Houston Center for Photography is proud to announce its exhibition of Matt Eich´s Carry Me Ohio. Eich is the 2010 HCP Fellowship recipient.

Carry Me Ohio is Eich´s exploration of the lives of residents in Southeastern Ohio. In an area left depressed and impoverished by the boom and subsequent bust of the industries of coal, salt, clay, and timber, the people live with a poverty rate of 27.4% and some $14,000 under the national average income.

Juror Brian Paul Clamp of ClampArt (New York, NY) says of Eich´s project:

"Carry Me Ohio represents an astonishing accomplishment by a very young artist. Eich continues to shoot in the region and the series is ongoing. There are still a myriad of powerful photographs to capture, each with its own story to tell. Eich reflects: "Now is the time to look inward and investigate the issues that lurk below the surface within our country. It´s the first step to resolving them."

Eich´s photographs have appeared in Newsweek, Mother Jones, TIME, The FADER, Smithsonian, The New York Times, US News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal, Apple, and others. He is a founding member of LUCEO Images, a cooperative of photographers producing work for the editorial and commercial fields. Eich lives in Norfolk, VA with his wife and daughter.

The 2010 Fellowship Award and Exhibition is generously supported by an anonymous donor.