Qiana Mestrich + Carla J. Williams: Decolonizing Photography History

Thursday December 4, 7-9pm

In-person, VSW Theater

Free [please RSVP]

Join us in the VSW theater for an engaged conversation with Qiana Mestrich and Carla Williams about diversity in photographic history and the legacy of Dodge and Burn. Mestrich and Williams are dynamic artists, educators and historians who are concerned with amplifying the works of photographers of color. Mestrich is the author of Decolonization and Diversity in Contemporary Photography, a seminal text based off of her long-running photography blog, Dodge and Burn, which features interviews with artists such as Keisha Scarville, Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, Lola Flash, Chester Higgins, Jr., Hernease Davis and Nakeya Brown. Williams, who wrote the foreword to Mestrich’s book, is a groundbreaking photographer, educator and author. Williams also co-authored The Black Female Body: A Photographic History with Deborah Willis, and her first monograph, Tender, won the 2023 Aperture Foundation First Photobook Award. Their conversation will be moderated by artist and VSW Assistant Curator, Hernease Davis.

Artist Bios 

Qiana Mestrich is a photography-focused interdisciplinary artist, photo historian, writer and SEO professional. Mestrich is the founder of Dodge & Burn: Decolonizing Photography History, a blog diversifying the medium’s history by advocating for photographers of color. Born and raised in New York City to immigrant parents from Panama and Croatia, Mestrich’s autobiographical artwork and research engages issues around Black, mixed-race identity, motherhood/mothering and women’s corporate labor. 

Carla J. Williams is a photographer, archivist, editor, and writer, and the author of two histories of photography, including The Black Female Body: A Photographic History with Deborah Willis. Her first monograph, Tender, was published in 2023 by TBW Books. She is a 2025 Guggenheim Fellow and exhibits with Higher Pictures, New York City.