Summary
For the past thirteen years, Paola Gianturco has worked as a photojournalist, documenting women’s lives in forty countries. She has published four acclaimed photo books in the last nine years which bring together inspiring stories with gorgeous photographs to motivate her readers to engage with, learn from and support women around the world.
All of Gianturco’s books are philanthropic projects, for which she donates her royalties to carefully selected nonprofit organizations that relate to each book's content.
Paola's most recent book, Women Who Light the Dark, tells the story of local women around the world who are helping one another tackle the problems that darken their lives—including violence, poverty, illiteracy and disease. Gianturco is giving 100% of her author royalties for this book to The Global Fund for Women, which advocates for and defends women’s human rights by making grants to support women-run groups around the world.
Paola's photographs have appeared in Marie Claire, Essence Magazine, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, and the Washington Post, among others.
Paola has been a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR and Voice of America programs as well as many other TV and radio programs around the world.
Her work has been exhibited by the UN-New York; UNESCO-Paris; the US Senate; The Field Museum, Chicago; The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Washington DC; the International Museum of Women and the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco; the San Jose Museum of Art and the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena.
Paola has lectured all over the country, including The American Craft Museum, The Peabody Museum, The National Museum of Women in the Arts, and The Smithsonian Renwick Gallery.
Specialties
Intimate images and stories of inspiring women all over the world; photojournalist, documentary photographer, author, speaker, women's advocate.
About Paola's Books
Women Who Light The Dark
Paola's most recent book, Women Who Light the Dark (2007), showcases 23 inspiring women-led groups in 15 countries who are using creativity to tackle the intractable problems that darken women's lives.
To learn more and purchase Women Who Light the Dark visit: www.womenwholightthedark.com
¡Viva Colores!
In 2006, Gianturco co-authored with David Hill, ¡Viva Colores! A Salute to the Indomitable People of Guatemala, which met with critical acclaim. ¡Viva Colores! explodes with images and stories of 41 inspiring Guatemalans who experience color as an expression of valor and meaning. Royalties benefit The PAVA Foundation. (www.pavafoundation.org)
To learn more and purchase ¡Viva Colores! visit: www.vivacolores.com/
Celebrating Women
Her previous book, Celebrating Women (2004) features 17 festivals in 15 countries on 5 continents that celebrate women’s achievements, roles, rites of passage, and spiritual lives. Celebrating Women was the subject of the first exhibit ever curated by the International Museum of Women and was exhibited by the Field Museum in Chicago in 2008 where it was seen by 195,000 visitors. Author royalties benefit the International Museum of Women. (www.imow.org)
To learn more about and purchase Celebrating Women visit: www.celebratingwomen.com
In Her Hands
Paola is also the co-author/photographer, with Toby Tuttle, of the best-seller, In Her Hands: Craftswomen Changing the World. (2000) In Her Hands profiles 90 women artisans in 12 countries who are feeding and educating their children. The book supports Aid to Artisans (www.aidtoartisans.org/) and five other nonprofits.
To learn more and purchase In Her Hands visit: www.herhands.com
Learn More
Learn more about Paola’s upcoming appearances and exhibits>
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Learn more about how you can help change the world:
Take a class
Watch a movie
Travel
Understand women's crafts
