Giving NYCHA Residents Their Flowers Through Photography 

Over the summer, Latricia Morgan — a photographer, multimedia artist, and educator — had her first photography exhibit, “NYCHA Flowers,” at the Bronx Council on the Arts, featuring photos that showcase the beauty and glamour of NYCHA residents. 

“We are more than just what you see,” Ms. Morgan said. “Our beauty doesn’t have to be a pish posh thing, but it can be classic, what’s classic to us whether representing Saturday night in the hood, going to a party or cookout, a leather custom outfit, or a Canadian tuxedo.”  

Her exhibition was hosted as a culmination of Ms. Morgan’s work as the 2023-2024 Photo Urbanism Fellow with the Design Trust for Public Space. The program provides local photographers with fellowships to create work that showcases their unique perspectives on the public spaces of New York City. As a fellow, Ms. Morgan also hosted a photography workshop for young people and produced an exhibition in support of the community. 

Ms. Morgan knows what it means to be a NYCHA resident because she spent 21 years as a NYCHA resident in the Bronx. She wanted to use her camera to capture the people of public housing with a spark that challenges traditional stereotypes. Her inspiration for the project came from her mother.  

“My mother being a single mom and a warrior holding down the household and raising three children inspired this exhibition,” she said. “But also the generational shifts and changes in glamour and beauty of people residing in NYCHA. A lot of my friends growing up in NYCHA had all of the family: grandma, mom, and daughter in one household, and I think that was beautiful even though I didn’t have those generations in my household. Highlighting my mom was the kickoff, but I also wanted to highlight the generations kept together due to the rent safety of living in NYCHA. So the project is two parts, highlighting generations and highlighting the beauty and glamour here.” 

Her love of photography began when she was 9 and her cousin gave her a digital camera. Having the camera was helpful to her self-esteem in those pre-adolescent years, when she had a need to know that she was beautiful – which photos of herself could confirm. She is currently renovating a studio in the South Bronx. “I’ll never stop loving photography. It’s still a thing that’s good for my self-esteem. It helps me feel good about myself and helps others feel good about themselves.” 

As the Photo Urbanism Fellow, Ms. Morgan worked alongside the Green Space Connections project, a partnership between Design Trust, the Public Housing Community Fund, and NYCHA to create community-designed green spaces at four NYCHA developments in the Bronx and Brooklyn.  

Ms. Morgan has many ideas about community green spaces in NYCHA communities. “I want to see interactive and functional art pieces installed in the public spaces we have at NYCHA,” she said. “I want to see seesaws, artsy seats built out of cement but shaped like crowns for the kids. It doesn’t disrupt the space or the residents but makes the space prettier and makes people want to be outside more, enjoying the public space we have.” 

In addition to furthering herself as an artist, Ms. Morgan is also dedicated to empowering others in her community. She recently launched her organization, For the Artsy, to provide accessible services for her community, including resume building and grant writing. “I want to help those who may not have the same network I had,” she explained. “Making resources accessible is crucial for building a stronger community – because what I have is great, but I want to see other people have it too. I’m building for my community.” 

Visit Ms. Morgan’s website to see more of her work, including the NYCHA Flowers project: https://theartsyplug.com/.  

Featured photo caption: This collage of photographs is of Latricia Morgan with her mother Patricia Morgan and is part of Ms. Morgan’s NYCHA Flowers project.