BLAIRSTOWN—Classically trained musician Carlos Alejandro has spent the last 35 years building his legacy as an editorial, commercial and fine-art photographer and filmmaker. From September 19 to October 14, the acclaimed artist will focus his lens on community portraits in an exhibition entitled “Community Figures” at Blair’s Romano Gallery. Designed to underscore the bonds shared by humanity, the exhibition’s photographs highlight the stories, hopes and dreams that bind us all.

“The purpose…more than anything,” Mr. Alejandro says, “is to show a community that its connections are what matter most.” Whether focusing on gender and age or exploring the relationship between past and future, Mr. Alejandro elevates a variety of subjects and suspends them in time. He does so, he explains, so that participants recognize “the humanity of the faces and the strength of our bonds.” 

Based in Yorklyn, Delaware, Mr. Alejandro began his career as a commercial photographer and has traveled across 10 countries and more than 30 states serving a wide variety of U.S. and international clients, including Adidas, Goldman Sachs, MTV, National Geographic, Time Life Publications and The Vanguard Group, among many others. As a fine-arts photographer, he has exhibited in many solo and group shows, most recently at the SE Center for Photography in Greenville, South Carolina, and the Amanda Smith Gallery in Johnson City, Texas. 

A graduate of New York’s School of Performing Arts and Juniata College (BA), Mr. Alejandro is a passionate advocate for creativity and education. He is a founding member of the annual Yorklyn Storytelling Festival and the Cab Calloway Summer School of the Arts, and he currently serves as Executive Director of the Cab Calloway Foundation, a nonprofit that uses summer and afterschool programs to elevate the arts as a gateway to curiosity, inspire children and create tracks to different schools and futures. 

Mr. Alejandro will join the Blair community for an artist’s talk on October 13, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Romano Gallery. All are welcome to attend.