Current Exhibition — theunitygallery.com

In This Moment: The Moment Behind the Lens

Unity Gallery is proud to present the current exhibition, In This Moment: The Moment Behind the Lens, co-curated by Gallery Director Shawn Dunwoody and Amanda Chestnut, curator of the acclaimed In This Moment (ITM) chapbook series.

The ITM initiative amplifies the voices and experiences of Black leaders in Rochester by pairing Black writers and photographers to profile ten local leaders each year. Through community-driven storytelling, the project fosters deeper understanding of Black contributions to the region, addresses systemic racism and implicit bias, and promotes respect for diversity and equity. Each annual edition results in ten 20-page chapbooks—10,000 of which are distributed for free through local schools, libraries, community centers, and partner organizations.

This exhibit offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the visual storytelling of ITM. The Moment Behind the Lens spotlights three featured photographers from the series, showcasing select images that were captured during their sessions but ultimately not included in the final chapbooks. These powerful photographs—unseen until now—reveal intimate moments, creative processes, and the emotional and cultural depth experienced during the documentation of Rochester’s Black leaders. Viewers will step into the lens to witness stories of joy, struggle, resilience, and triumph from the perspective of the artists themselves.

Featured Artists: Sean Boose, Quajay Donnell, & Allison McDonald

this season’s featured artists

Sean boose

Sean B is a passionate photographer with over a decade of experience, dedicated to capturing moments that truly matter. From weddings and birthday parties to concerts, festivals, and city events, Sean has consistently delivered powerful and authentic visual stories.

His journey behind the lens has connected him with the heart of the community, allowing him to embrace and document the vibrancy of city life. Over the years, Sean has had the honor of working with notable figures including the Mayor, a U.S. Senator, civil rights activists, and celebrities. Most recently, his work with the Police Accountability Board has been featured in public spaces throughout the city.

For Sean, photography isn’t just a craft—it’s a way of life. It’s an outlet for creative expression and a tool for preserving the beauty and emotion of every moment with over a decade of experience, dedicated to capturing moments that truly matter. From weddings and birthday parties to concerts, festivals, and city events, Sean has consistently delivered powerful and authentic visual stories.

His journey behind the lens has connected him with the heart of the community, allowing him to embrace and document the vibrancy of city life. Over the years, Sean has had the honor of working with notable figures including the Mayor, a U.S. Senator, civil rights activists, and celebrities. Most recently, his work with the Police Accountability Board has been featured in public spaces throughout the city.

For Sean, photography isn’t just a craft—it’s a way of life. It’s an outlet for creative expression and a tool for preserving the beauty and emotion of every moment

quajay donnell

Quajay Donnell (b. 1978, Paterson, New Jersey) is a Rochester, NY based photographer and writer. His words and photographs have been published in local and national publications, and he is a five-time contributor to the In This Moment Chapbook series highlighting Black leaders in Rochester.

Donnell is the lead photographer for WALL\THERAPY (2020 - Present), and program photographer for Roc Paint Division (2022 - Present). He is also the co-curator of Behind the Glass Gallery, a Rochester gallery focusing on underrepresented artists. His photo essay work has been part of exhibitions at the Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo), RIT City Arts Space, The Yards, Frank’s Chop Shop, Lumiere, The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections at the University of Rochester, as well as solo exhibitions at St. John Fisher University, Joy Gallery and Ugly Duck Coffee.

He’s been awarded the George Eastman Museum Award and the Visual Studies Workshop Award as part of the RoCo Members Exhibitions and is the 2022 University of Rochester Lillian Fairchild Award Winner for contributions to artistic and cultural life in Rochester, NY.

allison mcdonald

Allison McDonald is a portrait photographer from Rochester, NY. Allison’s work takes a deeper look into the beauty and essence of people, alongside the surroundings of the environment she’s in. She uses portraiture to explore the lives of the individuals she captures. When working in studio, Allison uses different lighting techniques to explore different emotions and depict different moods in her photos. She understands the vulnerability behind having your photos taken, and takes the time needed to make sure the people she works with are captured looking and feeling their best.

amanda chestnut

co-curator

Amanda Chestnut is an artist, curator, and educator working in Rochester, NY. Their work focuses on representation and history—and in particular how the history of race and gender impact modern narratives.

In education, Chestnut’s course history includes gallery management, nonprofit administration, and the history of Black art in America.

Their curatorial project In This Moment has published 28 chapbooks in less than 5 years, distributing more than 30,000 free books about living Black luminaries in Rochester.

Most recently, their work African Americans/Civil Rights/Jesse Owens has exhibited at the Center for Book Arts in Manhattan, at La Galerie UQO at the University of Québec, and at the Archives of Ontario in Toronto.

Chestnut is a multidisciplinary artist, with 30 years studying photography and a lifetime of practicing book arts.