Four and a half stars

Jewish Community Center

William Foley’s photographs are on stunning display at the JCC. A Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, Foley produces work that is jarring, gritty and honest. The images are small and unassuming upon first glance: the stark black and white photos minimally line the naturally-lit hallways of the JCC. Don’t be fooled; upon closer look these images lure the viewer in with turbulent story lines and honest beauty. “Garbage Girls, Cairo” features three young girls in bright and miss-matched garb.  Their faces are youthful, yet jaded — their hands weathered beyond their years. Rubble and junk swells behind the girls as they look beyond indifferently. “Smiles, Beirut” captures that unique moment when war and devastation meet elation. Amidst a crumbling stadium and rubbled waste, a rickety old tire swing supports two children mid-swing. Their faces are joyous — hair flowing, cheeks flapping and arms flailing. Foley has captured that rare moment when childhood bliss rises above deteriorating environment. Three ancient pillars consume the image in “Baalbeck, Lebanon.” A lone man at the base of one of the pillars is dwarfed by the sheer size of the ruins. These works and more are on display through Aug. 16.