PORTRAITS OF THE 14TH STREET Y Exhibition Opens This Week

Portraits of the 14th Street Y, a series of photographs by Bridget Badore, will be shown at the 14th Street Y, 344 E. 14th Street, New York, NY 10003, from December 6, 2017 through January 6, 2018, with an opening celebration on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 from 7-9pm.

The exhibition is FREE; to reserve a spot for the opening celebration, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/gallery-opening-14yportraits-tickets-40136281699.

Portraits of the 14th Street Y tells the stories behind the many faces of the 14th Street Y community, including members, staff, teachers, trainers, artists, caregivers, families, and local business owners. This series showcases 40 intimate portraits of those individuals, accompanied by their unique anecdotes and experiences, as told through interviews with the artist. Together, these portraits show the East Village community center as more than a gym, theater, preschool, or place of work-as seen through the eyes of our community, this space proves to be a center for creativity, friendship, inclusivity, and discovery in downtown Manhattan.

Each year, the unique stories of more than 20,000 New Yorkers are woven into the fabric that makes the 14th Street Y a Downtown home for all. As 2017 comes to a close, this captivating photography series celebrates the more than 50 individuals who've been positively impacted by the 14Y and serves as an important reminder of the importance of accessibility to an open, inclusive community for New York residents at a time when we need it most.

Support the Downtown Story at bit.ly/14YPortraits_Donate2017. Your generous support ensures the Downtown Story continues today and for generations to come.

Bridget Badore is an editorial and portrait photographer living in Brooklyn, originally from a small town in upstate New York. She began taking photographs in elementary school when she received her dad's old 35mm camera; she taught herself photography through her late father's scribbled notes and old photography manuals. She became obsessed with nostalgia from an early age, inspiring her work, which often deals with the concept of home and where people find it. Captivated by the intimacy that the camera lends her, Bridget allows her subjects to be vulnerable and honest. She moved to NYC straight out of high school where she attended the School of Visual Arts and received her BFA in Photography in 2013. She has been featured as a selection in American Photography 32 and participated in the Daniel Cooney Fine Art emerging artists auction. She has photographed for various fashion, lifestyle, and media outlets, including The Style Line, Tictail, Serious Eats, Thrillist, Google, and PDN. She began working at the 14th Street Y after college, teaching photography in the After School program. Over the last four years, she has been involved in the community in many different ways, from starting the Photojournalism unit at New Country Day Camp, to photographing classes and galas, to working in the marketing department to build a stronger social media presence for the organization. The 14th Street Y has been a family for her, providing amazing friends, warm hugs, unending shoulders to cry on, and most importantly, a safe space to grow as a person.

The 14th Street Y's philosophy is grounded in the belief that contemporary Jewish sensibilities can be a source of inspiration, connection and learning. No matter what your background, we aim to inspire you to live your best life. We're committed to the development of the whole person, to strengthening family connections and to building inclusive and sustainable communities. The 14th Street Y serves more than 20,000 people annually with a variety of community programs and is proud to be a part of Educational Alliance, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a 128-year history of serving New Yorkers downtown. Learn more at www.14StreetY.org.