Seneca Village Photo Walk

Date: May 30, 2026, 11:00 am–1:00 pm
Starting location: West 85th Street and Central Park West, New York, NY 10024

Join us for a guided walk through Seneca Village, where participants will explore the landscape of this historic site through the creative lens of photography. Open to photographers of all levels, this program invites participants to use their own cameras to capture and interpret the Park as a source of inspiration.

Through the medium of photography, participants will learn about the rich history of Seneca Village, a predominantly Black, 19th-century community that existed along what is now the Park's perimeter from West 82nd to 89th Streets.

*Registration is now closed.*

The photo walk will offer insight into the landscape, the people who once called Seneca Village home, and the events that led to the community’s displacement for the creation of Central Park.

The photo walk is approximately two hours long and will be led by photographer Donavon Smallwood, alongside the Conservancy’s Seneca Village Program Coordinator Cameron Lee.

Donavon Smallwood

Donavon Smallwood is a graduate of Hunter College. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, most recently at Pier 24 Photography and Marshall Gallery. His photographs are included in a handful of public and private collections, including the J. Paul Getty Museum. He is the recipient of numerous awards, notably the 2021 Aperture Portfolio Prize. Periodical features and editorial clients include The Atlantic, The New York Times, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, and The Guardian. Languor, his first monograph, was released by Trespasser in 2021.

This event is part of Seneca Village: Toward a Permanent Commemoration, an ongoing program series funded by the Mellon Foundation. The program series will culminate in a community-informed framework guiding the future design of a permanent commemoration of Seneca Village in Central Park.

COMMUNITY EVENTS BY THE CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY

Central Park Conservancy community events reflect the spirit of the Park itself: fun, free, and open to all. Join us all year for family-friendly programs across Central Park—featuring music, movement, art, film, and more—creating a culture of connection in the Park we all love.