Countless artists and photographers of all ages have sought refuge at The 4th Street Photo Gallery, the iconic salon and exhibition space that catapulted careers that cross the divides of art, science, and politics. Like many such spaces in the East Village, the Gallery was started in a living room. Its roots lie with the Minority Photographers Inc., formed in 1971 as a nonprofit with the mission of creating collective power among young underrepresented artists in New York City. In 1973 the non-profit obtained a storefront that became The 4th Street Photo Gallery, at 67 E. 4th St. Join founder Alex Harsley and his daughter Kendra Krueger for a special photography talk exploring the Gallery’s work over the decades through art, conversations, cross-pollination, and collective power. The space continues to be a place of radical resistance to the erasure of culture and people in the neighborhood.

Alex Harsley has curated The 4th Street Photo Gallery and The Minority Photographers non-profit since the early 1970s. His own reportage style of photography started in 1958 as the first Black photographer for the New York City District Attorney. Since that time he has continued to capture the true, intimate moments and personality of New York City. His collection covers musicians, politicians, street folk, landscapes, and neighbors from the 1950s through the present day.  His documentary medium consists of film, digital photography, and digital sound and video.

Kendra Krueger, daughter of Harsley, is an interdisciplinary artist, scientist, and educator who grew up in the 4th Street Photo Gallery. After completing her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Electrical Engineering she transitioned from the R&D industry into regenerative design and education. In 2014 she founded a research and education platform known as 4LoveandScience based on the ideas that art can be a tool for research and science a tool for liberation. For the past 4 years, she has worked with her father on numerous projects in which she helps create the weaving narratives and cosmic allegories that exist within Harsley’s work and vision. She currently works at CUNY’s Advanced Science Research Center running youth and community outreach programs.

Co-hosted by The East Village Community Coalition(EVCC), the 4th Street Photo Gallery, the Lower East Side Preservation Initiative (LESPI), the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS), and Village Preservation as part of our Black History Month programming