Known for his editorial work with publications like The New York Times, South Carolina-based photographer Will Crooks has undertaken a personal multi-year project to document the world of Southern cosplay. His interest in the project stems from a lifelong passion for manga and anime, a love he rediscovered in his mid-20s. "The spark really came from my interest in photographing these events and individuals with a quieter approach that focused on the individual themselves as much as the character they were cosplaying," says the photographer. His most successful portraits pique a viewer's curiosity about the subject's internal world.

  Karin Bruckner, an artist and teacher of printmaking, was recently granted a four-month residency to create a new body of work. The result—an installation comprised of dimensional paintings and structures—is currently on view at the Carter Burden Covello Center for Older Adults, in El Barrio. As one of her students over the past several years, I was intrigued by the variety, scale and integrity of the work. She shared her thoughts in the following email discussion last week: ...