Living On A Dollar A Day: The lives and faces of the world’s poor.
By Renée C Byer
An interactive photographic exhibit that inspires people to create change with compassion, education and action.
Thursday, February 16
Opening Reception: 6:00PM MMTH Atrium
Artist Lecture: 7:30PM MMTH Auditorium
MMTH Gallery and Atrium
February 16 – April 28
Sunday | 3:00PM – 9:00PM
Monday – Thursday | 9:00AM – 9:00 PM
Friday | 9:00AM – 5:00PM
ABOUT
Living On A Dollar A Day: The Lives and Faces of the World’s Poor, is a powerful and extraordinary series of photographs and profiles by Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist Renée C. Byer, whose work illuminates the human faces of people who live in extreme poverty around the world. Traveling to 10 countries on four continents, Byer sought out individuals and families on the brink of survival – living on about one U.S. dollar each day.
The people in Byer’s compelling profiles share their hardships, their joys, and their dreams for the future with her. Often with little hope of changing their own destiny, they dream of something better for their children. In her searing and tender images, accompanied by stories shared by people whose trust she gained, Byer gives voice to those who would not otherwise be heard.
BRING YOUR MOBILE DEVICE
Through her collaboration with A Fourth Act, Renée aims to reinvent how we experience photo exhibitions by bridging the power of stories that build awareness and turn compassion and empathy into social action. By using an innovative mobile web app, youbridge.it, along with Renée’s photos, the interactive photo exhibit can engage visitors to participate in an interactive and powerful experience that goes beyond raising awareness.
As they walk through the gallery, youbridge.it offers the photo exhibit visitors an opportunity to dive deeper into the issues behind the stories and makes tangible actions available at their fingertips. Byer’s photos are an emotional invitation to learn about the roots causes of extreme poverty and hunger, and to take simple but concrete actions in 10 areas of social issues. A strong believer that positive change can happen; she encourages us to be part of it by shifting the language from problem-focused to a solution-oriented one.
TESTIMONY
“This photography is inspirational, and the reason I gave the money to the United Nations and to poverty fighting programs is [that] I’ve been all over the world and I’ve seen the hunger first hand. And it’s not a pretty sight, and it makes you want to do something about it.”
— Ted Turner, on receiving the 2014 James C. Morgan Humanitarian Award
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Renée C. Byer is an award-winning American documentary photojournalist best known for her in-depth work focusing on the disadvantaged and those who otherwise would not be heard. Her ability to produce photographs with profound emotional resonance and sensitivity earned her the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography in 2007 and dozens of national and international honors, including the World Understanding Award from Pictures of the Year International, and Pulitzer Finalist in 2013. Byer’s internationally acclaimed book, Living on a Dollar a Day: The Lives and Faces of the World’s Poor, illuminates the stories of people living on the brink of survival, and invites you to put an end to extreme poverty.
An inspiring teacher and speaker, Byer stirs audiences to see how unbiased photojournalism can raise awareness and affect change. Her compelling TEDx Tokyo talk, “The Storytelling Power of Photography,” received a standing ovation and can be viewed online. Valued for her critical insight, she has served for eight years as a judge for the prestigious Days Japan International Photojournalism Awards.
