The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Houston Center for Photography, jointly present Inspired by Robert Frank: Publishing the Photobook in the 21st Century, a panel discussing the current environment in the field of photography and photobooks, as well as perspectives on the future. The panel, moderated by Ashlyn Davis, executive director, Houston Center for Photography, will include: Alejandro Cartagena, photographer and editor; Manfred Heiting, designer, editor, and collector; Kevin Messina, publisher and editor; and Gerhard Steidl, printer and publisher.

The publishing of Robert Frank's landmark photobook, The Americans (1959), inspired generations of photographers to embark upon their own artistic careers. His searing views of postwar America created a new kind of poetry for the medium that was distinctly tied to the form of the photobook, and subsequently inspired generations of photographers to use the photobook in unconventional and impactful ways. Surprisingly, the digital age in which we live has spawned a photobook renaissance, with increased interest in publishing, collecting, and scholarly research in the field. Additional details are available at www.mfah.org.

The program is presented in conjunction with the Houston Center for Photography exhibition Robert Frank: Books and Films, 1947–2017. For more information, please visit www.hcponline.org.

Saturday, December 9, 2017, at 11 a.m.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Caroline Wiess Law Building / 1001 Bissonnet Street

Learning and Interpretation programs receive generous funding from the SterlingTurner Foundation; Institute of Museum and Library Services; Houston Junior Woman's Club; ExxonMobil; Mercantil Bank; Mr. William J. Hill; The Windgate Charitable Foundation; The Brown Foundation, Inc.; Sharon G. Dies; and the Susan Vaughan Foundation.