I've lived in many college towns. Both in Texas and California. Universities have varying degrees of civic interaction. From insular to interactive. 

Let me detail my experiences. I started life in the San Francisco Bay Area near SJSU and I currently reside in Fort Worth near TCU. 

I'm going to subjectively rate these schools from 1 to 5. Five being "very involved" in the community.

UCLA photography lecture. 2011

SJSU -3

Stanford -2

UC Berkeley - 2

UCLA - 5

CSULA - 4

UT Austin - 4

Midwestern State - 4

TCU - 1

TCU wants you to go to their football, baseball and basketball games. That's where they make money. Sadly, their primary community art gallery is located in a tiny strip mall off campus. Not much there.

UC Berkeley and Stanford are the proverbial ivory towers. It's all about academics and they don't offer much programming for the public. But they do much better than TCU.

UCLA is heavily involved in the Los Angeles arts and culture scene. When I lived in Southern California, it seemed every week there was either a lecture, an exhibition or an event my wife and I would find interesting. Same with CSULA.

So there you are. These are my impressions of various universities I've experienced. I loved going to UCLA and UT Austin. Too bad conservative TCU, just 10 minutes away, is a stick in the mud. I'd rather be in Austin or LA. Or in the Bay Area near my familia.

My Chicanocentric Photography Website

For more than half a century, I (Jesús Manuel Mena Garza) have captured photos and shot film (now video) for clients and exhibition. Today, I am still busy creating art. I have attached a link to my Chicanocentric website where you can download photographs. My general website is JMMGarza.com. Feel free to contact me should you have questions, suggestions or comments. Here is the link to my new Chicanocentric website: https://chicanophotographer.myportfolio.com

YouTube Reviews?

Recently, various photo, video and audio venders have asked me to review their products. Typically, they want me to give their product an excellent review in exchange for a free mic, camera or accessory. So far, I have declined these offers. 

I'd be interested to know how many YouTube influencers are taking cash or freebies in exchange for a positive review? Just wondering. Most of the reviews on my JMM Garza channel have been of products I purchased. No freebies or reimbursement. Like many of you, I love free stuff. It is quite difficult not to be corrupted. Such is life. 

Need a professional and fair YouTube review?

If you are a manufacturer of an interesting product or service, feel free to send me an email. Please include a link to the product or service. I may just take you up on your offer, if there are no preconditions. If you pay for shipping and handling, I'll even ship  you back your product. As for reviews of services? Let's talk. 

I have several YouTube channels. Here's a list:

JMM Garza - Art, photography, video and audio production.

RV & Travel Adventures - The RVing lifestyle. RVs, travel and solar tech.

My Normal Life? - Lawnmower reviews, political commentary and my lifestyle.

Big Bend National Park Photo Adventure

I am headed to Big Bend in a week. I plan to take pictures of infrastructure and the landscape. I will be using a Nikon D800 to capture stills and a Lumix G85 for 4k video. My Chevy Colorado truck has a camper shell. Yes, I will be truck bed camping. I plan to be in Big Bend for only a couple days only. I have to return to my class in Fort Worth on Friday. 

Updated Website, Portfolio and More

If you have the time or inclination, please check out my updated website and photography portfolio. You will see plenty of photographs and articles on my photography and the Chicano experience.

While you are at it, this year I started a new YouTube Channel ... Texas Moto Foto. There, I have coalesced a melange of mainstream to esoteric videos. It's all fun! Subjects explored range from photography to technology to recreational vehicles. An unusual mix indeed.

Oh, I almost forgot! I have a Patreon Page. If you are able and willing, support my photography by donating on my page. You can be the first!

Here are the links:

Website: http:www.jmmgarza.com
Online photography portfolio: https://jmmgarza.myportfolio.com/
Texas Moto Foto YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMCtI2P70RhJr6Z1kNcSKBA
Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/jmmgarza

Photos of Oaxaca, Alebrijes and More

If you have the time or the inclination please check out my photographs of Oaxaca Mexico in a UHD … 4k YouTube video. In 2005, I captured the original pix using a Nikon D70s … a 6-megapixel camera. Today, I use a 36-megapixel camera. Yes, in photography bigger sensors are typically better.

I haven't gone to Europe, Africa, Asia or even Hawaii, but I have traveled a bit. Primarily throughout the American Southwest and Mexico. I have enjoyed the amazing diversity and photography opportunities this region has to offer. 

In Oaxaca, I photographed the communities, artists and workshops. Along with photographs of Oaxaca, I have several images of Mexican artists creating wood sculptures called Alebrijes. These fantastical and colorful creatures are popular in Mexico City and Oaxaca. My photographs explore the artistic transformation from roughly hewn pieces of wood, to sculpting fine details to painstakingly adding colorful lines, dots and textures. 

If you like my YouTube video ... don't forget to like, subscribe and share my video. Support my photography and video efforts by visiting my Patreon page. Your professional comments and questions are always appreciated. 

Download a free eBook on Alebrijes: https://issuu.com/jesusmanuelmenagarza/docs/alebrijes_de_oaxaca

Thanks!

Si se puede! Hablo español.

I am a photographer

"I photograph to satiate the primal urge to hunt, capture and possess." - Jesús Manuel Mena Garza, 01/04/17

Jesús Manuel Mena Garza's New Patreon Page

I am not getting any younger or richer. Currently, I am able to complete a few projects despite monetary obstacles, but your donation to Patreon can help me realize more and better projects. 

Feel free to contact me about any of my past, current and planned projects. Be one of the first to donate to my Patreon page. Thank you for your financial support!

http://www.patreon.com/jmmgarza

Documenting the Chicana and Chicano Experience

Jesús Manuel Mena Garza Photography

One exciting project Jesús Garza has undertaken is photographing Chicana and Chicano artists and academics. Since 1967, Jesús Garza has made it his mission to photograph the Chicana and Chicano experience. He focuses his camera on activists, workers, academics and artists in communities as diverse as Los Angeles, San Antonio, Tucson, Albuquerque, Fort Worth and San José. 

From experience Garza understands that the incredible accomplishments of Latinos are often dismissed by the dominant culture. So for 50 years, he has taken on the role of outside observer and chronicler of Chicana/o history. 

Feel free to contact Jesús Garza. Send your suggestions, questions or comments by calling or texting (682) 365-8702. Please understand that these are documentary photographs. Not glamour shots. The photographs have not been retouched. 

Click photos to enlarge

The President

The Academic

The Poet

The Sculptor

The Painter

The Academic

The Photographer

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Syrian Refugees Photography Exhibition?

As I write, an ambitious photographer or two is probably organizing an exhibit. A series of photographs of the ravaged faces of Syrian refugees. Images of destroyed Syrian buildings will give context. The collected images offer a stark contrast to our reality.

Wandering the streets, the photographer will pick and choose who to immortalize. Feeling almost guilty, the photographer snaps the shutter. The more desperate and suffering the refugee, the better. They can see the picture framed in a sterile gallery as the photo is captured.

What do you think?

Banal or Brilliant: Photographing Wichita Falls and Surrounding Communities

Jesús Manuel Mena Garza

Like my tastes in food and fashion, I prefer tried and true formulas. A simple meal and a basic pair of jeans works for me. When I look through my camera lens I want to capture the glorious details of the everyday. The simple is more elegant and less fussy than the pretentious.

Since I shoot a lot of everyday scenes I ask myself, at what point does the banal become esoteric or artistic? When I see my final edited photograph I posit,  did I produce a glorified snapshot or something more valuable?

So at what point does a simple photograph transform into fine art? Well, that decision is up to the arbiters of taste. Those anointed by our society either because of pedigree, income, affiliation or education to know better than us. The other side of the coin is that they also have a vested interest in the currency of art.

Recently, several museums, corporations and individuals have purchased photographs costing as much as $5,000,000. At that price, they definitely have a vested interest in making sure their investment appreciates (and is appreciated). The work may be poorly executed (banal in my humble opinion), but if the arts plutocracy decides the wall size print of a "department store interior" is worth millions, who are we to conclude differently. They and their minions are going to write and announce that their "piece of art" is actually worth so much more. Brilliant!

Click my (banal) photos to enlarge

Documenting the Legacy of César Estrada Chávez Exhibition

Jesús Garza's 2015 Kickstarter Campaign

I have initiated a Kickstarter (http://kck.st/1uTI7QG) photography campaign. My goal is to gain funding for a standard zoom lens and basic studio lights. This equipment will allow me to pursue my goal of capturing new portraits and environments. In the recent past I have taken these photographs using a Nikon D800 with a standard 50mm lens. The additional equipment will allow me to shoot a bit wider for effect and also tighter for better portraits.

I am not affiliated with a college or other organization that offers staff ready access to grants, equipment, supplies and venues. For over 40 years I have been self funded. I had to save for years so I could purchase my one and only digital camera. By asking for community support I hope to speed up the process and increase the quality of my work. I am providing those who contribute $100 a print valued at the same price. Click the following link to learn more about my Kickstarter campaign. http://kck.st/1uTI7QG

Fort Worth, Texas Trinity River Photography

If you do an image search on the Internet for "Chicano" you will get back photographs of lowriders, gang members and tattoos. Essentially stereotypes. I see the Chicano experience much more broadly than that. I have captured images that range from portraits, events, infrastructure and landscapes. My reality and my home.

This duotone photograph of Fort Worth, Texas' Trinity River was taken last year. Originally in color, I transformed the image into various subtle black and white and sepia tones. Fort Worth has many rivers. This section of the Trinity River near downtown I find especially beautiful.

The original image is 24x36 inches. I have downsized the image and made it available for download as a letter size poster. The Adobe PDF can be printed via your home, office or commercial printer (Office Depot, Costco, Target, etc.). 

Click on the image below to download and feel free to share. Please send me your comments or questions.

Copyright 2015 Jesús Manuel Mena Garza. All rights reserved.

(682) 365-8702

EMAIL

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Download and Print Chicano Park Poster

Photographers Conundrum

By Jesús Manuel Mena Garza

Like Henry David Thoreau, I long to abandon waste and illusion in order to discover life's true essential needs. A pastoral realm that integrates both nature and culture.

Lately, I have imagined a simpler life. Then I acknowledge I am a photographer. Photography requires acquiring and mastering certain technologies. Not so simple.

Today, I exist on the margins. A place where nature has been stripped and replaced by a layer of human infrastructure. Still I imagine leaving this artifice behind and assimilating back into the natural realm.

Copyright 2014 Jesús Manuel Mena Garza. All rights reserved.

Jesús Manuel Mena Garza Documentary Photography Exhibition - July 18 to September 29, 2013

Kathryn Blackmer Reyes of San José State University (SJSU) created this poster and curated my show at SJSU. If you happen to be in San José, California go check out my photo exhibition at the SJSU MLK Library.

Click poster to enlarge

The National Museum of the American Latino

One of Jesús Manuel Mena Garza's photos on exhibit next week at the Ronald Reagan Building promoting the National Museum of the American Latino. See you there.

Click photo to enlarge

Jesús Manuel Mena Garza will exhibit his photographs and speak at a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute gathering in Washington D.C. on Sept. 12, 2012. Garza will clarify CHCI’s work with the Smithsonian Latino Center and its efforts to celebrate the cultural richness and diversity of the Latino community. The photographer will underline the need for a physical home on the National Mall for a Museum of the Latino. The photographs on display at the Ronald Reagan Building were captured from 1970 to 1975. During this period, Garza took intimate photographs of Chicano icons César E. Chávez, Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzáles and others. The photographs provide a retrospective glimpse from the unique perspective of the photojournalist and activist. Midwestern State University Professor Dr. Ann Marie Leimer adds, “During the past decades, Garza has extensively published and exhibited several documentary photographic series. The Chicano Photographer series explores important aspects of the American experience, historic events and cultural practices often marginalized by the dominant culture.” Photographs from the series are in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution, various universities and have been published in journals and books. The Chicano Photographer series and press kit can be accessed at Garza’s website, www.jmmgarza.com. Contact: Ann Marie Leimer, Ph.D., (940) 397-4264, ann.leimer@mwsu.edu

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The Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation Announces Photography Grant Call for Entries

The Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for International Photography announced today that it is again seeking entries for outstanding work in social documentary photo reportage. Photographers around the world are encouraged to submit entries focusing on lives and populations ravaged by war, famine, poverty, religious persecution, political oppression, forced migration and other social injustices. The winning submission will be awarded a grant of US$5000 to be utilized for the production or completion of a social documentary project.

"This year's call follows an incredible first season. We received nearly 200 entries representing some 45 countries including, surprisingly Iran and Myanmar, as well as Sub-Saharan Africa and Saudi Arabia," said Manuel Rivera-Ortiz, himself a recognized documentary photographer and the Founder and President of the foundation. "Our ultimate goal is to support both emerging photographers and the causes they cover. This annual grant will be awarded to the photographer whose body of work and vision and heart best exemplifies humanity on the move."

Last year's judging took place at the Swiss Reinsurance Company offices in London at the Gherkin. The 2012 submissions will be evaluated in two rounds with finalists being judged in Paris by a renowned international panel of photographers and foundation trustees. The grant winner will be announced in July 2012. Submission details and entry rules can be found at www.mrofoundation.org under "Grant 2012." Entries must be submitted no later than May 31, 2012.

About the Foundation The Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for International Photography is a 501(c)(3) Not-for-Profit Organization committed to positive social discourse in underrepresented communities throughout the world by encouraging emerging and established photographers working in developing nations to keep their lenses fixed on the plight of the poor and disenfranchised. Headquartered in New York, with a presence in Paris and Zurich, the foundation is a charitable trust serving the international photographic community through exhibitions, publishing, grants, education and other curatorial projects.

Established in 2010, the foundation aims to encourage a new generation of photographers, armed with only a camera and a vision of a better world, to take to the streets every day and document humanity on the move. For additional information, please visit www.mrofoundation.org.

Press Contact: Michael Palmieri, 917.720.5769

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Chicano Photographer Exhibition Continues at San Bernardino County Museum

[Photo copyright 2011 Jesus Manuel Mena Garza. All rights reserved. Click header for more information about the exhibition.]

Chicano Photographer, an exhibition by Riverside, California documentary photographer Jesús Manuel Mena Garza is available for public viewing at the San Bernardino County Museum (SBCM) Schuilling Gallery. The show continues to November 6, 2011.

Please call (909) 307-2669 x227 or email kplimley@sbcm.sbcounty.gov for more information.