"The Children of Belfast"

The Children of Belfast opens on St. Patrick’s Day, Thursday, March 17, and runs through May 27, 2005, in the Edward G. Miner Library.

Local photographer Joe Territo was inspired to pursue this project, in part, by a young girl from the tough streets of Belfast, Northern Ireland, named Adele Carlisle. Through The Irish Children’s Program of Rochester, Territo along with his wife and two children has brought Adele into their home for several summers.

Summertime in Northern Ireland marks the annual marching season, an often violent time in which Protestants and Catholics clash with one another and paramilitary activity increases. According to The Irish Children’s Program president, Betsy Prince, “One of the goals of our program is to give these kids some relief from the tension during that time of year.” It is that “tension” that Territo captures with some of the black and white photos featured at the exhibit.

Joe Territo is an award winning medical photographer who specializes in the field of ophthalmology. His work has been featured in the AMA’s Archives of Ophthalmology and recently in the Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeNet Magazine. He’s been a long time member of the Ophthalmic Photographer’s Society and works at Retina Associates of Western New York.

Territo says it’s his visually impaired patients that in some ways drive his creative photography endeavors. “Many of the patients I come in contact with on a daily basis tell me, 'Don’t take your vision for granted.' I look at the creative work I do outside of ophthalmology as a celebration of my own sight.”

An opening reception is scheduled for St. Patrick’s Day, Thursday, March 17, from 7-9 pm.

This exhibit is sponsored by Retina Associates of Western New York.

Contact the artist at: joeterrito@hotmail.com