The Street as Set | Photo Walk with Photographer Anthony Artis

Join photographer Anthony Artis for an afternoon of creative exploration during this Harlem Photo Walk. This immersive workshop draws on Artis's deep experience in street-level filmmaking, guerrilla documentary production, and ethical storytelling. The session will focus on capturing real-time moments of dignity, resilience, and everyday delight within Black communities, highlighting a belief that powerful stories are all around us if we’re willing to look, listen, and engage with respect.

The day begins with a guided tour of the photographs in current centennial exhibition and conversation, “The Street as Set,” where participants will discuss expectations, ethics, and storytelling principles that shape authentic street photography. From there, the group will head out for a Walk + Shoot, capturing the pulse of Harlem, from its architecture, people, and spontaneous moments through their own visual perspectives. A brief pause and warm-up will offer a chance to regroup before reconvening indoors for the Debrief + Share-Out, where participants will reflect, share highlights, and exchange insights about the stories discovered through their lenses.

SCHEDULE

1:00 – 1:30 PM | Conversation: “The Street as Set” | Schomburg Center -Latimer Gallery

View photographs in current centennial exhibition, setting expectations, ethics, and storytelling principles.

1:30 – 3:30 PM | Walk + Shoot | Outdoors

Immersive street-level exploration through Harlem.

3:30 – 3:45 PM | Quick Pause / Warm-Up

Brief regroup.

3:45 – 5:00 PM | Debrief + Share-Out | Schomburg Center

Reflection, sharing highlights, and discussion.

Accessibility requests can be made by e-mail [email protected].

Anthony Artis is a Queens born photographer whose work transforms presence into purpose, whose lens is as much about receiving as it is about recording. With roots in his grandmother’s encouragement to “be my Gordon Parks,” he learned early that photography isn’t simply about pointing, but about listening, engaging, and honoring the lives he captures.

From the streets of Queens and Harlem to the stages of hip‑hop legends and community protests, Anthony approaches every scene with a servant’s heart. He says: “I identify myself first as a servant.” His images of Black joy from everyday laughter to bold cultural statements aren’t just beautiful: they are acts of resistance and remembrance. As he puts it: “Rejoicing is a way of resistance… We are bombarded so much with Black trauma. I really want to put at the forefront our smiles.”

Anthony’s vision has been shaped by real connection: the humility of shared space, the trust of his subjects, the clarity of love in action. He makes work that doesn’t just document lives it affirms dignity, community, culture. His mission isn’t simply to show the world; it’s to archive joy, empower voices, and tell our stories from our perspective.

Excerpts from interviews with (newyorksaid.com) and (becauseofthemwecan.com)

The Schomburg Center's the Photographs and Prints Division contains both documentary and fine art photographs, which document the history and culture of people of African descent worldwide as well as the work of photographers of African descent. The collection of over 300,000 images ranges from mid-eighteenth-century graphics to contemporary documentary and art photography. All of the major photographic processes are represented. Learn more about the division here.

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This year, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding! Join us all year long for a wide array of special events, exhibitions, and more as we celebrate this milestone and continue the legacy of Arturo Schomburg.

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E-TRANSPORTATION NYPL policy prohibits electric transportation devices (e.g., motorbikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards) from being brought into or stored at library sites for any length of time, as this is the best way to keep our spaces & people safe.

AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING Programs are photographed and recorded by the Schomburg Center. Attending this event indicates your consent to being filmed/photographed and your consent to the use of your recorded image for any all purposes of the New York Public Library.

PRESS Please send all press inquiries (photo, video, interviews, audio-recording, etc) at least 24-hours before the day of the program to Leah Drayton at [email protected].

Please note that personal and professional video recordings are prohibited without expressed consent.

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Host or Publisher Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture