Alex Harris
Professor of the Practice Emeritus of Public Policy
Alex Harris has photographed extensively in the American South, New Mexico, Alaska, and Cuba. His work is represented in major collections including The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, The High Museum of Art in Atlanta, The North Carolina Museum of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
His awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship in Photography, a Rockefeller Foundation Humanities Fellowship, and a Lyndhurst Prize. His photographs have been exhibited in numerous museums including two solo exhibitions at the International Center of Photography in New York. As a photographer and editor, Harris has published fifteen books including River of Traps (with William deBuys) a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in general non-fiction. His book, [The Idea of Cuba ,](http://cdsbooks.org/The-Idea-of-Cuba) was co-published in September of 2007 by the University of New Mexico Press and the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke. His most recent book, [Why We Are Here ](http://books.wwnorton.com/books/978-0-87140-470-1/), a collaboration with E.O.Wilson, was published in 2012 by Liveright/Norton.
Harris was born in Atlanta, Ga., and grew up in the South. After graduation from Yale in 1971, he photographed North Carolina as part of a Duke University research project. Between 1972 and 1978 he lived and photographed in Hispanic villages in northern New Mexico and Eskimo villages in Alaska. During these years, Harris also began to commute to North Carolina to teach documentary photography at Duke.
In 1980 he founded the Center for Documentary Photography at Duke, which he directed for eight years. In 1989, he was a founder of [The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke](http://cds.aas.duke.edu/). Between 1995 and 1998 Harris launched DoubleTake Magazine with Robert Coles and coedited the publication through its first twelve issues. He is currently Professor of the Practice of Public Policy and Documentary Studies at Duke. Within the Center for Documentary Studies, he is the Creative Director of the [Lewis Hine Documentary Fellows Program](http://cds.aas.duke.edu/hine).
His awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship in Photography, a Rockefeller Foundation Humanities Fellowship, and a Lyndhurst Prize. His photographs have been exhibited in numerous museums including two solo exhibitions at the International Center of Photography in New York. As a photographer and editor, Harris has published fifteen books including River of Traps (with William deBuys) a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in general non-fiction. His book, [The Idea of Cuba ,](http://cdsbooks.org/The-Idea-of-Cuba) was co-published in September of 2007 by the University of New Mexico Press and the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke. His most recent book, [Why We Are Here ](http://books.wwnorton.com/books/978-0-87140-470-1/), a collaboration with E.O.Wilson, was published in 2012 by Liveright/Norton.
Harris was born in Atlanta, Ga., and grew up in the South. After graduation from Yale in 1971, he photographed North Carolina as part of a Duke University research project. Between 1972 and 1978 he lived and photographed in Hispanic villages in northern New Mexico and Eskimo villages in Alaska. During these years, Harris also began to commute to North Carolina to teach documentary photography at Duke.
In 1980 he founded the Center for Documentary Photography at Duke, which he directed for eight years. In 1989, he was a founder of [The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke](http://cds.aas.duke.edu/). Between 1995 and 1998 Harris launched DoubleTake Magazine with Robert Coles and coedited the publication through its first twelve issues. He is currently Professor of the Practice of Public Policy and Documentary Studies at Duke. Within the Center for Documentary Studies, he is the Creative Director of the [Lewis Hine Documentary Fellows Program](http://cds.aas.duke.edu/hine).
Current Appointments & Affiliations
- Professor of the Practice Emeritus of Public Policy, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University 2019
Contact Information
- 1317 W Pettigrew St, Durham, NC 27705
- Box 90802, Durham, NC 27708-0802
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alex.harris@duke.edu
(919) 660-3659
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http://alex-harris.com/
- Background
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Education, Training, & Certifications
- A.B., Yale University 1971
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Previous Appointments & Affiliations
- Professor of the Practice, Documentary Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 1987 - 2019
- Professor of the Practice in the Sanford School of Public Policy, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University 2009 - 2019
- Professor of the Practice of Public Policy Studies, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University 1987 - 2009
- Recognition
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In the News
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FEB 3, 2022 -
AUG 31, 2017 The Paris Review -
MAY 2, 2016 WUNC -
APR 27, 2015
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Awards & Honors
- Expertise
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Global Scholarship
- Research
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Selected Grants
- Faces of International Migration awarded by Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation 2002
- Dan Eldon Exhibit and Symposium awarded by Mary Duke Biddle Foundation 1994
- Publications & Artistic Works
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Selected Publications
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Books
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Harris, A., and E. O. Wilson. Why We Are Here: Mobile and The Spirit of A Southern City. Liveright/Norton, 2012.
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Harris, A. Les musés sont des mondes. Edited by JMG Le Clézio. Gallimard and Musée du Louvre, 2011.
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Harris, A. The Idea of Cuba. UNM Press and The Center for Documentary Studies, 2007.
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Harris, A., and W. deBuys. River of Traps: A Mountain Life. Trinity University Press, 2007.
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Harris, A. Where We Live: Photographs of America from the Berman Collection. Edited by Judy Keller and Anne Lacoste. J. Paul Getty Museum, 2006.
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Harris, A. Together We Do Good Work: SEWA’s Child Care Program in Gujarat India, by Sara Gomez. Edited by edited by Alex Harris and Sara Gomez. Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University, 2005.
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Harris, A. Arrivals and Departures: The Airport Photographs of Garry Winogrand. Edited by Alex Harris and Lee Friedlander. Distributed Arts Publishers, 2004.
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Harris, texts by Alex, Kosme de Baranano, Jesus Buxo Rey William deBuys, John Nichols, and Maneul Vazquz Montalban. Islas En El Tiempo. The Valencia Institute of Modern Art (IVAM), 2000.
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Coles, text by Robert. Old and On Their Own. W.W. Norton, 1998.
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Harris, A. A New Life: Stories and Photographs from the Suburban South. Edited by Alex Harris and an introduction. W.W. Norton and Double Take books, 1996.
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Harris, A. Red White Blue and God Bless You: A Portrait of Northern New Mexico. UNM Press, 1992.
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Harris, A. River of Traps: A Village Life, text by William deBuys. The University of New Mexico Press, 1990.
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Harris, A. Beyond the Barricades: Popular Resistance in South Africa. Edited by Alex Harris and Iris Tillman Hill. Aperture, Inc. in association with the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, 1990.
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Harris, A. A World Unsuspected: Portraits of Southern Childhood. Edited by Alex Harris and an introduction. University of North Carolina Press for the Center for Documentary Photography, 1987.
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Harris, A. In the Street. Edited by Alex Harris and Marvin Hoshino. Duke University Press for the Center for Documentary Photography, 1987.
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Harris, A. South Africa: The Cordoned Heart. Edited by Alex Harris Associate editors and Margaret Sartor. W.W. Norton in Association with the Center for Documentary Photography, Duke University, 1986.
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Blom, Gertrude. Gertrude Blom: Bearing Witness. Edited by Alex Harris and Margaret Sartor. University of North Carolina Press/Center for Documentary Photography, 1984.
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Harris, A. Understandings, Photographs of Decatur County, Georgia, by Paul Kwilecki. Edited by Alex Harris and an introduction. University of North Carolina Press, Center for Documentary Photography, 1982.
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Coles, Robert, and Alex Harris. The Last and First Eskimos. The New York Graphic Society, Boston, MA, 1978.
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Harris, A. The Old Ones of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM, 1973.
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Academic Articles
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Dukeheart, Coburn. “Why We Are Here: Capturing the Spirit of Mobile Alabama.” Npr Picture Show, 2013.
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Noble, Don. “Book about Mobile Explores Why We Are Here.” Tuscaloosa News, 2013.
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Harris, A., and E. O. Wilson. “Why We Are Here: Mobile and the Spirit of a Southern City.” Harvard Magazine, September 2012.
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staff, Atlantic Monthly. “Cover to Cover.” The Atlantic Magazine, September 2012.
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Sledge, John. “Southern Spirit.” The Mobile Bay Monthly, 2012.
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Harris, A. “Cuba Through the Windshield.” Edited by Deborah Meacham. Berkeley Review of Latin American Studies, 2011.
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Harris, A. “Cuba Libre.” Dutch Esquire 3 (June 2007).
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Harris, A. “Game Boy.” Russian Esquire, May 2007.
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Freedman, Marc. “Life Begins at Sixty-Five.” In Character: A Journal of Everyday Virtues, 2005, 66–77.
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Harris, A. “Outside the Ordinary.” Edited by Melissa Harris. Aperture Magazine, 2004.
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Harris, Alex. “Blue Sky,” December 2003.
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Gurwitt, R. “Have Tools, Will Travel.” Mother Jones Magazine, January 2003.
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Harris, A., and R. Gurwitt. “Fostering Hope.” Mother Jones Magazine, April 2002.
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photograph, cover, and interior photos by Alex Harris. “Inside Cars.” Edited by Patsy Tarr. 2wice Magazine 5 (2002).
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HARRIS, A. “SLEEPING-BEAUTY - MEMORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN AMERICA - BURNS,SB.” New York Times Book Review, July 28, 1991, 11–12.Link to Item
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Harris, A. “The Life and Times of Solomon Butcher.” A Book Review for the New York Times Book Review, 1991.
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Harris, A. “Decatur County: Pual Kwilecki's Lifetime Document.” San Francisco Camerawork Quarterly 14, no. 2 (July 1987).
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Alford, Kael. “Who’s Idea of Cuba.” Revista Fall/2009, n.d.
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Harris, A., and Publisher S weekly staff. “Why We Are Here: Mobile and the Spirit of A Southern City.” Publisher’S Weekly, n.d.
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Book Sections
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Harris, A. “Pilgrimage to Katrina.” In Les Suds Profonds de L’Amerique, edited by Gilles Mora, 60–103. Democratic Books, 2010.
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Harris, Alex. “New Mexico photographs.” In Migration: Lost and Found in America, edited by Donald McCrae, 96–105. Michael Weiss Productions, 2010.
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photographs, A Harris five. “Handbook of North American Indians.” In The Arctic, Vol. 5. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 1985.
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Artistic Works & Non-Print Media
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Digital Media
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Exhibits
- MFAEDA Works In Progress Presentations 2013. Visual artist. 2013
- In Practice. Visual artist. 2013
- Close to Home. Visual artist. 2013
- Light Sensitive: photographic works from North Carolina Collectors. Visual artist. 2013
- The Bunnen Collection of Photography. Visual artist. 2013
- Visions and Voices of HIV Aids in Malawi, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe. Visual artist. 2002
- Customized: Art inspired by Hot Rods, Low Riders, & American Car Culture. Visual artist. 2000
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Mixed Media
- The Time of our Lives: Living with Brain Cancer. Creator, Director. Photograph, Video Recording. 2011
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Paintings
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Photographs
- Photographs of Robert Coles at Work with Children and Elderly. Performing artist. 2013
- Elderly and Undaunted. Visual artist. 2013
- Photographs of Robert Coles. Visual artist. 2013
- Bull City Summer. Visual artist. 2013
- Permanent Collection Harwood Museum of Art, Taos, New Mexico. Visual artist. 2012
- Raising a Neighborhood: Hope Meadows. Visual artist. 2011
- The Art of Medicine: Samaritan House Free Clinic. Visual artist. 2011
- Permanent Collection Pavillon Populaire, Montpelier, France. Visual artist. 2011
- Permanent Collection of J.Paul Getty Museum. Visual artist. 2011
- MLK Day and Inauguration Day 2009, Washington DC. Creator. 2009
- Behind the Scenes on the Set of CHE. Creator. 2008
- Sunset Canto From River of Traps. Creator. 2008
- Backstory. Visual artist. 2008
- PDN Photo Annual 2008. Visual artist. 2008
- Cuba. Visual artist. 2008
- Alex Harris Photographs of Cuba. Visual artist. 2006
- AARP. Visual artist. 2006
- Ann Stewart Fine Art. Visual artist. 2006
- Blue Sky Gallery, Portland, Oregon. Visual artist. 2006
- Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University. Visual artist. 2006
- Center for Instructional Technology, Duke University. Visual artist. 2006
- Civic Ventures. Visual artist. 2006
- Duke Magazine. Visual artist. 2006
- Encyclopaedia Britannica Web site, Hope Photographs page . Visual artist. 2006
- Hope Photographs. Visual artist. 2006
- Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston. Visual artist. 2006
- Perkins Library, Duke University. Visual artist. 2006
- Scheinbaum and Russek Gallery, Santa Fe, NM. Visual artist. 2006
- Sheldon Art Galleries and Concert Hall, St. Louis, Mo. Visual artist. 2006
- The Los Angeles Times. Visual artist. 2006
- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Visual artist. 2006
- The Valencia Institute of Modern Art (IVAM). Visual artist. 2006
- Engaging All Ages. Visual artist. 2005
- Life Begins at Sixty-Five. Visual artist. 2005
- Der Unendilche Plan, a novel published by Isabel Allende. Visual artist. 2004
- Michael Hoffman Collection. Visual artist. 2004
- Outside the Ordinary: A Tribute in Pictures to Michael E. Hoffman. Visual artist. 2004
- Blue Sky #38. Visual artist. 2003
- Finding God in All Things: Ignatian Lay Volunteer Corps. Visual artist. 2003
- Only Skin Deep: Changing Visions of The American Self by Coco Fusco and Brian Wallis. Visual artist. 2003
- Giving Shelter: RV Care-A-Vanners. Visual artist. 2002
- Inside Cars. Visual artist. 2002
- Photographers, Writers, and The American Scene: Visions of Passage. Visual artist. 2002
- Translating Southwestern Landscapes: The Making of an Anglo Literary Tradition. Visual artist. 2002
- Lessons for Life: Experience Corps . Visual artist. 2001
- HIV In Perspective: Photographs of HIV in Malawi, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia and North Carolina . Visual artist. 2001
- Heinle & Heinle English Language Learning Catalog, cover photograph. Visual artist. 2001
- Acequia Culture: Water, Land, and Community in the Southwest, by Jose Rivera. Visual artist. 1998
- Curriculum Resource Guide. Visual artist. 1998
- Hope Photographs, by Alice Rose George and Lee Marks. Visual artist. 1998
- Perpetual Mirage: Photographic Narratives of the Desert West. Visual artist. 1996
- Lectures, Photography Exhibit Explore Dislocation, Upheaval" by Robert Pincus. Visual artist. 1996
- Place Of The Pretend People, by Carolyn Kremers. Visual artist. 1996
- The Christ Haunted Landscape by Susan Ketchin. Visual artist. 1994
- The Photograph and the American Indian by Alfred Bush. Visual artist. 1994
- Endpaper section photograph and text. Visual artist. 1993
- Artists of 20th Century New Mexico: The Museum of Fine Arts Collections. Performing artist. 1992
- Our Town. Visual artist. 1992
- The Human Portrait, by Whiteford/Friedl. Visual artist. 1991
- Aperture Issue #115, "New Southern Photography: Myth or Reality. Visual artist. 1990
- Photograph of Robert Coles with Migrant child. Visual artist. 1990
- Photograph of an Eskimo Girl on Her First Communion Day. Performing artist. 1990
- Art News. Visual artist. 1989
- Light Factory's Ninth Annual Photographic Print Auction Catalogue. Visual artist. 1989
- Alaska: Reflections of Land and Spirit. Visual artist. 1989
- One Color Photograph. Visual artist. 1987
- Enchantment and Exploitation, by William deBuys . Performing artist. 1985
- The Essential Landscape. Visual artist. 1985
- Cover Photograph. Visual artist. 1985
- One photograph. Visual artist. 1983
- A Celebration of Grandfathers. Performing artist. 1983
- Aperture #81. Visual artist. 1978
- Nouvel Observateur/Social Photo. Visual artist. 1978
- I Shall Save One Land Unvisited. Visual artist. 1978
- The American Poetry Review. Performing artist. 1977
- Photography Within the Humanities. Visual artist. 1977
- Twilight at the Taft. Visual artist. 1971
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- Scholarly, Clinical, & Service Activities
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Presentations & Appearances
- Why We Are Here: Mobile and the Spirit of a Southern City. December 12, 2012 2012
- River of Traps. October 23, 2012 2012
- Why We Are Here: Mobile and the Spirit of a Southern City. October 16, 2012 2012
- Why We Are Here: Mobile and the Spirit of a Southern City. October 12, 2012 2012
- Why We Are Here: Mobile and the Spirit of a Southern City. October 12, 2012 2012
- Why We Are Here: Mobile and the Spirit of a Southern City. October 11, 2012 2012
- River of Traps: A New Mexico Mountain Life. September 1, 2012 2012
- Revolutionary Project: Cuba from Walker Evans to Now. May 17, 2012 2012
- Its About Time: 14,000 years of Art in New Mexico. May 11, 2012 2012
- Red White Blue and God Bless You. April 12, 2012 2012
- Photnight presentation. February 27, 2012 2012
- The Time of Our Lives: Living with Brain Cancer. February 23, 2012 2012
- The Idea of Cuba. February 16, 2012 2012
- After the Storm: Post Katrina Photographs. February 11, 2012 2012
- The Time of Our Lives: Living with Brain Cancer. January 11, 2012 2012
- Le Louvre Invite J.M.G. Le Clézio: Les Musés sont des Mondes. November 5, 2011 2011
- The Time of Our Lives: Living with Brain Cancer. September 29, 2011 2011
- Living With Brain Cancer. September 12, 2011 2011
- Gallery talk. June 18, 2011 2011
- Eyes on Cuba: Reflections of a Photographer and an Anthropologist. May 18, 2011 2011
- Two approaches to documenting life in Cuba. May 16, 2011 2011
- Why We Are Here: Mobile and the Spirit of An American City. April 26, 2011 2011
- After the Storm: Post Katrina Photographs. Sanford School of Public Policy. April 15, 2011 2011
- Why We Are Here: Mobile and the Spirit of An American City. April 15, 2011 2011
- Après le cyclone Katrina: ce qu'en dit l'appareil photographique. January 6, 2011 2011
- Sacred Spaces: Devotional Images with photography by Alex Harris. December 17, 2010 2010
- Diagnosis: A Photographer's Guide. November 16, 2010 2010
- Louisiana Ruins, Myths and Chaos. October 1, 2010 2010
- The Idea of Cuba. March 19, 2009 2009
- The Idea of Cuba. January 31, 2009 2009
- A Democracy of Seeing: The photographs of Arik Carmon. January 26, 2009 2009
- Photography, Documentary, and the Making of Art: A Conversation with Barkley Hendricks. November 18, 2008 2008
- River of Traps revisited. October 30, 2008 2008
- Photographs from New Mexico and Cuba. October 24, 2008 2008
- Devotional Images and Photography by Alex Harris. September 1, 2008 2008
- The Idea of Cuba. April 10, 2008 2008
- Documentary Photography. February 21, 2008 2008
- Contemporary Cuba. February 2, 2008 2008
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Service to Duke
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