Lydia Melamed Johnson believes the best days of photography have yet to come—and in that light, she knows the medium deserves a fair befitting its many forms.  

Johnson, who was named the Executive Director of The Photography Show presented by AIPAD in the fall of 2023, is at once ebullient and considered in her passion for photography. She has a profound appreciation for art collecting—one she shares with her husband—and Johnson could quickly rattle off the names of dozens of contemporary photographers who inspire her. This enthusiasm is paired with a staid sense of responsibility for her role helming the longest-running and leading fair dedicated to photography as it enters its 43rd year (the fair runs April 25-28, 2024). 

Under Johnson, this has meant a return to form; The Photography Show will return to the grandeur of the Park Avenue Armory, for the first time since 2016. With 76 international exhibitors participating, the fair is also bringing on a remarkable selection of newcomer galleries including ELLEPHANT, Marshall Gallery, Olivier Waltman, RocíoSantaCruz, and The Third Gallery Aya.  

The lead-up to the fair means long days, but Johnson makes sure to spend her cherished time with her husband and young daughter, enjoying life’s little pleasures—a watch she was gifted from loved ones reminds her that every minute is precious. One of her favorite splurges is a bouquet of tulips from the Union Square Farmer’s Market.  

Ahead of the fair, we caught up with Johnson, who shared a few of the artists who have caught her keen eye, and what she values in her day-to-day life.

What is the last thing that you splurged on?
A photograph by Theis Wendt from The Ravestijn Gallery and a game-changing travel stroller that made flying with my newborn actually manageable, even through LAX.

What is something that you’re saving up for?
Rather on the nose, but a photograph from the upcoming fair. My husband and I love walking through the fair once a day together during the run-of-show, discussing and seeing which works we continue to return to over and over again. We make the decision on Sunday but at the 2022 fair, we knew right away we wanted a small work by Paul Cupido at IBASHO.

What would you buy if you found $100?
Flowers. There is a fabulous tulip grower at the Union Square Farmers Market who I would buy bundles from every week.

What makes you feel like a million bucks?
My daughter’s smile, helping a member of my small team accomplish a goal we’ve set together… and a Dries van Noten suit.

Cathy Kaplan and Lydia Melamed Johnson, in a Dries van Noten blazer, seated in front of a work by  Mickeleane Thomas. Photo: Michael Priest Photography.

What do you think is your greatest asset?
Big thinking with excruciating attention to detail. My ability to step back and see the larger circumstances and situation, while understanding the minutiae that will get it done.

What do you most value in a work of art?
Emotional resonance.

Who is an emerging artist worthy of everyone’s attention?
David Alekhuogie. A Nigerian-American artist, who shows with Yancey Richardson. Juxtaposing African traditional textiles with canonical elements, such as Man Ray’s photographs of African masks, and personal interventions, like including his own hand, the multidimensional works are spectacular and speak to a layered understanding of self. Each time you look, there is something new to explore.

Monty the dog sits near David Alekhuogie’s Scramble for Africa 2-2 (2023). Courtesy of Lydia Melamed Johnson.

Who is an overlooked artist who hasn’t yet gotten their due?
There are so many to choose from, and especially, many women artists who have produced incredible work for years. Two that immediately spring to mind are Diana López (Henrique Faria) and Danielle Nelson-Mourning (Weston Gallery). Though the work varies greatly between the two and holds powers in contrasting ways, they are each investigating identity, femininity, the scope of societal expectations across history and the new frontier of the internet, and each commanding their own spaces with deeply insightful art.

What, in your estimation, is the most overrated thing in the art world?
Sauvignon blanc.

What is your most treasured possession?
My watch, a gift from my husband and close family for my 30th birthday. It is treasured because of its givers, its craftsmanship, and the brand’s long history but it also reminds me to invest my time wisely, whether on work, family, friends, or rest. I look forward to a moment when I’ll pass it on to my daughter and she’ll learn the value of her family, history, and time.

Moderator, BoredPanda staff

Hi there! I’m Gabrielė, but you can also catch me responding to Gab, Gabi, Gabert, or Gabe – take your pick. Professionally, I’m the senior community manager over at Bored Panda, helping people share their awesome work and connecting artists with a worldwide audience.

Beyond work, you’ll catch me traveling, listening to vinyl and diving into movies, art exhibitions, and concerts. I’m a culture buff at heart, always eager to explore and embrace the richness of the human experience.

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Join our wildlife team to learn about and photograph the wildlife in our care. Experienced photographers will be available to assist participants with camera techniques for portrait-style and action photography opportunities with raptors and mammals. Participants are welcome to explore the fundamentals of their equipment during a preliminary Zoom meeting on Friday, May 3 at 6:30 pm.

The Crown Prosecution Service has admitted it was wrong to press on with a case against a news photographer arrested as he tried to lawfully take pictures at a crime scene.

Judge Walters at Swansea crown court described the case against Dimitris Legakis, which was dropped on the eve of his trial, as “disturbing” and said it seemed “the high point” of the prosecution was that a police officer “took offence” against someone whose job was to take photographs.

Legakis went to the scene of a car fire in Swansea on 22 September last year. It later turned out that a man called David Clarke, 80, had beaten his wife, Helen, 77, with a hammer as she sat in their car and then set fire to her.

There was a crowd of people and an altercation began. Legakis’s barrister, James Hartson, told the court his client believed he was singled out by police because he had a camera, was arrested “with considerable force” and detained for 15 hours. He was charged by police with assaulting an emergency worker.

His trial was due to start on Tuesday but the case was dropped on Monday after the prosecution said no evidence would be offered.

A CPS spokesperson said: “In a review prior to the recent hearing, we decided that there was no longer sufficient evidence to continue with the prosecution and it should be stopped. We acknowledge this should have been done sooner.”

South Wales police said: “We note the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service not to offer any evidence in this case.”

Legakis, who runs Athena Picture Agency and works for the Guardian as a freelancer, said: “I feel numb, not better or worse as the impact it has had to my mental health is still evident. I suffered nightmares and my sleep has been disturbed.

“My human right of freedom of expression was disregarded and instead of being protected by the police, I was victimised by being arrested and held in custody for 15 hours.

“My gear was seized and kept for over two months and I had to notify clients of mine of the ongoing legal process which caused me immense embarrassment.”

College of Policing guidelines say: “Reporting or filming from the scene of an incident is part of the media’s role and they should not be prevented from doing so from a public place. Police have no power or moral responsibility to stop the filming or photographing of incidents or police personnel. It is for the media to determine what is published or broadcast, not the police.

Editor’s Note: This feature is part of CNN Style’s series Hyphenated, which explores the complex issue of identity among minorities in the United States.

In one photo, Julo stares down the camera dressed in a tie-dye t-shirt, dreadlocks and a red snapback cap. In another, Adbul wears low-waisted jeans, a motorcycle jacket and a decadent fur scarf. Candace is pictured in a pair of Nike Air Jordans, her long platinum hair stark against her black shirt. These are some of the faces featured in “Muslims in America,” an ongoing photography series by British artist Mahtab Hussain.

“I grew up always being told that Islam is a way of life, but I didn’t really know what that meant,” Hussain told CNN over a video call. “But going to the US and meeting all these communities, people from all walks of life, all over the world, it’s really interesting how this Islam fits in with the culture.”

Like an intricately woven tapestry, the series stitches together the many people who share his identity, which is underrepresented in the US. In 2017, the Pew Research Center estimated there were 3.45 million Muslims living in the US — and projected that by 2040, Muslims would replace Jews as the country’s second-largest religious group after Christians. By 2050, the same study also predicted that the US Muslim population would grow to a total of 8.1 million, or 2.1% of the total population. Despite these figures, the experience of Muslims today can be misconstrued or entirely lacking from the cultural conversation.

According to the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, just 1% of all speaking characters across 200 popular TV shows in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand were Muslim. The visibility that does exists has often perpetuated harmful stereotypes. In another study that focused on the portrayals of Muslims in movies, also by the USC Annenberg, nearly 40% of primary and secondary Muslim characters across 200 top-rated films were depicted as perpetrators of violence. “The representation of Muslims on screen feeds the policies that get enacted, the people that get killed, the countries that get invaded,” wrote actor and producer Riz Ahmed, in an accompanying call-to-arms document called “The Blueprint for Muslim Inclusion.” The project outlines ways to boost Muslim representation in TV and film in order to help combat anti-Muslim hate, erasure and stereotypes.

Hussain, who was born in Glasgow to first-generation immigrants from Kashmir and Pakistan, felt compelled to challenge the misconception of Muslims in America, particularly after Islamophobia rose after the 9/11 attacks. He began the project in 2021, two decades on, as a way to visually commemorate the anniversary from another perspective. “When 9/11 happened, so many people in the communities in the US and the UK shut down, because they were fearful of being seen as being Muslim. The religion was hijacked, their narrative was completely hijacked, a lot of interesting filmmakers, musicians and cultural creatives stopped,” he said. “But in the last 20 years, I’ve seen a new wave of pride emerge about being Muslim.”

So far, Hussain has documented subjects living in New York, LA, Baltimore and Toronto, Canada. His sitters are a mix of people responding to open casting calls as well as ones he spots while riding his bike through city streets. Some wear hijabs and kufi hats, others are dressed in tank tops, hoodies, cargo pants and mini skirts. As a British Pakistani Muslim, he says he’s noticed that the makeup of the community across the pond is more diverse. “The major difference is diversity. I’ve met people from all over the world in the US who are Muslim: Palestinians, people from all over Africa. LA has one of the largest Iranian populations. It’s not the same in Britain.”

The result is a rich portfolio, capturing people of different ages and ethnicities as well as their clothing choices — some appear covered up, while others show more skin and tattoos. Not only do Hussain’s photographs visually challenge the way American Muslims have been portrayed, he has also offered space for his subjects to share their experiences. In transcribed interviews printed alongside the images, they open up about issues such as the balancing act of embracing aspects of US culture and honouring their faith. Whether to wear a hijab or not, for example, played on the mind of some of the women he has lensed, while others reflected on the stigma of dressing modestly in a Western society. “There’s no narrative that I’m trying to push through,” he said. “It’s about what the community is saying, and who these people are. That’s how I’ve always made my work.”

According to Hussain, many of the people he met saw Islam as something forgiving and evolving, rather than strict and fundamentalist. “I’m learning so much from the people I meet,” he told CNN. “The LGBTQ community in New York City absolutely schooled me with regards to what Islam means to them. There’s a narrative that says if you’re gay or queer, you can’t be religious. But they (embraced) their journey and struggle.”

His next installment will take place in Dearborn, Michigan, a city with the largest population of Muslims in the entire nation. In 2022, Democrat Abdullah Hammoud became Dearborn’s first Arab American mayor, and has been in the spotlight recently for raising concerns about US President Joe Biden’s response to the conflict in Gaza.

“I worry Biden will be remembered not as the president who saved American democracy but as the president who sacrificed it for Netanyahu,” the mayor wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times in February.

Many members of  Dearborn’s Arab American and Muslim American communities have openly rejected Biden for his handling of the Israel-Hamas war. Hussain, who typically tries to keep the project as positive in tone as possible, is planning a trip to the city in order to capture Muslim residents in this politically-charged atmosphere. (Michigan is a key state in the 2024 election).

“I think it’s really important there’s a chapter in the work that talks about this,” he said. “Yes, this (series) is about looking positively at a new identity that’s formed in the US, but October 7 shifted the conversation again.” This month, the Pew Research Center published a survey that found 70% of US Muslims believe discrimination against Muslims has increased since the Israel-Hamas war began, and over 50% say they feel  afraid of news around the war.

“It just shows how delicate this all is, especially for Muslims in the US.”

Hussain says the response to the series has so far been affirming, with many participants celebrating his mission to broaden Muslim representation. “Everyone was really open to being part of the work,” he said.

“Strangers would come up to me and hug me. The love that I received, it absolutely changed me as a person.”

More of Mahtab Hussain’s work can be found here.