| About FiftyCrows Foundation |
| MISSION Images inspire people to act. Examples of socially rousing photography permeate our history: Vietnam, Rwanda, 9-11’s Ground Zero. Unfortunately, mainstream media narratives often work to envelop public perspective on these seminal issues by presenting limited viewpoints and images. Due to that fact that the focus of these media corporations is on creating profits rather than social justice, the many answers that we demand as conscious global citizens become conditional. FiftyCrows Foundation eschews these media politics and prioritizes social awareness by using arrestingly real, timely photographic images as a catalyst for education, cultural understanding and social action. Founded in October of 2001, FiftyCrows couples visual stories from world-class documentary photographers with action and media campaigns in order to affect change. We leverage our website, television and various programs and partnerships to unite communities to work together in confronting current social, political, and environmental challenges around the globe. ______________________________________________________________________________ GOALS To accomplish our mission, FiftyCrows Foundation aims to bridge the gap between venues and distribution mediums for documentary photography, and encourage public dialogue on the issues raised through the photography. Our goals are as follows: • Redefine the means of distributing documentary photographic essays to reach a large and diverse public through the use of television, the Internet, DVDs and the Web; • Facilitate interaction among engaged citizens and leverage technology for them to use a variety of communication tools to make their voices heard by those in positions of power (corporate, media, legislative groups); • Increase access to documentary photographic essays for under-served populations, especially children, minorities and teenagers; • Expand the distribution and exhibition network of the essays of documentary photographers; • Foster sustainable careers in documentary photography through financial support and networking. ______________________________________________________________________________ Why FiftyCrows? In mid-2000, at an important crossroads in my life, I visited my childhood home in Ohio. One particularly restless night, I went to bed asking what was next for me. Early that next morning I awoke to the cacophony of cawing outside my window. When I pulled back the drapes to view the commotion I found the tree filled with "about fifty crows", and they were all staring directly at me. They continued their "message" for another ten minutes. I knew this was a sign. I could feel the importance of this natural event, yet didn't understand the meaning. In Native American ways, "medicine" refers to anything that improves one's connection to the Great Mystery and to all life. With Crow Medicine one must speak in a powerful voice when addressing issues that seem out of harmony, out of balance, or unjust. Crow Medicine assists one in speaking one's truth, and balancing the past, present, and future in the now. Crow guides the way by flying a straight path toward a world in harmony and peace. That's what I needed to do. So, you may wonder, how does the Crow guide the mission of FiftyCrows Foundation? I find that in-depth photographic essays offer insights that a single image cannot. It's harder to stray from the truth, since the evidence presented in a story put together with images cannot be disputed. Documentary photography is part of the straight path to the truth, as the crow flies. Powerful medicine indeed. Like Crow did that morning, the photographers we work with caw out to us to wake up the realities of the world and beckon us to come together to find a promised path toward peace and harmony. Andy Patrick Founder & Executive Director |
| Contact Us |
| FiftyCrows Foundation 49 Geary St, Suite 225 San Francisco, CA 94108 Gallery Hours: Thursday - Friday - Saturday 12-5 Class Tours by appointment. info@fiftycrows.org |