In January 2020, when the world was blissfully unaware of the devastating global transformation that would impact every corner of our lives, a group of photographers met for a year-long masterclass. Here, each would develop a personal photographic project that would ultimately be exhibited at the Los Angeles Center of Photography in early 2021.

The group met twice in person, once in January and once in February 2020, and then the train went off the rails. For so many of us, the idea of self-quarantining had dual realities. We finally had more time to be creative, but the impact of the virus, the pain of social unrest, and the country appearing to lose its moral compass, at times brought a sense of malaise and futility to our efforts. We had moved into unchartered waters with no map to keep us on course.

Some photographers continued with work started at the beginning of the year, but now with a new consideration of isolation and loss. Others careened off course into innovative ways of thinking and seeing the world.

As our city and its streets emptied, we got to know Los Angeles in new ways, noticing the architecture, flora, and fauna that had been overlooked or unappreciated. 2020 became a year of self and global reconsideration, looking inward with the opportunity to reset and resee our lives, but also looking outward with a profound sense of our mortality.

The best way to describe our journey is, quite simply, The Year of Not Knowing, (also the virtual exhibition's title.) This roller coaster year made us better somehow. Working together on a common goal, offering support and good humor, and ultimately fanning the creative sparks. The result is that we made it to the finish line. The Year of Not Knowing is a historical marker of this moment in time, with insightful individual projects that speak to gratitude, anxiety, memory, place, and simply being human.