Bronx Documentary Center, Opens its Doors

The Bronx Documentary Center opened in the Melrose section of the Bronx on Saturday. The Center, located at the intersection of Courtlandt Avenue and East 151st Street, launched with an exhibition of multimedia and photographs by the late photojournalist Tim Hetherington (including his video work shown on the wall of a building across the street from the Center). Hetherington died tragically last April while covering the conflict in Libya. Last week, BDC founder Mike Kamber posted a moving article on the New York Times Lens Blog about Hetherington, a good friend who helped inspire him create the center.

The opening attracted hundreds of people that crammed the storefront gallery and its backyard. The crowd included journalists, photographers, students, family and friends of Hetherington, and Bronx artists and art enthusiasts.

For me, the experience of attending the opening was inspirational at many levels. Making photographs in the presence of famous photojournalists was daunting, scary and thrilling.