Come see the new exhibition, "U. Roberto Romano Papers: Photographs of Child Labor in Coastal Countries" at the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art at the University of Connecticut-Avery Point.

The exhibition features the photographs of Roberto Romano (1956-2013), an award-winning filmmaker, photojournalist, and human rights activist who spent his life documenting exploitative child labor in foreign countries (and in the U.S.) in order to improve the lives of children worldwide. On display are some of Romano’s most iconic images – beautifully arranged compositions of poignant subjects that reveal both the photographer’s aesthetic sensibilities and his dedicated pursuit of social justice.

In addition, never-before-seen works from Romano’s time exploring the jermals (fishing platforms) off the coasts of Indonesia examine the difficult and hazardous lives of the young boys who joined the crews in order to support their families on shore. The exhibition concludes with a stimulating series of UConn student artwork – inspired by Romano’s efforts – that explores child labor in the chocolate industry in Africa and how legislation is beginning to eliminate this unfortunate phenomenon.

"U. Roberto Romano Papers: Photographs of Child Labor in Coastal Countries" runs from Sept. 13 to Dec. 16 at the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery at Branford House on the UConn-Avery Point campus. It is open from 12:00-4:00pm, Thursdays through Sundays. Admission is free.