“Third Thursdays,” the popular monthly photography presentation and artist talks at Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC’s) James Kerney Campus (JKC) Gallery at 137 North Broad Street in Trenton, will take place today, January 20, 2022 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Hosted by Michael Chovan-Dalton, Director of JKC Gallery, the event will take place on the Zoom conferencing platform. “JKC Gallery starts off the New Year with two remarkable guests,” said Chovan-Dalton. “Ryann Casey recently curated ‘Before, After – Reflections on the Armenian Genocide’ at Stockton University and ‘The Mark and the Memory’ at the JKC Gallery.”

This month’s focus is on the works of two artists New Jersey Photographer Ryann Casey and photographer and visual explorer Flora Fanzutti. Ryann Casey is a New Jersey-based artist, curator, and educator. Casey’s “Third Thursdays” focus continues the “Loss Event” theme which Casey explains as an exploration of “the intersection of personal loss with the ongoing threat of climate change and environmental degradation, specifically through the filter of memory and mourning.” The project was based in the U.S. National Park system and began shortly after the sudden death of a close friend. Casey was inspired by her friend’s life as an avid nature enthusiast and, for a time, park ranger.”

Casey explained, “Loss Event is an effort to understand how grief can shape the way we move through the world and how loss can be felt in both deeply private spaces as well as publicly in places of grandeur.” More can be found about Ryann Casey at https://www.instagram.com/ryann.casey/

As well, the event will host photographer and visual explorer Flora Fanzutti. “We will also be welcoming Flora Fanzutti who will be joining us virtually from Lyon, France,” said Chovan-Dalton. “Flora was just featured in ‘Analog Forever’ Magazine and will be part of the ‘Experimental Photo Festival’ in Barcelona this July.”

Flora Fanzutti visually explores the living matter of photography. Fanzutti, who is based in Lyon, France, does not see photography as a fixed time with fixed memories. Fanzutti explained, “It’s as alive as our relationship to it; it’s as changing as our memories themselves.”

Among other notable accomplishments, Fanzutti is a permanent artist at “the MGB” photographic studio in Lyon. Since 2015 she has been a photography teacher at SEPR — a vocational training center in France — while working with artist intervention and conferences at the ENSAL architecture school, Sciences Po Paris and other schools. She also spent two years in Australia as a photographer.

More can be found about Flora Fanzutti at https://www.florafanzutti.com.

The show is curated by Heather Palecek and Habiyb Shu’Aib and the public is invited. Reservations are required. For more information about registration visit JKCGallery.online.