Frustration. Hopelessness. Tranquility. Love. Self-worth. These are just a few of the myriad emotions and feelings captured by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Bill Foley in the exhibition Renewing a Block and the Spirit of Its People: Photographs of Carmel Hill, Harlem, by Bill Foley. This insightful look at a block on West 118 th Street during the Carmel Hill Project--an initiative by the Children's Aid Society in partnership with Wall Street investor Bill Ruane--vividly depicts the trials and triumphs of those who experienced the evolution of Carmel Hill firsthand.
Renewing a Block and the Spirit of Its People:
Photographs of Carmel Hill, Harlem, by Bill Foley
On View at the Museum of the City of New York
Frustration. Hopelessness. Tranquility. Love. Self-worth. These are just a few of the
myriad emotions and feelings captured by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Bill Foley
in the exhibition Renewing a Block and the Spirit of Its People: Photographs of Carmel
Hill, Harlem, by Bill Foley. This insightful look at a block on West 118 th Street during
the Carmel Hill Project--an initiative by the Children's Aid Society in partnership with
Wall Street investor Bill Ruane--vividly depicts the trials and triumphs of those who
experienced the evolution of Carmel Hill firsthand.
Internationally renowned for his gripping images of the harsh realities of war, Bill Foley's
photographs of Carmel Hill before and after renovation provide an insightful and com-pelling
look at life inside this New York City neighborhood. They also portray the change
in attitudes among the block's residents--a transformation from despair and hopelessness to
renewal and the spirit to make it through another day.
Opening on July 22, 2000, Renewing a Block and the Spirit of Its People: Photographs of
Carmel Hill, Harlem, by Bill Foleyconsists of approximately 60 black-and-white
photographs. A 5-minute video clip produced by NBC-TV focusing on investor Bill
Ruane and featuring the work of Bill Foley will be included. The photographs
in this exhibition capture the essence of the Carmel Hill Project, whose goal was to assess
the health, housing, educational, employment and social service needs of the people of a
block that now epitomizes hope and community.
Bill Foleyis an award-winning photojournalist with over 24 years of
experience. He has worked at Time Magazine, where he covered
both domestic and international stories, and the Associated Press,
where he covered major Middle East stories. A creative editorial and
corporate photographer who has filmed in 47 countries, Foley won a Pulitzer Prize for
spot-news photography in 1983 for recording the aftermath of a massacre in a Palestinian
refugee camp inside Lebanon. His photographs have been published in a number of
books, and have been featured in numerous exhibitions throughout the world.
Founded in 1853, the Children's Aid Societyserves over 120,000 children and their
families each year with a wide range of services in education, health, recreation,
counseling, emergency assistance, and foster care and adoption. Partnerships such as
The Carmel Hill Project are a centerpiece of the society's work.
City Partners exhibitions are mounted by the Museum of the City of New York in collabo-ration
with non-profit community, cultural, and educational organizations throughout the
City. For more information on City Partners exhibitions, contact Kathleen Benson at
212/534-1672, ext. 255.
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