Under One Sky: Reflecting Immigrant Communities, The Photographs of Harvey Finkle: 1982–2018
September 26–November 5, 2022
For five decades, Harvey Finkle has documented immigrant communities as well as social and political activism in Philadelphia and other US cities. This exhibition serves as a retrospective showcasing his photographic work between 1982 and 2018 capturing immigrant communities in Philadelphia.
Under One Sky is curated by David Acosta, Artistic Director for Casa de Duende.
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 1, 2022, 6 – 8 pm
Harvey Finkle is a documentary still photographer whose interests extends to social, economic, cultural, and political issues. Harvey first began photographing immigrants in 1977, Jewish survivors of the holocaust; in 1982-83, the resettlement of the Indochinese; in the 1980’s, the Sanctuary Movement; in the 1990’s, as well as his photograph series titled Urban Mosaic which documents 10 immigrant families living in one city to highlight ethnic globalization. His documentation of the New Sanctuary Movement resulted in the publication of a book Faces of Courage, a book of photographs celebrating the 10th anniversary of the New Sanctuary Movement, published in 2021.
He has exhibited at numerous galleries and venues including the Institute of Contemporary Art, The Painted Bride Center, National Museum of American Jewish History, Cornell University, and the Art Alliance Among many others. His work in in both private and public collections including the Free Library of Philadelphia, The Newseum, NYC, and the School of Social Policy and Practice, University of PA. Harvey’s entire oeuvre is currently being archived at the Kislak Center for Special Collections, University of Pennsylvania.
David Acosta is the founder of the GALAEI Project and was the Coordinator of HIV Prevention Programs for The AIDS Activities Coordinating Office of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. He is Currently the Artistic Director for Casa De Duende which he co-founded along with his life partner Gerald Macdonald. He has curated numerous visual arts shows, including Co-curating along with Janus Ourma, Stonewall @ 50 in 2019 at the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery showcasing 129 artists which became the largest LGBTQ+ art exhibition in Philadelphia History.
He was a co-founder of the Philadelphia Latin American Film Festival and has directed shows for First Person Arts and most recently directed Letter to My Father, Letter to My Son, Evolutions as part of the Engaging Men of Color collaboration between First Person Arts and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Office of Mental Health and intellectual Disabilities. He currently serves as the President of the Board of the Da Vinci Arts Alliance and serves on the board of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. David is also a member of the international artist collective Dislocada/Dislocated and of the artist collective Dissident Bodies in Philadelphia.