We are excited to announce that our April grant has been awarded to the photographer Hanna Wondmagegn's Photography 101 Series, a free / low-cost educational series aimed at demystifying the photography experience with a focus on community building and resource sharing through hands-on workshops and field trips. In partnership with Sounds of Spotlight NYC (SOS), a creative collective that supports Black and brown creatives through community events, education and community building, this series focuses on breaking down the technical skills, production and post-production experience, and the exhibition of works with industry leaders and community partners.

In Hanna's own words:

The Photography 101 Series came from our communities experiences' with navigating the photography industry. From the person interested in picking up a camera to the veteran that's been in the industry for years, everyone has questions and it's often difficult and/or expensive to get them answered. Our series aims to provide a free to low cost educational experiences that will demystify the photography experience for communities that are often not included or barred from the industry. Through monthly sessions, field trips, and a final end of year group exhibition, this series combines community building and resource sharing designed to life everyone up and provide the foundational knowledge and networks to succeed on their terms.

The core of what we believe in is that we have all the resources and knowledge we need in our communities and networks, and want to bring people into our series to learn from each other. That's where you come in! We are currently developing a lot of our programming for the year and are looking for community members who are willing to host, educate, sponsor, or support in any way. Specifically, we are looking for folks in the following categories who would be available for in person NYC programming in 2026: legal and tax experts that specifically work with artists/photographers; film, studio and digital photography experts; photography related businesses; photography agencies; photo editors, creative directors and producers that work with photographers; photography collectives and groups; professors or educators who either teach photography or have students interested in learning; and experts in photo editing software.

• If you are interested or would like to know more on how to support, please email hannawon72@gmail.com.
• If you are interested in attending the programming(s), follow @hannawonphoto and @soundsofspotlight on Instagram for updates!