Photographers who participated in the Arizona-Guatemala TEOE exchange and photographic exhibition include (L–R) Rony Mejia, Javier Alvarez-Vassau, Geoff Reed and Rebecca Wilks (submitted photo).
For nearly 40 years, Through Each Others Eyes has sponsored exchange exhibitions with photographers from around the world. The nonprofit organization’s latest exhibition, an exchange between Arizona and Guatemala, is currently on display at Burton Barr Central Library through Oct. 6.
In March 2019, Guatemalan photographers Rony Mejia and Javier Alvarez traveled to Phoenix where they were hosted by Arizona photographers Rebecca Wilks and Geoff Reed, who organized excursions in Phoenix and Tucson, as well as to Sedona, Jerome, Lake Powell, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon. In October of that same year, Mejia and Alvarez returned the favor by showing Wilks and Reed around Guatemala City and destinations in the north of Guatemala to enable them to capture images of the people and landscapes of that country.
The result is an 80-print exhibition that reveals the different landscapes and cultures of Guatemala and Arizona as viewed through the eyes of two pairs of photographers.
“Without a doubt, an exchange like this one is a key ingredient for improving understanding between people and nations,” Alvarez said.
The public is invited to meet Through Each Others Eyes Arizona photographers at a free reception at the library on First Friday, Sept. 2, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. The exhibit will be on displace from 9 a.m.–7 p.m. through Oct. 6 on the 2nd floor of the Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave, Phoenix. Learn more at www.teoe.org.
