Sophie Rivera

Sophie Rivera was born in Brooklyn on June 17,1938. She first studied at the New School for Social Research and later received scholarships to attend the Apeiron Workshops in Millerton, New York. Sophie photographed the life of New York's Latino, specifically Puerto Rican, working-class communities. Sophie’s work included activism and teaching, especially regarding her famous 1978 series Nuyorican Portraits. An early member and instructor of En Foco, Sophie later joined their board of advisors. Sophie also worked as a curator, and ran a photography gallery. Sophie is best known for her 1978 photography series Nuyorican Portraits. Redefining Puerto Rican identity in the United States, the series included 50 black and white portraits taken in her home of Puerto Ricans in her neighborhood. Woman and Child, 1979, a black and white photograph of a woman and toddler sitting together in a bus or train, was published in the journal Heresies, in an issue that explored the extent to which female artwork challenged societal views of the female sex. Heresies functioned to create a dialogue between Sophie's work and the audience and build a new perception of female artists. Sophie has been shown at various galleries: Third Eye Gallery, New York, Crossroads Gallery New York, El Museo del Bario, New York, Brooklyn Museum, New York, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, California, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC. She is survived by her husband of 60 years Dr. Martin Hurwitz.