International Exchange Cities
Photo©ArtHolman – 2007
Himeji, Japan
17 exchanges
Population: 500,000
Location: In Hyogo Prefecture, 40 miles west of Kobe.
Historical Information: Himeji is famous for its 400-year-old castle, which is a United Nations World Treasure and Japanʼs best preserved castle from the Tokugawa Era.
TEOE Exchanges: The Through Each Others Eyes™ program began in January, 1988, with an exchange between photographers Errol Zimmerman and Peter Ensenberger of Phoenix and Tatsuzo Nabeshima and Toshitsune Miura of Himeji. Zimmerman and Ensenberger photographed New Yearʼs celebrations in Tokyo and Kobe and life in Himeji, while Nabeshima and Miura shot the Grand Canyon and the rugged landscape of Arizona. This exchange, sponsored by the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission, formed the basis of the exchange program which has expanded to cities around the world.
Exchange Coordinator in Himeji: Kazuhiko Kinugasa
Phoenix – Himeji Photo Exhibits
The dates listed are the years of the inaugural Phoenix exhibit of the exchange exhibitions. The Japan exhibitions were held usually in the same year.
- February, 1988
Errol Zimmerman, Peter Ensenberger – Phoenix
Tatsuzo Nabeshima, Toshitsune Miura – Himeji
Valley National Bank Concourse
- February, 1989
Bob Rink, Don B. Stevenson – Phoenix
Toshiyuki Nishimatsu, Taisei Kitamura – Himeji
Valley National Bank Concourse
- February, 1990
Kent Sievers, Michael Mertz – Phoenix
Shun Hotani, Yoshihiku Yasumori – Himeji
Valley National Bank Concourse
- February, 1991
Jeff Kida, Ken Akers, Phoenix
Kazuhiko Kinugasa, Sadakatsu Watanabe – Himeji
Valley National Bank Concourse
- February, 1992
Mark Duran, Fred Griffin – Phoenix
Nobuhiko Kadooka, Yuichi Itoh – Himeji
Arizona Center Food Court
- June, 1993
Jim Marshall, Kevin Cruff – Phoenix
Gakuryo Nakayama, Hisayoshi Fujimori – Himeji
Arizona Center Food Court
- February, 1995
Alex Stricker, Jeff Topping – Phoenix
Kazuo Nakagawa, Toshio Tsukamoto – Himeji
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- February, 1996
Michael Norton, David Schmidt – Phoenix
Haruhiko Shimauchi, Toshikatsu Takahashi – Himeji
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- February, 1997
Karen Shell, Linda Enger – Phoenix
Tatsuo Doi, Kazuo Hanabusa – Himeji
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- February, 1999
Will Jones, Richard Maack – Phoenix
Yukio Tamura, Kojiro Nakano – Himeji
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- February, 2000
David H. Smith, Kerrick James – Phoenix
Chisyo Tsuda, Akira Itoh – Himeji
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- February, 2002
(Triangle exhibition: Phoenix, AZ; Himeji, Japan; Hermosillo, Son., Mexico)
Scott Baxter, Ken Ross – Phoenix
Tadatoshi Sakamoto, Yoshiyuki Sanada – Himeji
Juan Luis Fernández, Jesús Antonio Soto – Hermosillo
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- February, 2004
Dean Stevenson, Sherrie Buzby – Phoenix
Kazuo Ishii, Mariko Furuoka – Himeji
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- February, 2006
David Hunsaker, Paul OʼNeill – Phoenix
Morio Iida, Nobuyuki Matsuoka – Himeji
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- November, 2007
Colleen Miniuk-Sperry, Art Holeman – Phoenix
Yasushi Ienaga, Itsuko Azuma – Himeji
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- March, 2009
Dennis Scully, Maurice Sartirana – Phoenix
Haruhiko Shimauchi, Noriyoshi Kanda – Himeji
Historic Southwest Cotton Company Building
- June, 2011
Jason Grubb, Michael Matlach – Phoenix
Matsushita Toshikazu, Shindo Naotaka – Himeji
Method Art Gallery, Scottsdale
*The exhibits also were also displayed at numerous locations in Phoenix including the APS Gallery, Glendale Community College, and the downtown Phoenix branch of Wells Fargo Bank.
Photo©Errol Zimmerman – 2009
Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
six exchanges
Population: 900,000.
Location: 180 miles south of Nogales, Arizona.
Historical Information: Hermosillo became the state of Sonora’s capital in the 18th Century when Mexico was a colony of Spain. It is famous today for both industry and agriculture, and its Catedral de la Asunción is the central point for sightseeing. Hermosillo and Phoenix have been sister cities since 1974.
TEOE Exchanges: In 1994 TEOE approached Ramon Corral, then president of the Hermosillo Photo Group, to seek support for an on-going photo exchange. Six exchanges and exhibits have followed, including TEOE’s first “triangle” exhibit of photographers in Japan, Arizona, and Mexico in 2002. The most recent exchange happened in 2009 between photographers Colleen Miniuk-Sperry and Art Holeman of TEOE, and Enrique Yescas and Juan Luis Fernández from Hermosillo.
Exchange Coordinator in Hermosillo: Jesús Antonio Soto
Phoenix – Hermosillo Photo Exhibits
- April, 1995
Conrado Quezada, Juan Luis Fernández – Hermosillo
(an exhibit of Arizona photos)
Valle Grande Hotel, Hermosillo
- May, 1996
Jeff Topping, Alex Stricker – Phoenix
Conrado Quezada, Juan Luis Fernández – Hermosillo
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- September, 1998
Don B. Stevenson, Ryan Stevenson, Errol Zimmerman – Phoenix
Felipe Valenzuela – Magdalena; Jesús Antonio Soto – Hermosillo
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- May, 2001
Group Exhibition:
Michael Norton, Karen Shell, Kerrick James, Will Jones, Bob Rink, Linda Enger, Errol Zimmerman – Phoenix, AZ
Haruhiko Shimauchi – Himeji, Japan
Juan Rubalcava, Rafael Ramirez – Hermosillo, Son., Mexico
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- February, 2002
Triangle Exhibition:
Scott Baxter, Ken Ross – Phoenix
Tadatoshi Sakamoto, Yoshiyuki Sanada – Himeji
Juan Luis Fernández, Jesús Antonio Soto – Hermosillo
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- August, 2003
Triangle Exhibition:
Scott Baxter, Ken Ross – Phoenix
Tadatoshi Sakamoto, Yoshiyuki Sanada – Himeji
Juan Luis Fernández, Jesús Antonio Soto – Hermosillo
el Palacio Municipal, Hermosillo, Son., Mexico
- September, 2005
David Hunsaker, Paul OʼNeill – Phoenix
Edith Reyes Freaner – Hermosillo
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- March, 2006
David Hunsaker, Paul OʼNeill – Phoenix
Edith Reyes Freaner, Hermosillo
el Palacio Municipal, Hermosillo
- October, 2007
Dennis Scully, Maurice Sartirana – Phoenix
Antonio Rodriguez – Hermosillo
Historic Southwest Cotton Company Building, Phoenix
- November, 2008
Dennis Scully, Maurice Sartirana – Phoenix
Antonio Rodriguez – Hermosillo
el Palacio Municipal, Hermosillo
- May, 2010
Colleen Miniuk-Sperry, Art Holeman – Phoenix
Enrique Yescas, Juan Luis Fernández – Hermosillo
Exhibits: JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix
MUSAS (Museum of Arts, Sonora in Hermosillo
*The Phoenix exhibits were displayed at multiple locations including !! the APS Gallery and the downtown Phoenix branch of Wells Fargo Bank.
Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland
two exchanges
Photo©Peter Ensenberg – 1997
Population: Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city at approximately 550,000 people, while Edinburgh places Number #2 with a population of 480,000.
Location: Both cities are in southern Scotland approximately 50 miles apart.
Historical Information:
Glasgow – With many of its 19th Century buildings preserved, Glasgow boasts of being Britain’s greatest Victorian city, yet in addition to its historical architecture Glasgow has undergone an urban renaissance with trendy downtown stores and a diverse cultural life. Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe, described Glasgow 300 years ago as the “cleanest…and best built of cities.”
Edinburgh – Scotland’s capital and known as the “Athens of the North,” Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful capitals in Europe. Its distinctive and unique skyline follows closely that of Venice and makes for dramatic photography at dusk or dawn. The historic city center preserved over the years its own medieval atmosphere with every corner containing its own story — or legend — which awaits to be uncovered. It’s literary heritage includes authors as diverse as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Walter Scott, and “Harry Potter” author J. K. Rowling.
TEOE Exchanges: In 1997 TEOE was asked by the UK-AZ Organizing Committee, which promoted the UK-AZ festival in Phoenix that year, to sponsor an exchange between photographers in Phoenix and Glasgow. Coordinated in part by the British Arts Council, Glasgow photographers Gair Dunlop and Martin Hunter captured images in Arizona while TEOE photographers Don B. Stevenson and Peter Ensenberger documented life in Scotland. The exhibit was held in October of 1997 in Phoenix as an artistic component of the month-long UK-AZ festival.
Ten years lapsed before a second exchange resulted from contacts between TEOE photographers and Scottish landscape photographer Nigel Webster, who had made several trips to Arizona to document the American Southwest. Nigel teamed with Edinburgh photographer Caroline Parkinson, who hosted TEOE photographers Jim Marshall and Richard Maack in Scotland and later photographed Arizona. The result was a Phoenix exhibit in May, 2009, and an Edinburgh exhibit at the Parliament building in June, 2010.
Exchange Coordinator in Scotland: Caroline Parkinson
Phoenix – Scotland Photo Exhibits
- October, 1997
Peter Ensenberger, Don B. Stevenson – Phoenix
Gair Dunlop, Martin Hunter – Glasgow
Burton Barr Library, Phoenix
- May, 2009
Jim Marshall, Richard Maack – Phoenix
Nigel Webster, Caroline Parkinson – Scotland
JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort, Phoenix
- June, 2010
Jim Marshall, Richard Maack – Phoenix
Nigel Webster, Caroline Parkinson – Scotland
Parliment Building, Edinburgh, Scotland
*The exhibit also was displayed at the downtown Phoenix branch of Wells Fargo Bank.
Chengdu and Zhengzhou, China
two exchanges
Photo©Karen Shell – 2009
Population: Chengdu has 10,400,000 people, while Zhengzhou has a population of more than 7,000,000.”
Location: Chengdu, in Sichuan Province, is considered the largest, most influential city of South Central China. Zhengzhou, in Henan Province, is located in central China.
Historical Information:
Chengdu – The city has existed by name at the same location for more than 2,000 years. Taoism traces its roots to this area and city, and Chengdu is the birthplace of the tea culture, the place where the earliest paper currency in the world was issued, and the home of 8th Century Poet Du Fu. Chengdu made international news in 2008 when it suffered a devastating earthquake which killed more than 60,000 people. Phoenix and Chengdu have been sister cities since 1986.
Zhengzhou – Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province–as well as being a major transportation hub for Central China. The city center lies on the southern bank of the Yellow River.
TEOE Exchanges: In 1999 Errol Zimmerman and Linda Enger of TEOE traveled to Beijing and Chengdu to begin an exchange between Arizona and Chinese photographers. They shot the markets and cultural life in Chengdu, the famous Panda Preserve, and the 50th Anniversary celebration of the Chinese government in Beijing. Photographers Wang Xuecheng and Zhou Yongliang of Chengdu came to Phoenix later that year and documented life in Arizona. Exhibits were held in Phoenix, January 2000 and the Chengdu Art Museum, April 2000.
In 2008, with connections through Board Member Karen Dickinson and the non-profit Global Interactions of Phoenix, Through Each Others Eyes™ partnered with SIAS University near Zhengzhou for its second exchange with Chinese photographers. TEOE members Karen Shell and David Schmidt visited Beijing, Shanghai, and Zhengzhou in 2008, and Zhengzhou photographers Bao Xinghui and Nick Li photographed in Arizona in 2009. The inaugural exhibit of the exchange was held at SIAS University in May, 2009, with the first showing in Arizona held in September, 2009, at ArtSpace Gallery in Scottsdale.
Phoenix – China Photo Exhibits
- January, 2000
Linda Enger, Errol Zimmerman – Phoenix
Wang Xuecheng and Zhou Yongliang – Chengdu
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- May, 2000
Linda Enger, Errol Zimmerman – Phoenix
Wang Xuecheng and Zhou Yongliang – Chengdu
Chengdu City Museum of Art
- May, 2009
Karen Shell, David Schmidt – Phoenix
Bao Xinghui, Nick Li – Zhengzhou
SIAS University, Zhengzhou
- September, 2009
Karen Shell, David Schmidt – Phoenix
Bao Xinghui, Nick Li – Zhengzhou
ArtSpace Gallery, Scottsdale
*The exhibits were also displayed at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, the APS gallery, and the downtown Phoenix branch of Wells Fargo Bank.
Ennis, Ireland
two exchanges
Photo©David H. Smith – 2006
Population: 25,000
Location: South of Galway, north of Limerick in Western Ireland.
Historical Information: Ennis is intimately linked with the O’Brien family, descendants of Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland. The O’Brien ancestral castle of Dromoland is a few miles from Ennis. The capital of County Clare, Ennis celebrated its 700th Anniversary in 1990. Phoenix and Ennis have been sister cities since 1988.
TEOE Exchanges: In September 2005 David Schmidt and David H. Smith of TEOE traveled to Ennis to photograph culture in County Clare. Irish photographers John Horgan and Sarah Houlihan visited Arizona in January 2006 to make images for a TEOE exhibit at Phoenix City Hall in March 2006. The first TEOE exchange with Ireland occurred in 1998-99 culminating with a Phoenix exhibit in March 2000. TEOE associates Jim Marshall and Michael Norton and Ennis photographers Veronica Nicholson and Christy McNamara participated.
Phoenix – Ireland Photo Exhibits
- March, 2000
Jim Marshall, Michael Norton – Phoenix
Veronica Nicholson, Christy McNamara – Ennis
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- March, 2006
David H. Smith, David Schmidt – Phoenix
John Horgan, Sarah Houlihan – Ennis
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- May, 2006
David H. Smith, David Schmidt – Phoenix
John Horgan, Sarah Houlihan – Ennis
City Cultural Center, Ennis, County Clare, Ireland
*The exhibits were also displayed at the APS Gallery and the downtown Phoenix branch of Wells Fargo Bank.
Havana, Cuba
one exchange
Photo©Bob Rink – 2002
Population: 2,500,000.
Location: On the northwest coast of Cuba, roughly 100 miles south of Florida.
Historical Information: With many colonial architectural structures dating back to the mid 1500s, Havana is important for its history, music, world-famous cigars and rum, and the vibrancy of its population. Although Americans can’t travel to Cuba without U.S. permission, various exchanges have enabled U.S. citizens to join visitors the world over in exploring the museums, historic churches, and bustling street life of Havana.
TEOE Exchange: In 2001 Bob Rink traveled to Havana and met with photographers connected to Fototeca, a cooperative for photographic artists, after which Niurka Barroso and Raul Cañibano traveled to Phoenix as the first Cuban photographers to document Arizona for TEOE. Bob and Michael Norton traveled to Havana in March, 2002, and exhibits of this historic exchange were held in Phoenix City Hall in May, 2002, and the Fototeca Gallery in Havana, September, 2002. When travel restrictions are eased for cultural and artistic exchanges, the Cuba program will continue.
Phoenix – Cuba Photo Exhibits
- May, 2002
Bob Rink, Michael Norton – Phoenix
Niurka Barroso, Raul Cañibano – Havana
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- September, 2002
Bob Rink, Michael Norton – Phoenix
Niurka Barroso, Raul Cañibano – Havana
la Galeria Fototeca, la Habana Vieja, Havana
*The exhibit was also displayed at numerous Phoenix locations, including the APS Gallery and the downtown Phoenix branch of Wells Fargo Bank.
Prague, Czech Republic
one exchange
Photo©Dean Stevenson – 2002
Population: 1.2 million
Location: the center of the Czech Republic, located between Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Poland.
Historical Information: Prague has been a European political and commercial center for more than a thousand years. Prague is famous today for the architecture of its historic center, including Prague Castle, many churches and centuries-old structures along its narrow
streets. Prague and Phoenix have been Sister Cities since 1991.
TEOE Exchange: With the assistance of Jiri Vsteka, a Prague photographer who exhibited his pictures in Phoenix in 2005, the photographers of TEOE were introduced to two prominent Prague photographers, Ivana Matejkova and Jeroslav Böhm. In the autumn of 2006 Ivana and Jeroslav assisted TEOE photographers Michael Norton and Dean Stevenson as they documented the landscape and people of Prague. The two Czech photographers were hosted by Dean and Michael as they photographed Arizona. Exhibits of this exchange were held in Phoenix and Prague in the spring of 2007.
Phoenix – Czech Photo Exhibits
- March, 2007
Dean Stevenson, Michael Norton – Phoenix
Ivana Matejkova, Jeroslav Böhm – Prague
JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort, Phoenix
- May, 2007
Dean Stevenson, Michael Norton – Phoenix
Ivana Matejkova, Jeroslav Böhm – Prague
*Exhibition at Prague City Hall, Prague, Czech Republic
Catania, Sicily
one exchange
Photo©Peter Ensenberger – 2005
Population: 307,000.
Location: At the foot of Mt. Etna on the Ionic coast of Sicily, in the Mediterranean Sea.
Historical Information: Founded in the 8th century B.C., Catania was a flourishing Greek community and later a Roman colony. Today an important industrial center, it also boasts large citrus orchards. Points of interest include Bellini Gardens, named for the 19th Century composer born there; Ursino castle, built by Emperor Frederick II; an 11th Century cathedral; a university founded in 1444, and an observatory. Ideal times to visit are late spring and autumn as the citrus “gardens” are in full bloom.
TEOE Exchange: The exchange grew from a Phoenix Sister Cities connection to Catana photographer Riccardo Lombardo, who visited Phoenix in 2003 for an exhibit. In 2005 TEOE Associates Peter Ensenberger and Karen Shell visited Catania in February to photograph the Feast of St. Agnes and the small communities south of Catania, and Riccardo photographed Arizona during April of that year. The Phoenix exhibit was held at Phoenix City Hall in October, 2005, and the Catania exhibit was held at Benedictine Monastery in Catania in October, 2008.
Phoenix – Sicily Photo Exhibits
- October, 2005
Peter Ensenberger, Karen Shell – Phoenix
Riccardo Lombardo – Catania, Sicily
Phoenix City Hall Atrium
- October, 2008
Peter Ensenberger, Karen Shell – Phoenix
Riccardo Lombardo – Catania, Sicily
Benedictine Monastery, campus of Catania University, Catania, Sicily
*This exhibit was viewed in multiple locations both in Phoenix and in Catania
Baguio, Luzon, the Philippines
one exchange
Population: 250,000.
Location: In the northern mountains of the island of Luzon at 4,500 ft. elevation, about 160 miles from Manila.
Historical Information: Built by colonizing Americans during the early 1900s as a recreational/administrative center, Baguio served as the summer capital of the Philippines for many years. It is known as the City of Pines or the City of Flowers. The countryʼs worst natural disaster occurred there on July 16, 1990—an earthquake killing hundreds.
TEOE Exchange: TEOE photographer Bob Rink visited Baguio in January 2006 and was impressed with the beauty of the area, the friendliness of the people and the ancient cultures of the areaʼs indigenous population. Dave Leprozo and Ruel Bimuyag were then selected to represent Baguio in the first TEOE exchange with the Philippines. Bob and TEOE photographer Ken Ross traveled to Baguio in the Spring of 2008 and Leprozo and Bimuyag visited Arizona in November, 2007, to photograph for the project. The Phoenix exhibit was held at the JW Marriott Resort and Spa in Phoenix, but the exhibit has not yet traveled to the Philippines.
Phoenix – the Philippines Photo Exhibit
September, 2008
Bob Rink, Ken Ross – Phoenix
Dave Leprozo, Ruel Bimuyag – Baguio
JW Marriott Resort and Spa, Phoenix