Mario Quiroz

Mario Quiroz

Mario Quiroz is a contemporary photographer, born in San Salvador, El Salvador and now living as a US citizen in Cambridge, MA. His work is focused on exploring the 21st-century American immigrant experience. Over the last decade, he has created and exhibited extensive photographic projects that have documented the Salvadoran community in East Boston, domestic workers in Massachusetts and Connecticut, immigrants in New England and Arizona, and Mongolians in Arlington, Virginia.

In 2013, FAM invited Mario Quiroz to come to Fitchburg to make photographic portraits of individuals, families, and groups from this city’s growing Latino communities. Quiroz approached this project in two ways: he created informal portraits in private homes, workplaces, churches, and social gatherings, and he also made formal portraits in a special studio here at FAM. The resulting 100 final photographs provide an encompassing and diverse record of the communities that are increasingly shaping Fitchburg’s history and culture.

While most of the artworks in Mis Vecinos are straight black-and-white photographs, Quiroz has hand-colored over 30 of the formal portraits.

All the images were taken with a 4×5” View Camera, printed in a traditional darkroom on Ilford Silver Gelatin Fiber Based Paper. These photographs will enter FAM’s permanent collection.