Join us on Wednesday, December 3, 6:30-8:00 pm CST for an in-person presentation of Sara Terry’s and Louie Palu’s extraordinary work followed by an engaging conversation led by Lisa Volpe, Curator of Photography at the Museum of Fine Art, Houston (MFAH).
Though documentary photography is traditionally considered a record of truth, the most impactful, memorable photographs appeal not to our desire for plain facts but to our shared humanity. The photographs of Sara Terry and Louie Palu exemplify this approach. Both photographers’ bodies of work—capturing scenes from international regions marked by conflict, to domestic communities, to unknown locations—is characterized by human curiosity and a desire for shared understanding. Recognized leaders in their field, Terry and Palu’s work and approach will be explored in this panel.
What makes a photograph meaningful? How do images inform us about the human experience and create connections? How can photography give voice to others? The discussion, led by Museum of Fine Arts, Houston photography curator, Lisa Volpe, will explore Terry’s and Palu’s standout practices and the way in which photography can be a catalyst for meaningful human connection.
This program is and also serves as a tribute to the late Sara Terry, whose recent passing is felt deeply across the photographic community. Her extraordinary commitment to storytelling, justice, and human connection continues to guide and inspire the field.
** This event is made possible thanks to the generous support of Joan Morgenstern, Board Member, The Aftermath Project.
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Sara Terry (1955–2025) was an award-winning documentary photographer and filmmaker, a journalist, and a member of VII photo agency. A 2012 Guggenheim Fellow in Photography and a member of IATSE Local 600. Her landmark project Aftermath: Bosnia’s Long Road to Peace led her to found The Aftermath Project in 2003, a grant-making, educational non-profit grounded in her conviction that “War is Only Half the Story.” As an unusually generous teacher and mentor, she believed strongly in the language of photography and respected any effort to harness it, no matter how inexperienced or unpolished the photographer. Through this work, Terry had a profound impact on the lives and work of countless photographers. (TedX talk ; New York Times obituary)
Louie Palu is a photographer and filmmaker whose work has examined social political issues, such as human rights and conflict for 30-years. He has been selected for a John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship and World Press Photo Award. His work has examined topics such as the drug war in Mexico, conflicts in Afghanistan and Ukraine, and changing geopolitics in the Arctic. Based in Washington D.C. he has also been focused on an ongoing in-depth project covering U.S. politics. His work has been published widely, his documentary films have been screened worldwide, and his work is in the collections of numerous museums, libraries, and archives.
Lisa Volpe is the Curator of Photography at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Previously, she was the Curator of the Wichita Art Museum, held various curatorial roles at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA), and fellowships at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Cleveland Museum of Art.