Installation at MINT, ©José Ibarra Rizo, 2021

Day Three of ACP week, and today I am highlighting the winner of the inaugural MINT gallery + ACP Fellowship, José Ibarra Rizo . This fellowship was designed to support an Atlanta-based emerging photographer. In addition to a solo exhibition during ACP, the award included mentorship, professional development, and a stipend. This fellowship was generously supported by longtime photography advocate and supporter Dr. Joe Massey, through the donation of proceeds from the de-acquisition of works from his permanent collection.

Rizo’s exhibition opens October 8, 6:00 – 10:00pm, and runs October 8 – November 6, 2021 at MINT, 680 Murphy Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

See the full list of ACP events on the ACP Festival Guide

Installation at MINT, ©José Ibarra Rizo, 2021

Originally from a small town outside of Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico, José Ibarra Rizo migrated alongside his mother to the States at the age of seven. This journey through the Mexican-American border would forever shape and inform his creative approach to art making. José holds a B.A. in Studio Art from Georgia College & State University with a concentration in Drawing and Painting. He lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia.

©José Ibarra Rizo, Best to You, 2021

Somewhere in Between is an ongoing portrait series documenting the migrant experience in the American South. The subjects in this work represent a community that is rarely included and misrepresented in American fine art.

As a Mexican immigrant, I am constantly questioning what it means to be American. Through photographing individuals who share a similar experience as my own, I am attempting to create a more honest representation of our complexities and our collective struggle to reconcile what is lost and gained in culture, language, and history. This series rejects the common notion in the migrant community that we are neither from here or there (ni de aquí, ni de allá). It embraces and celebrates the journey of finding our identity while navigating between two worlds. –  José Ibarra Rizo

©José Ibarra Rizo, 129benito, 2021

©José Ibarra Rizo, Somewhere In Between, 2021

©José Ibarra Rizo, Brown Is Beautiful, 2021

©José Ibarra Rizo, Mario’s Garden, 2021

©José Ibarra Rizo, Lupe and Adan, 2021

©José Ibarra Rizo, Limbeth and Karim Forever, 2021

©José Ibarra Rizo, Giovanni, 2021

©José Ibarra Rizo, Brothers, 2021

©José Ibarra Rizo, Benito, 2021

©José Ibarra Rizo, Ahi les Va, 2021

©José Ibarra Rizo, Adan, 2021

Installation at MINT, ©José Ibarra Rizo, 2021

Installation at MINT, ©José Ibarra Rizo, 2021

Installation at MINT, ©José Ibarra Rizo, 2021

Ashley Kauschinger is an artist, educator, and curator. She received her BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design and her MFA from Texas Woman’s University. Her photographs have been exhibited and published internationally. Her work is in the collections of Vanderbilt University and the Sir Elton John Collection. Ashley has also been a frequent guest contributor on Lenscratch, an invited curator at The Light Factory, and was the founding editor of the online photography magazine Light Leaked. Ashley has previously taught photography at the University of South Carolina and Maine Media Workshops + College. She currently lives and works in Atlanta, GA.