Get Ready for PhotoWalk Astoria!

I recently came across a pretty interesting sounding event—PhotoWalk Astoria (warning: heavily blinking B&W header). It’s the brainchild of award-winning photo and video journalist Shaminder Dulai, who also recently was the global director of photography and multimedia for Newsweek magazine. It starts tomorrow, Friday, August 18 and ends Monday, August 28; it will include exhibitions, workshops, and photo nights. PhotoWalk Astoria was made possible by a grant from the Queens Council of the Arts, Tortuga Photo Workshops, Minority Report and by support from the public.

Here’s the project spiel:

“This summer, New York’s most diverse borough, Queens, New York, will become home to world class photojournalism through an interactive deconstruction of the museum, brought to you through the streets themselves. Through 18 murals spread out across Astoria, professional photojournalists and budding high school photojournalists present a window into the world and show you the ‘need to know’ stories affecting your life today.”

“PhotoWalkAstoria is excited to invite you to hit the streets of Astoria during a weeklong festival celebrating the power of visual reportage.”

You can watch the promo video here:

Here’s a map of the location of the public art and the event locations.

Of course, the murals are accessible 24/7 and are free. As for specific events, here’s the list:

Sunday, August 20
PhotoWalk Photo Workshop: How I Learned To Make A Living As A Photojournalist
QED: A Place to Show & Tell, 27-16 23rd Avenue
Tickets: $35 (buy here)

“Whether you are a complete beginner or have been shooting for years, this workshop will break down the process from how to use your camera to how to organize, shoot and ultimately pitch your visual stories for publication. We will begin with fundamentals of light and composition and learn how to push your camera to the limits with insider tips and tricks to create stunning visual narratives.”

Tuesday, August 22
PhotoWalk Astoria PhotoNight! An Evening of Photo, Booze and BBQ
Salt & Bone Smokehouse, 32-07 30th Avenue
Free admission, come early for a free beer! (RSVP here)

“Join us for an evening of photojournalism, lively discussion, some laughs and a few tears for PhotoWalk Astoria Photo Night. Thanks to Salt and Bone, we’ll be tapping a keg and raising a glass. So arrive early and your first beer is on us! Salt and Bone will be serving up some sweet smokey BBQ for purchase as well, the perfect pair for a night of inspiration and new friends.”

Saturday, August 26
PhotoWalk Photo/Play Closing Night Party
Singlecut Beersmiths, 19-33 37th Street
Free admission

“Help us celebrate PhotoWalk Astoria and recover from exhaustion by joining us for a closing night of music, beers and high-fives with our friends at SingleCut Beersmiths!”

Shaminder tells us, “We are also asking for is that everyone use #PhotoWalkAstoria so we can try to facilitate a conversation beyond the event. Change does not happen within a vacuum, our goal is to inform people to the stories affecting them today and to stir a dialogue toward informed discourse.”

So mark your calendars for PhotoWalk Astoria! We hope to see you there!