Nestor Hernández (1961–May 13, 2006)[1] was an American photographer andphotojournalist ofCuban descent,[2] based in Washington, DC. Hernández was best known for his street photography of hisWashington, DC neighborhood as well as street scenes ofCuba,Ghana andMali,[3] where he led arts-based projects for children and young adults.[3]
Hernández was born in 1961 in Washington, DC of anAfro-Cuban father and anAfrican-American mother,[4] and he grew up in the DC area knowing little of hisAfro-Cuban ancestry andCuban relatives.[4]
Hernández was introduced initially to photography in high school through the Urban Journalism Workshop of the D.C. public schools.[1][2][5] He spent 15 years as the photographer for theCapital Children’s Museum,[2] and then became the chief photographer for the Washington, D.C. public school system.[2] His photographs appeared in many publications.[2]
His photographs have been included in gallery, art spaces and museum exhibitions, including permanent exhibitions, in and around the Greater Washington, D.C. capital region, various American cities,Havana, Cuba, andAccra, Ghana.[6][7][8][4][9] As a professional photographer, his photographs have been published in many newspapers and magazines, such as The Metro Herald,[2] The International Review of African American Art,[5] Port of Harlem magazine,[10] Brookings Review,[11] El Pregonero,[7] The Latin Trade Report,[11] and others.
In 2002 he received the "Outstanding Emerging Artist" award,[1] and in 2003 an Artist Fellowship Grant,[1] both from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. In 1998 he was the recipient of the "Community Service Award"[5] given by the Exposure Group, African American Photographers Association, and in 2001 he was selected as the "Photographer of the Year" by the same association.[12]
