Centro Fotográfico Álvarez Bravo
( Alvarez Bravo Photographic Center)

Askari Mateos
From its foundation, on September 17, 1996, the Centro Fotográfico Álvarez Bravo has housed seasonal exhibits of photographs of the level of Henri Crtier-Bresson, Man Ray, Nacho López, Walter Reuter, Mary Ellen Mark Sebastian Salgado, Josef Koudelka, Francis Giacobetti, Juan Rulfo and numerous Photography luminaries.

Promoted as a non-profit organization with the mission of the promotion, dissemination, research, education, preservation and exhibition of photography, the Centro Fotográfico began its activities on the street of Murguía 302, Centro, in an 18th. Century house acquired and restored by Francisco Toledo the painter.

It is also the home of the Fonoteca Eduardo Mata (recording library) and the library for the blind, , which was established to aid the studies of visually challenged persons and to provide information on rehabilitation.

Just last month the Centro Fotográfico Álvarez Bravo changed its location and was reopened to the public with an exhibit by Graciela Iturbide. The renowned photographer presented two un- titled series Pájaros/Naturata.

The space, its wealth and the Fonoteca Eduardo Mata are now located at Manuel Bravo 116, Centro. Meanwhile the Biblioteca para Ciegos Jorge Luis Borges with its 600 books and magazines in Braille covering everything from the Classics to contemporary literature to history, biology, geography, mathematics, English, music, among other subjects were relocated to the installations of the El Pochote cinema club along with all its regular activities such as permanent Braille and English lessons, workshops, conferences and concerts.

Currently, the Centro Fotográfico has more than 15 thousand negatives and many photos from different sources, the notables include those of Sotero Constantino, Ignacio Zanabria, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Víctor Agustín Cassasola, Henry Cartier-Bresson and Hugo Breheme, Guillermo Kahlo and the collection of contemporary photographs with works by Tina Modotti, Donald Cordy, Rafael Doniz, Camille Oweena Fogarty, Judit Golden, Flor Garduño, Lourdes Grobet, Héctor García, Nacho López, Maya Godet, Josef Koudelka, Eniac Martínez, David Maawad and Sebastian Salgado, among others as well as a collection of post cards of the city of Oaxaca.

It also has more than four-thousand books on photography and thousands recordings of jazz, classical and ethnic music and dozens of players for listening to them.

It will be at this new site, with 20 lineal meters of more space and windows facing the streets of García Vigil and Manuel M. Bravo where exhibits of the present day photographic tendencies as well as the works of the Grand Masters of the Lens will be assembled in exhibits for the viewing pleasure of the public.

In this same way, this space will continue offering workshops and conferences, book presentations and guided viewings, as well as the promotion of various cultural activities such as showings of movies on video, literature and music.