FotoFocus 2026

As part of The Long Lives We Carry, Clifton Cultural Arts Center and SOS ART invites community members of all ages to participate in a collaborative installation celebrating the elders who have shaped our lives.

Throughout the exhibition, a dedicated gallery space will grow into a collective portrait of our community through photographs and personal reflections honoring parents, grandparents, neighbors, mentors, friends, and loved ones. Whether your subject is still with us or lives on in memory, we invite you to share a glimpse of the long lives that continue to shape our own.

Participants are invited to contribute:

• A photograph of an elder who is meaningful to you 
• A brief written reflection, memory, or story to accompany the image

Professional photography is not expected or required. A favorite snapshot from a family album is just as welcome as a newly created portrait. What matters most is the relationship and the story behind the image.

For those interested in creating a new image, CCAC will also offer an optional Portrait Photography Workshop led by photographer Matt Zory on August 15, 2026. The workshop will provide an introduction to the topic by Saad Ghosn from SOS ART (curator of The Long Lives We Carry) , as well as approachable guidance for photographing the elders in your life with care and intention. Participation in the workshop is entirely optional—community members are welcome to submit photographs regardless of whether they attend.

Together, these photographs and stories will form an evolving installation that reflects the richness, wisdom, humor, resilience, and humanity of aging within our community. We hope you’ll help us create a space that honors the people who have carried us, taught us, and continue to shape who we are.

Submission details and workshop registration information will be available through Clifton Cultural Arts Center.

Details

As part of The Long Lives We Carry, we invite community members to help create a growing installation celebrating the elders who have shaped our lives.

Share photographs and a brief reflection honoring a parent, grandparent, neighbor, mentor, friend, or loved one. Whether taken decades ago or yesterday, professionally or on a phone, every image contributes to a collective portrait of aging, memory, and connection within our community.

What to Share

• 1–3 photographs of an elder who is meaningful to you. CCAC will print at least 1 image for inclusion in installation per participant. 
• A short written reflection (approximately 75–200 words) sharing why you’ve chosen these images or what this person has meant in your life. This can be a memory, story, tribute, or reflection—there is no right or wrong way to participate.

Image Guidelines

To ensure photographs reproduce well in the exhibition, please submit:

• JPEG, PNG, or TIFF files
• Original-resolution images whenever possible (please avoid screenshots or heavily compressed images)
• A minimum resolution of 3000 × 4000 pixels is recommended for clear printing up to 13 × 19 inches
• If using a smartphone, simply sending the original image is usually sufficient

Don’t worry if you’re unsure whether your image meets these guidelines—we’re happy to help determine what will print well. All printing to be undertaken by CCAC – you just send the images!

Timeline

To be included when the exhibition opens, please submit your materials by September 10.

The installation will continue to grow throughout the exhibition, and contributions received after September 10 are warmly welcomed and will be added as space allows.

Opening Reception

Everyone who participates is warmly invited to celebrate the completed installation at the opening reception for The Long Lives We Carry on Friday, September 25 at Clifton Cultural Arts Center.

Thank you for helping us create a living archive of memory, gratitude, and the people whose long lives continue to shape our own.