Community Solutions for children, families and individuals will
show the work of Lucille S. Houston at the Morgan Hill Community
Center as part of its on-going efforts to raise awareness around
issues of domestic violence.
Community Solutions for children, families and individuals will show the work of Lucille S. Houston at the Morgan Hill Community Center as part of its on-going efforts to raise awareness around issues of domestic violence.
Houston, a highly acclaimed photojournalist for the San Jose Mercury News, was murdered in 2001 at the age of 43. Last October her husband was convicted of second-degree murder and could face up to 40 years in prison.
An exhibit of Luci’s work will be shown in the ommunity center located at 17000 Monterey Road May 21- July 18. There will be a free opening reception for the public on Friday, May 21, from 6-8 p.m. in the El Toro Room. Refreshments will be served and materials on safety and other women’s issues will be made available.
“We are very excited about the prospect of bringing this remarkable exhibit to South Santa Clara County,” stated Perla Flores, Assistant Director of Safety and Support Services for Community Solutions. “Luci’s tragic death is a poignant reminder that domestic violence transcends all cultural, socio-economic and ethnic lines. We also see this exhibit as an opportunity to educate our community on domestic violence issues,” she concluded.
Luci Williams Houston was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1998 for a weekly series in the San Jose Mercury News called, “From This Day Forward,” which captured poignant moments in multicultural weddings throughout the Bay Area and Central Coast. This exhibit includes photos from her wedding series as well as other subjects. Luci is described by those who knew her as a magnetic, compassionate, optimistic, romantic, funny, strong, educated, confident woman. Her colleagues at the San Jose Mercury News say her photographs illuminate both the dignity of each person and their individuality, transcending social and cultural barriers.
According to Consuelo Alba-Speyer, co-chair of the Santa Cruz County Women’s Commission, “We hope Luci will be a reminder that family violence can happen to any one of us and that we all need to be involved. The Commission is dedicating this exhibit to the women, men and children in our community who have suffered as a result of domestic violence.”
“The City of Morgan Hill is proud to be involved with this exhibition,” said Daryl Manning, art specialist for the City of Morgan Hill. “Viewing Lucille Houston’s photography is truly a bittersweet experience. The beauty, individuality and strength so poignantly represented in her art are sharply contrasted with the brutal reality of the artist’s abbreviated life. This retrospective presents an opportunity to not only honor Luci’s life and art, but also to focus on the issue of domestic violence within our society.”
The Santa Cruz County Women’s Commission is a non-partisan, advisory board that serves to advance the causes of all women. Details: Andrea Smith, Coordinator, Santa Cruz County Women’s Commission at 831-454-2772.
The exhibit represents the qualities that Luci held close and sought out in her community: Hope, tenderness, humor, vulnerability and love. Samples of Houston’s work and a brief biography can be found on the Santa Cruz County Women’s Commission’s Web site: www.sccwc.net/exhibit.
Community Solutions is a private not-for-profit agency serving South County and the surrounding areas. Founded as a teen drop-in center in 1972, the agency currently provides a wide spectrum of services in response to issues of mental health, substance abuse, teen parenting, family dysfunction, sexual assault, juvenile delinquency, domestic violence, homelessness and youth development. Last year the agency served over 14,600 individuals. The mission of Community Solutions is to create opportunities for positive change by promoting and supporting the full potential of individuals, the strengths of families and the well- being of our community.
The City of Morgan Hill is committed to supporting the arts in Morgan Hill through its ongoing visual arts exhibition series. The series strives to present high quality art to the community by showcasing a diversity of work by professional local artists as well as by artists from outside of Morgan Hill.
Community Solutions is collaborating with the City of Morgan Hill, Santa Cruz Women’s Commission, Mercury News and Nuevo Mundo on the exhibit.
Details: Daryl Manning, bl*****@***oo.com or 891-1980.
