6/15/10

Juneteenth Gallery Show - 6-19 at the MONA

In recognition and celebration of Juneteenth,
Jeff Sauger a photo journalist is bringing his photo documentary show on black farmers from New York to the Oakland Art Center in Pontiac Michigan.

It will be a great event with music and more.

Saturday, June 19, 2010 at 6:00pm to Sunday, June 20, 2010 at 9:00pm
The Museum Of New Art (MONA)
7 N. Saginaw Street
Pontiac, MI



Jeffrey Sauger:

WHERE FURROWS RUN DEEP

The American Dream remains elusive for our nation’s black farmers, who have been losing their land at a rate three times faster than the national average. Institutional racism, foreclosures and bankruptcy have torn families from farms they have occupied for generations. Today, African Americans own roughly only 1 percent of all farmland in the United States.

As this population continues to disappear from our national landscape, the Museum of New Art (MONA) presents “Where Furrows Run Deep,” a comprehensive collection of images by Detroit-based photographer Jeffrey Sauger. Shot on black-and-white film over several years, “Where Furrows Run Deep” depicts the tragedy and triumph of the American black farmer without artifice: It is both anthropological document and aesthetic achievement.

The opening reception will be from 6-9 p.m. June 19, 2010, at the Museum of New Art (MONA), located at 7 North Saginaw Street, Pontiac, MI. Exhibit hours will be 1 p.m. - 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Jeffrey Sauger began the project as a graduate student in Ohio in 1999. He continued the project through grants and sponsorship from Blue Earth Alliance. Sauger received his master’s degree from Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication, and is a professional photojournalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Time, The Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Sports Illustrated and The Washington Post. In 2000, Sauger was named Michigan Photographer of the Year by the Michigan Press Photographers Association.

An abbreviated version of “Where Furrows Run Deep” has appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Sunday magazine. He lives in Royal Oak, where he continues shooting editorial and commercial work for newspapers, magazines and clients like General Motors.