documented//undocumented exhibition and benefit concert

An Exhibition of Photographs from the U.S. / Mexico Border and Bay Area Immigrant Communities

Documented // Undocumented

by Lars Howlett and the members of an advanced high school photography class: Rebecca Abbe, Molly Dickinson, Marie Hamilton, Shannon Hamilton, Pallavi Menon, Anna Paustenbach and Greg Randall

On Display September 1st - 15th in the windows and lobby of the Mission Cultural Center in San Francisco 2868 Mission Street // Tue - Sat 10a - 5p

Opening Saturday, September 1, 2007 7:00pm - Community Reception (free) 8:00pm - Benefit Concert w/ Rupa & the April Fishes $5

Monetary donations and/or mens' shoes for the Casa del Migrante are encouraged and appreciated on the opening night of the exhibition

Exhibition Details: Seven local high school students and their teacher present an exhibition of photographs with a focus on immigration, exploring the harsh realities of global economies and politics in local communities and along the border. Over eighty hand printed black and white student photographs will be on display alongside color prints by their teacher in the lobby of the Mission Cultural Center from September 1 - 15. Led by local photographer Lars Howlett, the advanced photography students from Sacred Heart Preparatory documented community events, rallies and daily life in the Mexican and Central American immigrant communities of the Bay Area including San Francisco, Fair Oaks and San Rafael. The photographers also traveled to Tijuana staying a week at the Casa del Migrante, a refuge were students shared dinner with the migrants, hearing first-hand accounts of the challenges in living on either side of the border. The exhibition opens with a reception on Saturday, September 1st at 7:00pm with street performances and an installation of mens' shoes which the community is encouraged to bring as a donation to the Casa del Migrante.

For further information contact teacher / organizer Lars Howlett at findlars@gmail.com

Benefit Concert Details: In conjunction with the opening of the exhibition, Rupa & the April Fishes will perform on Saturday, September 1 at 8:00pm in the theater. Rupa and the April Fishes make music without borders, blending sounds from Europe, Latin America, India and the US. On tour in March, the band met up with Lars and his photography students at the Casa del Migrante in Tijuana, Mexico where they also had the opportunity to meet with migrants and visit the border walls constructed by the United States. Rupa will share some of the stories and songs written as a result of this journey, the initial works from a new series of music she is currently composing that examines real and imagined borders and boundaries. Some of the images from the exhibition will also be discussed with insight from the photographers and an opportunity for audience comments and participation. This concert is a send off to Rupa and the April FIshes who will be heading out on their second tour south, culminating in another visit to the Casa del Migrantes.