Neighborhood general refers to a place where an individual or a group of people live and fell a sense of belonging, comfort, and security. Point to anywhere on a map you more than likely pointing at someone’s neighborhood. Google maps can give you directions on how to get there street view photos can give you an idea of what it looks like, a list of interesting places can give you an idea of where people tend to visit but what neither of these can do is show you the emotional and person connection people have with particular space.

For 12 weeks a group of student photographers from Red Hook and nearby areas set out to photograph the various elements of what they believe makes up a neighborhood. What they created are projects that are about friendships, how new neighborhood residents make a living in a new and far away place, what it means to care for elders without our families and what are the personal and communal histories that we hold within our neighborhoods.

For over 10 years, the Red Hook Community Justice Center’s JustArts youth photography program’s goal is to enable young people to recognize their own talents and interests as they make life-changing decisions to become civically engaged leaders of tomorrow. It seeks to introduce youth to photography as an art form, build their sense of self-efficacy and skills in artistic self-expression, build job readiness and life skills, and foster an interest in the arts and awareness of arts careers.

This 12-week photography program was facilitated by photographer Salvador Espinoza. Salvador Espinoza is a photographer born and raised in New York City. Primarily a documentary photographer and photojournalist, he specializes in focusing on social issues by shooting realistic slices of everyday life. His work has won awards from the Queens Council on the Arts as well as the New York City Council, and has been published in the New York Times, BBC News, Rolling Stone and Mass Appeal.

The exhibition is created and produced in partnership with Photoville, a New York-based non-profit organization that works to promote a wider understanding and increased access to the art of photography for all — by producing a free photo festival, activating public spaces, amplifying visual storytellers, and connecting artists to a wider worldwide audience.

Thank you to The Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation, Brooklyn Arts Council, and NYC Parks for supporting this program.