Li Wei, 30, better known by his online alias “Dameng”, manages an avocado orchard in Menglian Dai, Lahu, and Va Autonomous County of Pu’er, Yunnan province. He uses his photography to promote the city, which sits on the border between China and Myanmar.

Hailing from Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous prefecture, Yunnan, Dameng is a member of the Hani ethnic group. Three years ago, he was working as a travel experience designer and photographer, having visited over 30 countries. However, he felt drawn to his own ethnic group and decided to return to Yunnan to document local ethnic cultures.

After visiting several places, Dameng lacked sustained financial support, so he started looking for ways to use his skills to help local people and also make some money.

In October 2020, he arrived in Menglian, a town comparable in latitude to Michoacan, Mexico, a major avocado-producing region.

“When I saw avocado trees stretching from the mountaintops to the foothills, I knew I had finally found the right place that could accommodate me,” he recalled.

In April 2021, Dameng planted his first batch of avocado seedlings. But for the first three years, he had to prune the avocados to encourage the growth of the trees, and only from the fourth year onward did the trees begin to yield fruit.

Since his own avocado trees have not yet borne fruit, Dameng has been purchasing avocados from local farmers, above market price, to sell through his own online and offline channels.

Using his expertise in photography, Dameng bridges the gap between consumers and the origin of the avocados, allowing them to see the fruits’ growing environment and the growth process. His reverence for nature and ethnic culture earned recognition from consumers.

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JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – An evening of cultural appreciation and visual storytelling will highlight this exhibition.

To cap off Black History Month, the “Black Essence Photography Exhibit” will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Studio 404, 404 Messenger St., Johnstown.

“I feel like sometimes with Black history we focus on the past and the past isn’t the nicest, so for the photography exhibit I wanted to focus on the present and the future,” said Camillya Taylor, owner of Camille’s House of Styles Salon and Boutique and founder of Johnstown Fashion Week, who curated the show.

“It’s an exhibit of beautiful people.”

Featured will be black-and-white photographs by six Black photographers – Brenda Yancey Davis, Johnstown; Darius Levine Davis, Harrisburg; Corwin Hall, Pittsburgh; William Pittman, Pittsburgh; Lawrence Smith, Harrisburg; and Tifya Taylor, Johnstown.

“The photographers featured, I’ve worked with in the past for Johnstown Fashion Week,” Taylor said.

“I realized they are bigger than fashion and they do so many more things, so I wanted to exhibit a lot of the beautiful work they have.”

She said much like fashion, art allows people to express themselves individually, tell their stories and celebrate diversity.

“The walls become the catwalk, showcasing the ever-evolving and -captivating expressions of the soul,” Taylor said.

The evening also will feature light hors d’oeuvres, poetry readings and soulful music.

The exhibit will be on display through March 2.

“I hope people will feel uplifted,” Taylor said.

“Sometimes Black History Month can feel sad, but I hope people will feel encouraged and want to move forward and be the best they possibly can.”

All pieces are available for purchase.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Keystone Equity and Empowerment Project, which aims to uplift, empower and strengthen Black communities within western Pennsylvania.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com/e/black-essence-photography-exhibit-tickets-778693452077.

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READING, Pa. – Inside the Reading Public Museum, visitors can take a walk through history in a new temporary photo exhibition.

“This is Danny Lyon: Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement,” said Hannah Wagner, curatorial research assistant and registrar at the Reading Public Museum.

Lyon was the first staff photographer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC,) a national group of college students who joined together and protested during the 1960s.

“Lyon traveled throughout the southern United States, photographing important people and events during the Civil Rights movement,” said Wagner. “He was present at the March on Washington. He was with SNCC members in the wake of the JFK assassination. He was in various southern cities, as there were peaceful demonstrations and not so peaceful demonstrations, unfortunately.”

Organizers said everyone is welcome to come check out the photographs until May 12th.

Wagner showed us the photos displayed throughout the exhibit.

“So, this grouping of three photographs shows a group of teenagers who were arrested in Americus, Georgia for protesting,” explained Wagner.

Organizers say the museum is open daily and the exhibition is included with a museum admission.

“It’s the United States history, so it’s very important. And I think that everybody in our community should see these photographs,” added Wagner.

I got a big smile from a photo and its caption on the Feb. 12 Community page. It seems the Riverside Cemetery photo contest was won by a man who goes by the name “The Blackman Armed with a Camera.” That is a great name for an artist with a great talent! I hope to see more of his photographs in the future.

I do wish our world had more people armed with cameras, talent, and creativity rather than guns.

Conrad Sienkiewicz

Torrington