In the Dutchess County Spotlight

The Mid-Hudson Heritage Center presents Exploring the Line, a new photography exhibition by La Lavanderia. The group show runs through October 8.  

Founded in 2011, La Lavanderia is a group is comprised of four photographers based in the Mid-Hudson Valley: two are originally from Mexico and two are from the United States.  Their initial goal was to explore cross-cultural relations by mounting an exhibition in which the Mexican photographers, Fel Santos and Roberto Cruz Salinas, looked north to Poughkeepsie, and the U. S. photographers, Michael Sibilia and Sasha Bush, looked south to towns in Central America. 

La Lavanderia group's mission is to break down societal boundaries existing between cultures within a community through the display of fine art photography. Images of laundry lines, street corners and barbecues in locations across border lines exemplify this goal. The work stresses the groups' message of acceptance, respect, pride, and communication between neighbors. The exhibition's opening in 2011, which drew a large attendance, was a further example of the groups' ability to unite a diverse crowd and to build and nurture the growth of positive relationships.

La Lavanderia group also carried out its mission to educate through fine art photography when it hosted students from a Dutchess Community College photography class, where they spoke with the artists. The show was later picked up by the H-Art Gallery in Peekskill. A catalogue of the first exhibition has been published under the title, La Lavandera.

Santos, Sibilia and Bush are joined by Jodi Dickhaut for this year's exhibition, presenting large-scale photographs.  Exploring the Line provides another occasion for neighbors to see their communities reflected back to them through the intensifying lens of fine art photography.

La Lavandería Group invites you attend the artists' talk for the photography exhibition “Exploring The Line” on Friday, October 5th at 7pm. 

The Artists

Self-educated, environmental photographer Michael Sibilia has been practicing the art of photography for more than thirty years. His work as a freelance photojournalist gives him an opportunity to experience both the scenery and the diversity of the human spirit that exists all around us. Jodi Dickhaut, who recently relocated to Newburgh from northern Vermont, practices emergency medicine as well as being a professorial artist. Ms. Dickhaut works in varied community projects involving the arts in both Dutchess and Orange Counties.

Fel Santos: always had a passion for photography. He uses photography to: transmit art through photos; to highlight just how wonderful our planet is; and to convey the essence and feelings of human beings around the globe.

Sasha Bush grew up in Poughkeepsie. Currently he continues to work on a number of projects around the Hudson Valley, mainly focusing in the field of portraiture.

Mid-Hudson Heritage Center is located at 317 Main Street in Poughkeepsie. The gallery hours are Monday-Friday, from 11 am-6 pm. Admission is free. See http://midhudsonheritage.org