Donna Granata. Photo by Ricardo Rodriguez
SANTA PAULA — The forty black-and-white photographs included in the exhibition, “The Migrant Project: Contemporary California Farm Workers – Photographs and Text by Rick Nahmias,” will be photographer Donna Granata’s subject at 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, when she gives a Gallery Talk at the Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula.
Granata, the founder and director of Focus on the Masters, is known for her documentary portraits, and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award by the City of Ojai, in 2012. She will walk with visitors through the exhibition, talk about the compelling images for 30 minutes, and answer questions.
Awarded a U.S. Congressional Citation of Merit, “The Migrant Project: Contemporary California Farm Workers – Photographs and Text by Rick Nahmias” is making its final public appearance in Santa Paula, from August 24 through October 20, 2013. It has toured dozens of venues across North America since its premiere in 2003, and finishes its run at the Agriculture Museum, just a few miles away from where the first photographs for the project were taken. Nahmias crisscrossed the state, from Calexico to Sacramento, documenting stories of some of the hundreds of thousands of migrant farm workers who harvest the crops that end up on American dinner tables. His photographs of their work and personal life aim to foster a greater understanding of, and sense of empathy towards, farm workers. “The Migrant Project” is co-sponsored by California Rural Legal Assistance Inc., Center for Latino Policy Research, and The Kurtz Family Foundation.
Admission to Donna Granata’s Gallery Talk is free for MVC Museum members and is included with regular admission for the general public. No reservations are needed. Admission includes refreshments and entrance to all exhibits. A Gallery Talk on another topic will take place at the Santa Paula Art Museum, located one block away, immediately following Granata’s presentation, at 3:00 p.m. Free parking is available at both Museums.
The Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum is in historic downtown Santa Paula at 926 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula, California. Hours are 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. General admission is $4 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children ages 6-17. Free for Museum of Ventura County members and children ages 5 and younger. Paid events include free admission to the galleries, and the first Sunday of every month is free general admission to the public. For more information, go to www.venturamuseum.org or call (805) 525-3100.