Sara Meadows
CONTRIBUTOR
A new exhibit opened in October at the Durham Museum featuring the photography of Howard G. Buffett, titled “40 CHANCES: Finding Hope in a Hungry World.”
The display includes 40 photographs documenting the severity of the world hunger crisis as part of a global awareness campaign. Buffett traveled to more than 137 countries, turning his camera on to capture powerful forces that fuel hunger and poverty.
Buffett was a philanthropist and a farmer who believes that each of us have 40 chances to accomplish our life goals, just as farmers have about 40 growing seasons to improve their harvests.
As a farmer, Buffett understands what it takes to produce food in challenging conditions and how conflicts over resources are creating significant consequences for the world’s poor. He has made it his mission to devote the rest of his life and an estimated $8 million to ending world hunger.
His photography is a call-to-action in a journey to find lasting solutions to the world hunger crisis. The exhibit was developed by the Newseum in collaboration with Howard G. Buffett Foundation. The Newseum is an affiliate of the Freedom Forum, whose mission is to foster First Amendment freedoms for all.
Jessica Brummer, the Director of Communications at Durham Museum, says that they wanted to demonstrate the power of photojournalism to raise awareness and bring about change.
“We think it is important to highlight the work Howard G. Buffett has done to call attention to world hunger,” says Brummer.
40 images were specifically selected for the exhibit to illustrate the causes and consequences of hunger. The photos are grouped together into seven themed sections focusing on hunger, poverty, women, conflict, fear, water and hope.
“Every image in the exhibit tells a story; We hope that visitors will walk away from the exhibit with an emotional response and an understanding of how they can help make a difference,” says Brummer.
The Durham Museum is offering a virtual four-week table series exploring key topics from the exhibit. There is no cost to participate in the series, but during the registration process, there is an opportunity to choose to donate to participating organizations that will join the museum in hosting these events.
The series has included “Hunger and Water” on Jan. 6 and “Guns and Fear” on Jan. 13, and will feature “Women and Poverty” on Jan. 20 and “Hope” on Jan. 27.
“We wanted to call attention to how these global themes impact us locally,” says Brummer.
The exhibit opened on Oct. 30 and will be on display until Jan. 30.
