100-ft.’Foto’ bridge connects border communities

Students from Juarez and El Paso put their project on display.You may have seen a bridge of photos spanning a hundred feet long if you passed by the Santa Teresa and Rancho Anapra border fence.

“We’re taking pictures of the border,” said student Eddie Ortiz.

Two separate worlds, joined by 100 feet of photos. Twenty children from Juarez and El Paso met at the international boundary to build what an architect never could, Saturday morning.

“It’s a very good way to bond with the other side of the border and us,” said student Elijah Garcia. “It’s just connecting our generation and their generation today, and then make a difference tomorrow.”

These El Paso kids have never seen their Juarez counterparts, even though they live just minutes away. They’ve now been separated by border violence, brought together by art.

“We’re just taking photos that are unique to us,” Garcia said.

20/20 Foto is a cross-border photography project, given life by 40 students from California College of Arts, Creative Kids and Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa. Their work will not only be seen outdoors at the border, but also featured in Juarez and El Paso art galleries.

“I think it’s about the future of our kids growing up on the border and being a good example for them to see how we can work together and we should be working together,” said Creative Kids Director Stephen Ingle.

“My parents never even let me go there because of all the killing,” Garcia said.

The violence that’s divided the sister cities in recent years has even the youngest generations building a bridge. Trying to reconnect these kids who live next door could take peace, could take time, but maybe, all it could take are some pictures.

The bridge was already taken down, but folks who want to see the photos for themselves can visit the exhibitions at the University of Juarez and the Creative Kids Olo Gallery.