Women Photojournalists of Washington exhibition returns to SF State

The opening on April 9 featured a gallery tour and presentation by Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, Pulitzer Prize-winning staff photojournalist for The San Francisco Standard.

This year’s traveling exhibition features powerful work capturing themes of conflict, resilience, democracy and remembrance. From frontline coverage in Gaza to poignant moments of national mourning, the photographs offer a sweeping view of the human condition at pivotal moments in history.

Curated by Pulitzer Prize-winner Cheryl Diaz Meyer, the exhibition presents work from 23 photographers and is supported by Canon, Sony, and the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation. 2016 SF State Journalism Alumna of the Year Astrid Riecken is among the photojournalists whose work was selected for this year's exhibition.

“Hosting WPOW and this powerful gallery inspires our students to dream beyond these walls," said Jesse Garnier, Chair, Department of Journalism. "The powerful message to our students is: Your lens can help shape this world."

This year’s exhibition builds on the momentum of last spring’s “Day of Women in Photojournalism” at SF State, which featured Pulitzer Prize winners Renée Byer (2007), Deanne Fitzmaurice (2005), and three-time Pulitzer finalist Mary Calvert (2007, 2010, 2020), alongside Gabrielle Lurie (Pulitzer finalist, 2022, 2023).

The gallery is free and open to the public weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Humanities Building hallway through May 23, 2025.

Exhibition at-a-glance

What WPOW Traveling Exhibition
Where  Journalism Department corridor, Humanities Building, SF State
Dates Apr. 9 – May 23, 2025 (weekdays 9 a.m.–5 p.m.)

About WPOW

Women Photojournalists of Washington is a nonprofit dedicated to advancing gender and racial equity in visual journalism, with a membership of over 400 photographers, editors, and multimedia storytellers.