Jim Belfon passed away this weekend surrounded by family, friends and loved ones.

In his short time here in New Orleans  he established the Gulf South Photography Project which has taught free photography workshops to more than 1200 young people and senior citizens.  To help New Orleans recover from the devastation following Katrina,he provided residents who lost priceless family momentos with more than 14,000 individual and family portraits.

During Jim's active career, he worked and studied with the likes of James Van Der Zee, Gordon Parks and Richard Avedon. His work has appeared in Time Magazine, Essence, Sports Illustrated, Architectural Digest, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times.

Twenty-five years ago, he created the Photographic Center of Harlem where he taught photography to children and senior citizens in NYC at Harlem School Of The Arts, Central Park East School, St. James Senior Citizen Center, and New Song Community Church. Over its history, the Center served more than 5,000 children and senior citizens in the Greater New York City area.

The memorial service for Jim Belfon is set for  this Saturday, March 29th at 1pm at Christian Unity Baptist Church, 1700 Conti Street, New Orleans, La.  A repast will follow. 

Thank you for your support to Jim and his family.

A new exhibit of work from NOPA member Zack Smith “One Foot in the Swamp - Portraits and Daydreams as Photographs," opens on April 12 at the Scott Edwards Gallery, in the Marigny area of New Orleans.

This exhibition is to feature a collection of 16 large photographs culled from portraits of musicians.

Hatch Show Print exhibit poster, prints offered

In association with the gallery, Smith will be offering a limited edition (only 100 available) of a 14” x 22” Hatch Show Print poster, as shown below. Nashville's famous Hatch Show Print, opened in 1879, is one of the oldest,  continuously running letterpress print shops in America. Included with every Hatch Show Print will be a limited edition, signed and numbered, 8” x 12” pigment print of the exhibitions figurehead shot, “Seth Walker, 2014.”

Copies of Smith's new book of photos, "One Foot in the Swamp," with images from the exhibition, will also be available.

Roland L. Freeman , Shopping on Gay Street

The Ogden Museum presents:  INTO THE LIGHT II, photographs from the permanent collection.
This exhibition will highlight many rare and previously unseen photographs from the permanent collection. Included will be photographs by: Shelby Lee Adams, William Christenberry, George Dureau, William Eggleston, Birney Imes, Roland L. Freeman, Marion Post Wolcott, and many others.

INTO THE LIGHT II

opens March 20, 2014 - October 12, 2014

Opening Reception - March 20, 2014, 6 - 8 pm Gallery - 403

Ogden Museum of Southern Art