Lady led street photography exhibit returns to SA

Often underestimated and from different backgrounds, the women of StreetFatale have come together to share their voice and beauty through street photography.

They are photographers, femme fatales, StreetFatale. The event is an exhibition of photos from women who have an affinity and passion for capturing the world as they see it

This event is coming Friday, Jan. 19. From 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the Movement Gallery/Galeria de Movimiento will be hosting its second StreetFatale showing, which will be sponsored by Freetail Brewing Co., and it’s all about San Antonio’s artistic women. Since the first show was a huge success, some returning and some new StreetFatale works will be on display. The event includes music from DJ AnitaBoogie, delicious catering by Swiit Spot Bakes & BBQ and entertainment brought to you by Spoken Word by Six.

Carmen Peña, co-founder of StreetFatale, explained that this photography community and event began when her friend Kim Hopkins informed her that space at a local gallery was available and asked if she wanted to do a street photography show there. The Movement Gallery seeks to create space and opportunities for artists and cultural practitioners to share their voices and integrate their practices into a broader social justice framework. Peña’s answer was an immediate yes. She and Hopkins had previously discussed doing a street photography exhibition, but Peña insisted on an all-female photographer event. Thus StreetFatale was born.

When looking back on StreetFatale’s humble beginnings, Peña recalled in the “first show, we went in not knowing what to expect. It was extremely difficult to find the ladies who shoot street, and convince to agree to show.”

Hopkins and Peña initially rounded up 10 ladies for the first show, and they exceeded the cofounders’ expectations. When they had called for submissions for volume two, the response was fantastic. “We now have 25 ladies showing. And more seem to be coming out of the woodwork,” Peña said.

The line up for this Friday will include work from Hopkins and Peña themselves, as well as local photographers Christina Leavitt, Billie Jean Poskey and Jeanine Militello.

StreetFatale focuses on female photographers; Peña stated it “is because many of us who shoot street, especially myself, had experienced a lot of ‘snubbing’ and discrimination when it came to my shooting ability.”

Photography, especially urban/street photography, is mainly a male centered genre. Quite often, the women who are interested in shooting street are intimidated or wind up backing away because they do not know of any other female street photographers to communicate or shoot with, or they are afraid to ask questions.

“With StreetFatale, we hope to empower these ladies to continue doing what they love and not be scared to show what they can do” Peña concluded.