CCNY | Rob Stephenson | From Roof to Table | A CCNY Darkroom Residency solo exhibition

From Roof to Table, a solo exhibition by 2012 CCNY Darkroom Resident Rob Stephenson, presents a portrait of the varied ways that New Yorkers have adapted their high-density urban environment to growing food. This exhibition marks the first of four solo exhibitions from the recipients of the 2012 CCNY Darkroom Residency Program.

Rob Stephenson says about From Roof to Table: In 1917 the Mayor’s Committee on Food Gardens issued a report documenting the creation of nearly 12,000 gardens and 1,120 acres of large plots dedicated to growing vegetables in New York City. Nearly one hundred years later, many New Yorkers have no access to fresh produce and those that do often eat food that has traveled hundreds if not thousands of miles. Economic, social and environmental concerns have fueled a revival of urban agriculture in the city. From Food to Table is an effort to create a visual document of the different approaches to implementing a sustainable food system in New York City. The project looks at how traditional methods of agriculture have been adapted to succeed in an urban environment, examining the evolving relationship between a city and its food source.

Rob Stephenson’s work has been exhibited at numerous galleries and museums including The Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Jen Bekman Gallery, and The Museum of the City of New York. In 2011, he was awarded the Design Trust for Public Space Photo Urbanism fellowship. His book, From Roof to Table, documenting the urban agriculture movement in New York City, was published in 2012. He lives in Brooklyn, NY. His website is www.robstephenson.com.

From Roof to Table was also made possible thanks to a fellowship from the Design Trust for Public Space.

The CCNY Darkroom Residency Program offers local photographers much-needed workspace in New York City as well as access to the CCNY community and programs. Each year, emerging photographers living in New York City are invited to apply for this program. The four recipients of the 2012 CCNY Darkroom Residency Program – Tiana Markova-Gold, Rachelle Mozman, Rob Stephenson, and Joseph Sywenkyj – are the first residents to have solo exhibitions, thanks to the generous support of The Jerome Foundation. For more information about the CCNY Darkroom Residency Program, please visit our website.

Gallery hours: Monday – Saturday 12 - 6 pm

The CCNY Darkroom Residency Program is made possible by generous support from Fujifilm; Kodak; public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; Foundation for Contemporary Arts; and The Jerome Foundation.

CCNY is celebrating over 125 years serving the photographic and art community through this and upcoming exhibitions, lectures, and special events. For more information, contact John Stanley at info@cameraclubny.org or by phone at 212–260–9927.