Las Fotos Project X Getty: Behold

This collaborative course aimed to help students elevate their technical skill in photography, deepen their artistic practice, and integrate career planning into their process. Students explored the meaning of identity, memory, and ancestry through the artwork of María Magdalena Campos-Pons.

• Students produced a digital and print zine incorporating elements developed throughout the workshop.
• Students displayed their artworks in the exhibition Como Somos: La Realidad at the Altura.LA gallery in Lincoln Heights, on view from August 15–30, 2025.
• Students learned about art careers through meetings with Getty curators and conservators, independent curators, and photography professionals.
• The young photographers met with artist María Magdalena Campos-Pons, engaging in meaningful conversations about the practice of photography and the emotional impact of her exhibition

About Las Fotos Project

Las Fotos Project (LFP) is a non-profit organization based in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. Its mission is to elevate the voices of teenage girls and gender-expansive youth from communities of color through photography and mentoring, empowering them to channel their creativity for the benefit of themselves, their community, and future careers.

About María Magdalena Campos-Pons

Cuban-born María Magdalena Campos-Pons makes vivid photographs, watercolors, installations, and performances that trace the cultural and personal impacts of migration and memory. Her works reflect global histories of labor as they affected her family through enslavement, indenture, and motherhood, emphasizing resilience and respect for her Nigerian and Chinese ancestors.

About the Collaboration

Until recently, LFP’s programs were only open to students aged 13 through 18. But many graduates of the program wanted to continue working with the organization. LFP was in the process of creating an independent study program for students aged 18 through 24 when Getty reached out about a possible collaboration. The result was a pilot 14-week course that focused not only on artistic practice but also professional development. Students learned to create artist statements, bios, and portfolios. The highlight was talking with Campos-Pons in person after viewing her Getty exhibition, María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold. For many of the participants, this was the first time they engaged with a renowned working artist.

Christian Morales, Community Engagement Coordinator
Hannah Greisen, LEAP Program participant
Mazie Harris, Curator, Department of Photographs

Wendy Cubillo⁠
Caitlin Jane “CJ” Calica
Julie Robllar ⁠Hernandez
Josefina Guadalupe
Alejandra Martinez ⁠Cortez
Jessica Barroso
Meyuh Gonzales⁠

Arlene Mejorado, Teaching Artist (Independent)
Diego Torres-Casso, Project Manager (LFP)
Alanna Araujo, Community Engagement Manager (LFP)
Helen Alonzo Hurtado, Executive Director (LFP)
Alexa Ramirez Posada, Curator (Independent)