Sarah Blesener was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She studied Linguistics and Youth Development at North Central University. While at university, she worked as a photographer for the organization Healing Haiti based in Port au Prince, Haiti, covering events surrounding the 2010 earthquake. Upon graduation in 2012, she studied at Bookvar Russian Academy in Minneapolis, concentrating on the Russian language. She is a recent graduate of the Visual Journalism and Documentary Practice program at the International Center of Photography in New York. Her latest work revolves around issues of youth culture and movements, focusing on Russia, Eastern Europe and the United States.
CatchLight’s inaugural “Focal Points” exhibition features work from the 2017 CatchLight fellows, Tomas Van Houtryve, Sarah Blesener, and Brian L. Frank who were each paired with a media partner — the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, The Center for Investigative Reporting, and the Marshall Project, respectively.
Learn MorePhotographers chosen for PDN’s 30: New and Emerging Photographers to Watch will share the useful lessons they learned as they launched their careers. The panelists will discuss planning and funding personal projects, their strategies for promoting their work to potential clients and galleries, and how they built a support network.
Learn MoreHear from CatchLight’s founder and fellows about our unique focus on solving the giant mismatch between artists and their potential for social impact by surrounding longform storytelling with resources, networks and leadership to bring to life and amplify the reach of their stories.
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