Julia Dean creates important, socially conscious photography and inspires young and seasoned photographers to do the same. An amazing teacher, she is presently the director of The Julia Dean Photo Workshops (Venice Beach, CA), as well as project director for an ambitious and internationally significant photo documentary project, Child Labor and the Global Village, Photography for Social Change

Guatemala, 1988

Julia attracts Pulitzer Prize winning photographers to show their work, teach her students and socialize with all those who are interested in attending her workshops and events. And the Los Angeles locals are very interested. Her last photo reception drew hundreds of people to view work that her students created while in Venice, Italy. Julia's monthly free portfolio nights have become a happily anticipated event for fellow photographers to come together and talk about their favorite topic...Photography.

Eastman Kodak and the top service bureaus in Los Angeles sponsor Julia Dean's workshops. She has been teaching at photographic workshops and universities for over eighteen years and understands exactly what information is needed to become the best photographer possible. The first half of the 2001 workshop schedule includes Photographing People with Eugene Richards, Lighting and Dramatic Portraits with Michael Grecco and a travel workshop to Cairo, Egypt, led by Julia and Dana Smillie, a freelance photographer based in Cairo. Fortunately for those of us based in Los Angeles, Julia saw the need and wonderfully filled the void with her workshop space. More information can be found through the web site at www.juliadean.com.

Born in the small town of Broken Bow, Nebraska, Patience, Passion and Purpose became Julia Dean's mantra. It has enabled her to earn a degree in photography at Rochester Institute of Technology, a master's degree in photojournalism from the University of Nebraska, apprentice with Berenice Abbott as well as shoot editorial assignments around the world.

Nicaragua, 1990

While finishing school at RIT, she learned that Berenice Abbott was looking for an assistant. Julia applied and Ms. Abbott told her to come down for a personal interview. When Julia asked if she could bring someone along for the fifteen-hour drive, Ms Abbott told her to come alone. Ms. Abbott understood how to become independent as she had gone alone off to Paris when she was only twenty. The experience helped Julia to learn how to depend on her self. It allowed her the confidence to accept future photo assignments around the world.

Today, Julia is directing the ambitious photo essay project entitled Child Labor and the Global Village, Photography for Social Change. She heads a team of top photo editors, reporters and photojournalists whom will be creating eleven photo essays documenting the world wide problem of child labor. Julia hopes that the project will educate and facilitate change through exhibitions, a book, magazine, newspaper articles and a curriculum available for schools worldwide.

Guatemala, 1988

Julia conceived the idea while in travelling India in 1992. A young boy was on his hands and knees sweeping the floors of her train. Julia observed the boy moving through the cars silently, his arm outstretched, hoping for handouts from the passengers. She became determined to document the problem of children working in equally pitiful conditions around the world.

Lifeline express, India 1993

Once Julia got the support of Eastman Kodak, fundraising became somewhat easier. In December 1997, she was able to bring together three top photo editors to choose the eleven photographers from 145 applications. Julia wanted a group of eleven to reflect the number of photographers who documented the United States depression of the 1930's. The images produced by the the Farm Security Administration photographers such as Dorothea Lange and Lewis Hine greatly inspired Julia's own documentary work.

Hindu Girls Praying, India, 1993

Larry Armstrong (LA Times), Kathy Ryan (NY Times Magazine) and Bert Fox (National Geographic) put together an impressive group of photojournalists. Judy Walgren, 1994 Pulitzer Prize winner, Joel Sartore, Pulitzer finalist and National Geographic contract photographer, Al Schaben of the Los Angeles Times, Clarence Williams, 1997 Pulitzer Prize winner and LA Times photographer, Marie Dorigny, who received the 1993 UNICEF award for her book, Children of the Shadows, internationally acclaimed photographer and finalist (W. Eugene Smith Award 2000), Francesco Zizola, Gigi Cohen, author of a photo book on prisoners on death row, Jon Warren, author of three books and Ernesto Bazan, winner of the W. Eugene Smith Award and The Dorothea Lange Prize for his documentary work in Cuba make up the bulk of the team. Brian Finke, a student photographer with an impressive portfolio documenting people living on the fringe, and Julia Dean complete the eleven member group.

Sarah Bachman, formally a reporter for the San Jose Mercury News and an expert in the field of child labor will author the project. She will be working along side Nick Madigan, author of the book, In Strictest Confidence and internationally based free lance reporter.

Guatemala, 1988

UNICEF, The United Nations Association, The International Labour Office in Geneva, World Vision and other international relief organizations are supporting the project by helping set up contacts to create the stories. The stories include Child Soldiers of Burundi, already completed by Clarence Williams, Platform Schools of India (Brian Finke) and Julia documenting the firecracker makers of Guatemala.

Funding has been provided by Eastman Kodak, A & I Color Lab, World Vision Amnesty International, Reebok, United Methodist Church and Canon, USA. MSNBC is supporting the project by publishing each assignment on it's web site, www.msnbc.com/modules/theweekinpictures. The Tides Center is the projects fiscal sponsor and fund manager.

Julia has taken on an enormous task and still needs help with fundraising and volunteer manpower for mailings, etc. Each story will cost over $20,000 to produce and with three down, there are still eight more to go to complete the project. To find out more information and to either donate money or your time please go to the web site, www.childlaborphotoproject.org.

January to June Class Schedule for The Julia Dean Workshops can be had by writing: 3111 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90292, telephone: (310) 821- 0909

Story by: Helen K. Garber,

Letters between Jean Ferro, President, WIPI & Patricia D. Richards, curator about what it takes to put an exhibit together.

While I was corresponding with Patricia about how she put together her international exhibit "Image 2000" in Plano, Texas, I realized this would be a good story to share with our members...the notes tell us about her creativity, determination, planning and accomplishments to produce a successful exhibit. I was impressed...I'm sure you will enjoy this too. It's a rough draft...so there may be some editorial glitches. It's long and full of valuable information.

In a message dated 10/31/00 8:14:30 PM, pdrhome@onramp.net writes to:

Hello, Jeanne!

(Patricia's first letter to WIPI)

I am delighted to have Lillian's work (WIPI member) in IMAGE 2000, the international exhibition of photography I am curating in Plano, Texas. One of her images will be the cover image on our catalog as well. (amie... link to Archive #4 Gallery Highlights) We are exhibiting in the ArtCentre of Plano in Plano, Texas, twenty miles north of Dallas. It is a refurbished 19th century building and we will be using the entire space for this exhibition. It is a non-profit space so funding is not always guaranteed, but it has good light and space.

I do not work for ArtCentre of Plano. I'm just a woman completely passionate about the medium of photography. I am a photographer and I also teach part-time at local colleges and universities in the greater Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

A little over two years ago I had the rare (for me) opportunity to attend a photo festival in Arles, France. Some of the work I saw there really affected me and prompted me to reconsider why I had never seen it before. I returned from the experience wanting very much to host in some way or other an international exhibition of photography so more people could have the opportunity to view work by other photographers passionate about their image-making but not yet house-hold names.

I approached the ArtCentre and was given the space for the upcoming exhibition. Then I had to figure out how to do a "Call for Entries". When the budget only provided for local outreach, I turned to the internet. I didn't know about your site at the time or I would have sent you a message! I spent the next several weeks at the computer trying to get the word out. A colleague set up a web site advertising the exhibition, http://rampages.onramp.net/~pdrhome/

The results have been exciting! When the exhibition opens on November 18, 2000 we will be showing the work of 85 image-makers from 17 countries around the world. Almost half of them are images made by women. Many of the participants are exhibiting their work in America for the first time. The exhibition will be on view until January 3, 2001. I am currently communicating with other sites that have expressed an interest in hosting this exhibition and would love to see it travel. If you know of anyone who might be interested in hosting it, please have them contact me. I am very proud of the work we will be showing and invite everyone in Women in Photography International to come and see it!

Sincerely,
Patricia D. Richards

In a message dated 12/12/2000 WomenInPhotoIntl@aol.com wrote to:

Patricia,

Congratulations...Saw the catalog...fabulous. Great job and Lil's photo made an excellent cover, the photo is in our Gallery Highlights section. WIPI is planning an upcoming exhibit "20th Anniversary Exhibit" in the FALL 2001 and I had a couple of questions. If you have moment could help us understand a few things.

How many people submitted?
How much publicity did they get?
Was it mostly Internet "call for entries"?
How far in advance did you start the Call for Entries from the show date?
Did your costs for entry cover your expenses for the show?
What about framing? Where the images just matted and hung or hung with plexi or glass?
Did you have curatorial expenses, i.e., judges and hanging show expenses?

WIPI is growing so rapidly, that I will be posting a job request for a new Editor and Director in January. We are very grounded now and we have incredible traffic on the site with daily accolades. So this the our upcoming exhibit will be our "20 year Anniversary" show and it's very exciting.

Please, if you can, help to fill in the details so we can post a notice for a show curator, exhibition coordinator and other helpers in the coming months for our Fall 2001 exhibit.

Thanks so much,
Jeanne Ferro

In a message dated 12/14/00 6:28:33 AM, pdrhome@onramp.net writes to:

Jeanne

In the end we had 86 photographers representing 17 countries--39 of whom were women. I contacted more women than that, but not all responded.I also had others (men and women) who wrote and asked what Plano, Texas could or would do for their careers....

The ArtCentre has the capabilities to accept credit cards, but I didn't do that. The entry had to be check or money order, otherwise it would have been too complicated. If the credit card info is printed on the brochure, that would make it easier, but I didn't think of that when I put the brochure together. Each entry had to have a stamped self-addressed envelope included for the return of their slides.

I chose to keep the slides of selected work and will return them when the show comes down in the same box as the artist's work. ( I needed to keep them in case we were able to get the catalog.) I also have the option of including in each box of returned work the packet I have made for each entrant that has a copy of all publicity, pre and post, newspaper articles, other press clippings, and the show catalog.

Some people want their catalogues now, but we're into my own money now, so if they send me a check I will send the packet. (make sense?) Each is also responsible for return shipping. Some sent me labels and fed ex return slips, others sent stamps, but for the rest I will email them to send the postage prior to my returning the work. The ArtCentre provided the space, insurance while hanging, part of the budget, personnel to sit the spaces, phone contacts, etc. They also helped with publicity, but there was a complete change in personnel prior to the opening, so for about 6 weeks I was flying solo.

Upon my co-curator's arrival Nov 12, we really scrambled to get press packets made and hand-delivered. So there was no big announcement about the show the week it opened, but we have had 4 great press pieces since then.

My website was never actually picked up by the internet, (there is a fee) but the call for entries was picked up by some internet sites and the web site address given with it.

I first approached the ArtCentre two years ago September 1998. I'd attended the Rencontres de la Photographie in Arles, France in July and seen some really amazing work, met the photographers, and couldn't get some images out of my head---so woke up one morning with the idea of putting together an international exhibition of photography. I went to the artcentre and pitched my idea to the (then) director who took it to the (then) board president and they told me it was all set.

We discussed a budget of about $25,000 to cover the cost of contacting, shipping, hanging, and hosting an opening weekend symposium, bringing in some of the foreign artists and some scholars, etc., to cover topics including the state of our medium at this time in history....the budget never materialized. At the time I booked the space there was a two year lead time to raise the money, but i discovered almost too late it would be impossible to raise the money through the art center. So, no opening weekend symposium, but the show could still go on.

The brochure was finished in early January, but it took until April 2000 to get it in printed form and then to send it. In the interim, I curated another photography exhibition for the ArtCentre, HUNGARY: A VISUAL FEAST, featuring the work of a Pulitzer Prize winning Hungarian photographer whose work I was able to bring in, my work and the work of 11 Texas Christian University students I'd taken to Hungary the summer before. The first copies of the brochures for Call for Entry for Image 2000 were generated for the opening of this exhibition.

I used the extra time between April and July to look at work as often as possible and also to sit at my computer and search for more. The letters of acceptance went out July 31 and then the photographers had some time to print, reprint, frame, etc. the selected work and have it in Plano on Nov 1.

Some sent it ahead of time. As foreign work arrived, I began matting it and getting it ready to hang. In the meantime I was put in touch with a facility in Mexico City. I suggested to the director and her assistant that they select 4 contemporary Mexican photographers to join our exhibition. They were really excited about the idea of image 2000 and made great choices. In order to make sure they were able to participate, I agreed to pay shipping one way. They sent the work, I will return it. They are the only ones I've made that deal with as all others must provide their own shipping costs.The only other "deal" I made was with the Russian photographer who couldn't get his work out of the country, so he emailed files to me and I printed it.

So since September when the letters of intent from the selected photographers were due, I've basically lived this exhibition. I'd never put a catalog together before and found it exciting but lots and lots of work. The work comes down Jan 3 and I don't know yet for sure about its "after life." I inspected one interested site in New York,and three other places have expressed interest, but nothing has been finalized.

The semi-nude piece is by a Dutch photographer. It is a funny piece and I almost let it go, but the colors are amazing, and they carry the viewer through the image. He sent two pieces, this being the "tamer" of the two, so I took a risk and included it. No one has complained. There is also a "bar" piece--free standing table with ashtrays and glasses on it, complete with cigarette butts, ashes, a kind of "beer" concoction and under the table is a tape recorder with "bar" noises on it. In the bottom of each glass and ashtray are photos of parts of a face. I tried to put the "bar" photo with the nude next to the table, but in the final hanging and arranging of the show, it just didn't work.

One of the most exciting benefits to all the work behind this exhibition has been opening dialogues with so many photographically driven people. It usually doesn't happen this way, but because I was sending out the paragraph with the web site info, others wrote back. Many had great things to say! I am convinced there is a world community of photographers out there--we're still in the process of meeting one another. In addition to the information I sent out, word of mouth brought others in. That's how Lillian (WIPI member) came. In another case, a German photographer was a friend of one of Canadian photographers I sent information to and he wrote to me identifying himself and wondering if he could also send me some work to view.

Wandering through the space filled with so many images is my reward for the past year. I'd love to find other spaces for this work, so if you know of any--the work has already been done--we just need some other spaces to fill. My co-curator is also looking, so it may happen.

I wish you well with your exhibition! It will be an exciting adventure.

Patricia

In a message dated 12/16/00 9:58PM WomenInPhotoIntl@aol.com wrote:

So...Patricia,

Can we put this together for a story on WIPI...and we can also announce you are looking for new locations...! We do have an international audience.

The story shows your incredible abilities to create, organize and produce with incredible follow-through. You are a very good writer and I just love the fact that your project was heartfelt and you challenged yourself by taking steps to make a catalog. You over came budgeting obstacles and you now have a wonderful exhibit ready for traveling. Congratulations ...Great work.

Jeanne Ferro

To find out more about Image 2000 contact Patricia D. Richards prichards2s@earthlink.net

WIPI Features From Abroad - Bangladesh - Archive 5

Archive 5 - January - March 2001

Monon - our eight-year-old son, was scared to sleep alone. Often he would wake up in the middle of the night, grab the pillow in his hands, and walk up to our room. He was growing up, and he was given a separate room, but that has become a burden to his sleep.

Medha fears going down the stairs alone. I help her in that.

Our decision to take a child was a breeze of relief to Monon. He found that he would be having a regular companion. Monon had been quite lonely earlier. Now he has someone he can at least talk to-though there might be no proper response from the other end.

Medha and Monon now play together, soak in rain. Monon takes Medha to his playground and sometimes even to schools. Being lonely for quite some years, he understands the sufferings and tries to keep Medha out of it. Yet there are ups and downs in their relationship as well. There are times when Medha drops Monon's toys from the veranda. Monon shouts, even slaps Medha. But her crying alone is powerful enough to make Monon feel guilty and the two are again playing together.

I love to soak in the rain, though my parents never allow me to. There seems to be no one to forbid the elders, all the "NO" are for children only.

My work, my children, my involvement-everything are like building blocks of my life. Ironically, the children get the least attention as I spend most of the time away from home and they are too young to be taken along. For quite a long time I had the feelings that I am doing wrong. It is an injustice to them. Therefore, with a desire to give them some time, I decided to do this "pleasure of life" assignment on them - portraying "Monon's pleasure of life".

My pride reaches its hieght when Medha, out of all the boys around, identifies _me_ as her brother at my school.

Earlier I only had the notion-now I realize-how lonely these children are. As the parents are busy elsewhere, many children spend their lonely hours awaiting their parents' arrival-who apparently have no time for their siblings. Thus the children grow up in negligence, in a world where there isn't much love or care from their parents. Usually the parents think in our country that the helping hands are adequate enough to look after their children-while all that the children look for is some time from their parents. Sometimes the wife is given the responsibility to look after the children, but the husband has an important role to play too. To a child the world with mother and the world with father have different dimensions and both are important.

After rebuking Medha, I feel so pity for her! Then I tell her, "Will you ride on my Bicycle?", and instently she is happy again (little bit sad, though).

Through my images I have tried to portray the pleasure of Monon- a lonely child who all on a sudden found a regular companion. Looking back to where I started, with a younger sister now, Monon has less chance to be scared. Now it is his responsibility to make sure that the sister is not afraid. If she is, then it is his responsibility to soothe her fears. Added to this is that he has someone to company him, he seem to lose the fears that could have remained despite the duties bestowed upon him.

I used to cry and call my parents during lunch earlier. I never wanted to have lunch alone. Now I show Medha (my sister) how to eat, and she feeds me with her hand, and none of us ever feel alone.

Even then, Monon still has the longing for his parents. Sometimes he waits on the long summer evenings-along with Medha-to question us on our return. "Why give birth if you can't spare some time for us? "

MUNIRA MORSHED MUNNI (Free lance photographer)

about Munira Morshed Munni

Back in 1983, my elder brother set up a darkroom at our home to satisfy his enthusiasm with photography. Inevidently, he needed a helping hand who will not ask for money, and also who can be rebuked in needs be. Considering the situation, I was chosen to be a better option to help him in his work. He used to print till midnight while I developed his prints along. If I overdeveloped or underdeveloped, the rebukes were quite hard. I used to cry when he shouted on me, but I continued my work, since there was no way out from that darkroom where unexposed papers were all around in the safe light. And if I tried, I knew I would be not only receive rebukes, but also be beaten by him.

The work is not finished even when I wake up in the morning. First I have to iron them, then trim the edges with scissors, arrange them properly -- and only then the work is done for that session. Again there were times when my brother entered the room like a storm and told me to stand still, clicked his shutters several times pointing the camera to me -- and I forgot my angers over him. Through all these sad and happy moments I fell in love with photography. At the beginning it was merely interest or hobby, but currently photography is an inseparable part of my life.

Apart from my regular profession, I am a second year student at Pathshala (South Asian Institute of Photography). I have had the opportunity to take lessons and share experiences with many famous international photographers through this institute. They helped me a lot through thoughtful comments, have gathered experience from their work, have been inspired by them. Among these teachers are Reza Dighadi (National Geographic), Eddie Bessel (Thompson Foundation, UK), David De Souja (India), David H Owels (Philadelphia), Raghu Rai (India), David Bathget (Germany), Kirsten (UK), etc.

Munira Morshed Munni