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A woman covered by her burqa, holding her baby, sits in the middle of a road in Kabul, Afghanistan, begging for money and food as traffic passes by.
International photojournalist Tony DiZinno, who lives in Los Angeles, snaps a shot of the woman as he passes her in a car. The photo depicts the real sense of impending danger, and the woman and child's place in it. Immediately after taking the shot, Afghan police pull DiZinno's car over, because they spot his camera. Amazingly, they allow him to not only continue along his way, but also to keep the images he shot.
The photo is just one of about 11 that will show in an exhibit at Altitude Gallery in Breckenridge Saturday. The images DiZinno shot in Kabul capture both the pain and beauty found in Afghanistan; they juxtapose the dream-like quality of the country and its residents, as well as the ravaging effects of three decades of conflict and war. A slide show will further portray the spirit of the country.
“It's a country and a city bursting with heartbreaking beauty and jaw dropping scenes every time you turn your head,” said Mountain to Mountain founder Shannon Galpin. “The beauty and the dichotomy of that beauty set against the destruction and history takes your breath away.”
Mountain to Mountain, a locally-based international nonprofit that provides educational opportunities to women and children in Afghanistan, opens the exhibit in Breckenridge, before traveling with a larger collection of 20 photos to Park City, Utah; Los Angeles; Minneapolis, Minn.; Bismarck, N.D.; and Denver.
Galpin formed Mountain to Mountain in 2006, after finding inspiration in the book “Three Cups of Tea.” She set out to raise money to build one school in the remote mountains of Pakistan.
“My focus was looking at how to connect mountain communities through mountain culture and use that as a unique, exciting and thought-provoking way to raise awareness and money,” she said. “I didn't want to raise money the old way — I wanted to do it in a way that actually brought communities here at home and abroad, together.”
She spearheaded a trail running event, Race for the Mountains, and held a series of cultural events, like movie nights and an author event with Greg Mortenson, who wrote “Three Cups of Tea.” Through the efforts, Mountain to Mountain raised $100,000 to help build two girls' schools with Mortenson's Central Asia Institute.
But that wasn't enough for Galpin. She realized she wanted to dedicate her life to the cause, so she began to visit Afghanistan and built a board of directors for Mountain to Mountain. The nonprofit is now focusing on implementing two computer labs in the country this fall, as well as zeroing in on which mountain communities to build schools in first. Her trips made her realize that Mountain to Mountain shouldn't just build some schools and move on, but rather, it should focus on creating opportunities and empowerment by developing sustainable projects that help girls get jobs. And, it made Galpin even more passionate about her quest.
“I love the rugged beauty of this country, its incredibly history, and its resilient and brave people that have endured 30 years of war that have destroyed their country but not their culture or their spirit,” she said. “They still believe in a free Afghanistan; they want a country that is safe for their children, and they believe it is possible.”
Galpin will speak to audiences at galleries nationwide to share the stories that surround the images in her effort to garner support, teach people about Mountain to Mountain's projects and address educational challenges in Afghanistan.
All of the photos in the exhibit are for sale, and 100 percent of the proceeds support Mountain to Mountain's goals.
“Tony was able to capture a side of the country that isn't portrayed in the media,” Galpin said. “Although Kabul is the capital city, steeped in old world history and culture, it is also teeming with young Afghans desperate to join the modern era. Women in burqas walk past internet cafes with young, trendy women in modern dress and minimalist headscarves inside.”
International photojournalist Tony DiZinno, who lives in Los Angeles, snaps a shot of the woman as he passes her in a car. The photo depicts the real sense of impending danger, and the woman and child's place in it. Immediately after taking the shot, Afghan police pull DiZinno's car over, because they spot his camera. Amazingly, they allow him to not only continue along his way, but also to keep the images he shot.
The photo is just one of about 11 that will show in an exhibit at Altitude Gallery in Breckenridge Saturday. The images DiZinno shot in Kabul capture both the pain and beauty found in Afghanistan; they juxtapose the dream-like quality of the country and its residents, as well as the ravaging effects of three decades of conflict and war. A slide show will further portray the spirit of the country.
“It's a country and a city bursting with heartbreaking beauty and jaw dropping scenes every time you turn your head,” said Mountain to Mountain founder Shannon Galpin. “The beauty and the dichotomy of that beauty set against the destruction and history takes your breath away.”
Mountain to Mountain, a locally-based international nonprofit that provides educational opportunities to women and children in Afghanistan, opens the exhibit in Breckenridge, before traveling with a larger collection of 20 photos to Park City, Utah; Los Angeles; Minneapolis, Minn.; Bismarck, N.D.; and Denver.
Galpin formed Mountain to Mountain in 2006, after finding inspiration in the book “Three Cups of Tea.” She set out to raise money to build one school in the remote mountains of Pakistan.
“My focus was looking at how to connect mountain communities through mountain culture and use that as a unique, exciting and thought-provoking way to raise awareness and money,” she said. “I didn't want to raise money the old way — I wanted to do it in a way that actually brought communities here at home and abroad, together.”
She spearheaded a trail running event, Race for the Mountains, and held a series of cultural events, like movie nights and an author event with Greg Mortenson, who wrote “Three Cups of Tea.” Through the efforts, Mountain to Mountain raised $100,000 to help build two girls' schools with Mortenson's Central Asia Institute.
But that wasn't enough for Galpin. She realized she wanted to dedicate her life to the cause, so she began to visit Afghanistan and built a board of directors for Mountain to Mountain. The nonprofit is now focusing on implementing two computer labs in the country this fall, as well as zeroing in on which mountain communities to build schools in first. Her trips made her realize that Mountain to Mountain shouldn't just build some schools and move on, but rather, it should focus on creating opportunities and empowerment by developing sustainable projects that help girls get jobs. And, it made Galpin even more passionate about her quest.
“I love the rugged beauty of this country, its incredibly history, and its resilient and brave people that have endured 30 years of war that have destroyed their country but not their culture or their spirit,” she said. “They still believe in a free Afghanistan; they want a country that is safe for their children, and they believe it is possible.”
Galpin will speak to audiences at galleries nationwide to share the stories that surround the images in her effort to garner support, teach people about Mountain to Mountain's projects and address educational challenges in Afghanistan.
All of the photos in the exhibit are for sale, and 100 percent of the proceeds support Mountain to Mountain's goals.
“Tony was able to capture a side of the country that isn't portrayed in the media,” Galpin said. “Although Kabul is the capital city, steeped in old world history and culture, it is also teeming with young Afghans desperate to join the modern era. Women in burqas walk past internet cafes with young, trendy women in modern dress and minimalist headscarves inside.”
