Photographer Elia Alba will speak about her multifaceted project The Supper Club, on view at the Palmer Gallery through October 14.

The Supper Club features portraits of contemporary artists of color and a series of salon-style dinners that serve to stimulate critical exchange and community. Alba began The Supper Club in 2012 by taking portraits of fellow artists that included David Antonio Cruz, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Lina Puerta, and Mickalene Thomas. Alba was inspired to create the series, in part, as a response to media’s historic lack of diversity, asserting the importance of contributions that communities of color—specifically artists—have made to visual culture and the broader cultural landscape. Shot with the editorial language of celebrity portraiture and fashion photography, Alba’s sitters assume mythical qualities in her vibrant and theatrical portrayals.