documents the realities of food access through solo exhibit, “Sustenance: Chicago and the Food Chain”
2015 | Photographer Amanda Rivkin documents the realities of food access through solo exhibit, “Sustenance: Chicago and the Food Chain”
MacArthur Foundation awards AWP with significant grant to complete post-production work and outreach for “The Prosecutors”
2016 | MacArthur Foundation awards AWP with significant grant to complete post-production work and outreach for “The Prosecutors”
Emerging Lens recipient, Isadora Kosofky, debuts exhibit, “Vinny & David: Life and Incarceration of a Family,” at 625 Gallery
2017 | Emerging Lens recipient, Isadora Kosofky, debuts exhibit, “Vinny & David: Life and Incarceration of a Family,” at 625 Gallery
Emerging Lens recipient, Rachel Woolf, debuts exhibit, “Deported: An American Division”; The first screening of “The Prosecutors” at the PSVI Conference in London
2018 | Emerging Lens recipient, Rachel Woolf, debuts exhibit, “Deported: An American Division”; The first screening of “The Prosecutors” at the PSVI Conference in London
Emerging Lens recipient, Megan Farmer, debuts, “Life After a Hate Crime,” with generous funding from the Henry Nias Foundation
2019 | Emerging Lens recipient, Megan Farmer, debuts, “Life After a Hate Crime,” with generous funding from the Henry Nias Foundation
AWP launches digital exhibit, “The Second Wave: Thailand’s Economic Struggle,” documenting the ongoing struggles of Covid-19 on the informal economy
2020 | AWP launches digital exhibit, “The Second Wave: Thailand’s Economic Struggle,” documenting the ongoing struggles of Covid-19 on the informal economy
AWP revisits Flint, MI in the midst of Covid-19 to develop collaborative exhibit, “ECHOES,” showcasing work created by students in the Youth News Movement
2021 | AWP revisits Flint, MI in the midst of Covid-19 to develop collaborative exhibit, “ECHOES,” showcasing work created by students in the Youth News Movement
Congo Women show by Addario, Bleasdale, Haviv, Nachtwey at the Russell Senate building.

Congo/Women at the Russell Senate building

Bring an Exhibit to Your Community

All of our exhibitions are designed to tour and can be adapted to a broad spectrum of venue types and sizes.

We are happy to provide step-by-step support for hosting one of our exhibitions or other projects.

Contact us to learn more about bringing an ART WORKS Projects exhibit to your community.

HOST AN EXHIBIT

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our funders include

National Endowment for the Arts logo
Oak Foundation logo
UN Women logo
MacArthur Foundation logo with blue and green background
UNFPA logo in orange
UNICEF logo on a blue background

Support Our Work

Help ART WORKS unlock $50,000 in our year-end donor challenge. Any gift, at any amount will be matched dollar-per-dollar up to $50,000.

Since we launched as a human rights arts advocacy organization in Chicago eighteen years ago, we have made strides in establishing a significant global footprint. Using art to reach hundreds of thousands of viewers, AWP has inspired audience members on five continents to support an end to grave human rights abuses. While we are proud of our impact, we know more essential works needs to be done.

BECOME A SUPPORTER