An audience of about 50 was on hand for the opening of a new gallery of photographs on display at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., on November 14. Among the framed photos that will be on exhibit for three months are those taken by Schar School of Policy and Government Associate Professor Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera and Houston Chronicle journalist Sergio Chapa during their 1,600-mile journey along the U.S.-Mexico border this summer.
The photos are part of an exhibit called “Borders and Beyond,” which is also the theme of the most recent Wilson Quarterly. The text and essays explore “the gap between the political rhetoric and the realities of our borders.”
“When we have a better understanding of our borders, we’ll build better bridges,” said Richard Byrne, editor of the Wilson Quarterly, in introducing Correa-Cabrera.
In reality, Correa-Cabrera and Chapa drove 4,700 miles, zigzagging into Mexico and back over 14 days, from Brownsville, Texas, to San Diego, Calif.
It’s the second time the two have made the journey—the first time was in 2013—“but much has changed since then,” she said. “We thought we should repeat the experience given the enormous changes that the region has undergone in recent years.”
Their photos, along with images by other photographers in the exhibit, only tell part of the story, she said.
The gallery is open to the public during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The center is at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. See here for more information.