See You See Me (ISYSM) — Iowa City Open Call
Program Dates: May 10 – June 25, 2026
Applications – Open: March 1 (5pm CST), DEADLINE: March 31 (5 PM CST)
To Apply: Iowa City Open Call

riel Sturchio and Bianca Sturchio of Begin Collective are launching the Iowa City chapter of I See You See Me (ISYSM) — a 7-week hybrid 35mm photography workshop for LGBTQ+ adults (18+) who are chronically ill, neurodivergent, or disabled.

In small groups (8–10 participants), we lead workshops on how to use analog photography as a tool for connection, care, and collective storytelling. All materials are provided free of cost: cameras, 35mm film, processing, and scanning. At the end of the session, images will be hosted on our Online gallery, with a pop-up showcase in Iowa City later this fall.

Schedule:
May 10 – June 25, 2026
Sundays (In Person) 11:00 AM–1:00 PM CST – Visual Arts Building, University of Iowa
Thursdays (Remote) 6:00–7:00 PM CST
Mondays: Film drop-off – Visual Arts Building, University of Iowa

Facilitators: riel Sturchio & Bianca Sturchio
Creative Fellow: Kyleigh Devine (UIowa Undergraduate)

This program centers Disability Justice and Intersectionality. We prioritize applicants without institutional access to photography due to cost or structural barriers.

Review past participant work + details:
www.begincollective.com/isysm

Questions: contact@begincollective.com 

Support for this work is provided by Big Field Fund, a program of Public Space One. Funding is provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. We are also grateful for support from the University of Iowa’s Office of Vice President for Research and Manual Photo.

We look forward to seeing how you see!