Irma Bohórquez-Geisler is a New York City-based Mexican-American photographer who became aware of her Mexican identity by living abroad—shifting between cultures while preserving her own. She has been documenting daily life within the local Mexican-American and Mexican-immigrant communities from within New York City, with a focus on Staten Island, since 2001. Her photographs focus on how immigrant communities bring and adapt tradition and rich culture as well as how they establish themselves living in their adoptive country. These photographs are part of an ongoing social documentary series Simple Moments of an Emerging Presence.
Artist Bios
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Irma Bohórquez-Geisler
Irma Bohórquez-Geisler is a photographer, biologist, professor, traditional craftsperson, and cultural leader for Mexican-Americans on Staten Island. She immigrated to New York from Mexico City in 1991. She holds a doctorate in ecological entomology from Oxford University. She is the founder, artistic and program director of the annual Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival. Her photographs were featured in the New York Times in 2016, the 12th Julia Annual Margaret Cameron Award in Barcelona, and the first and second Alice Austen Triennial in 2019. She was awarded the Gabriela Mistral, Julia de Burgos, Frida Kahlo Award in 2017 as a photographer and cultural leader who preserves and promotes Mexican values and cultural heritage for younger generations of Mexican-Americans in New York. In 2011, New York City Councilwoman Debi Rose conferred on Bohórquez-Geisler the Staten Island Women Who Preserve History Award. Her photographs have been exhibited at numerous contemporary art galleries and museums. She has been awarded many grants for her photography, and for presenting Mexican traditions in the community, as well as many museums and schools.
Organizations
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The Alice Austen House
A vibrant cultural center, the Alice Austen House keeps the bold spirit of the early American photographer alive by presenting changing exhibitions of Austen’s pioneering historic photographs and of contemporary photography, providing education programs for students, offering a range of cultural programs for the public.
Simple Moments Of An Emerging Presence
Featuring: Irma Bohórquez-Geisler
Curated by: Victoria Munro Paul Moakley
Locations
View Location Details South Beach Promenade656 Father Capodanno Blvd
Staten Island, NY 10305
- Monday 6:00 am - 1:00 am
- Tuesday 6:00 am - 1:00 am
- Wednesday 6:00 am - 1:00 am
- Thursday 6:00 am - 1:00 am
- Friday 6:00 am - 1:00 am
- Saturday 6:00 am - 1:00 am
- Sunday 6:00 am - 1:00 am
