TITLE: Holding On 5

Holding On is a collection of photographs drawn from long-term documentary work in Mexico and the United States. The images focus on women, families, and workers whose daily lives are shaped by tradition, responsibility, and change.

Photographed in black and white, these moments reveal endurance in ordinary routines—making a living, caring for others, and sustaining cultural practices across generations. The work reflects the balance between preserving what has been passed down and adapting to new realities.

Together, the photographs form a record of persistence and dignity, and of the quiet strength required to continue forward while holding on to what matters most.

AUTHOR: Deborah Cole (Mexico)

Name
Deborah Cole

Location
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Austin, Texas, USA

Medium
Documentary and Street Photography (Black and White)

Education and Training
B.S., University of Texas/Austin, M.S., Texas A&M University
Private study in documentary and street photography (United States and International)

Publications
Contributor, Street Photography Magazine (articles, images, and cover photography)
Books
Letting Go: How Less Becomes More - Author and Photographer, 2021
SHE: Believed She Could So She Did - Author and Photographer, 2022
Black Women in Business: Journeys in Resilience - Author and Photographer, 2023
Between Two Worlds – Photographer, 2027

Exhibitions
• Women Street Photography Exhibition, New York, 2026 “Abuelas”
• Leica Fotografie International, 2026, Selected Mastershot image “Super Sunday”
• Where The Streets Lead’, published by Street Photography Magazine, 2025. Selected image ‘Amor’
• Women Street Photographers Exhibition, Finalist. Artspace PS109. New York City April 2025
• The Peoples Gallery, Austin, Texas, 2025, Selected image “Abuelas”
• Leica Fotografie International, 2025, Selected image “Charras”
• Texas Photographic Society, Arlington, Texas, May, 2024, Selected image “Anticipation”
• Women’s Street Photographers Exhibition Finalist, NYC, April, 2024, Selected image “Festival”
• Texas Photographic Society, Lubbock, Texas, April, 2024, Selected Image “Homestead”
• Leica Fotografie International, 2023, Selected image “Amor”
• ASmith Gallery, Johnson City, Texas, 2023 Selected image “Black and White”
• Center for Contemporary Arts Gallery, Abilene, Texas, 2023, Selected image “Luchita”
• Street Photography Magazine, 2022, Podcast co-host
• Dallas Center for Photography, Dallas, Texas, 2021, Solo show “SHE”
• ASmith Gallery, Johnson City, Texas, 2021, Selected image “Life”
• Women Street Photographers, NYC, 2020, Selected image “Frida”
• Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington, Texas, 2020, Selected image “The Best”
• Abilene Gallery for Contemporary Art, Abilene, Texas, 2020, Selected image “Home Alone”
• Elizabet Ney Museum, Austin, Texas 2020, Selected image “We The People”
• Seton Cove Gallery, Austin, Texas, 2020, Solo show “The Heart and Soul of Others”
• Cloud Tree Gallery, Austin, Texas 2020, Solo show “The Friendliest Place”

Speaking and Community Engagement
Speaker on women’s empowerment and visual storytelling — United States and Mexico
Board Member — Vallarta School for Girls
Sponsor — Student Photography Program, Vallarta School for Girls (established 2024)

Current Projects
Escaramuzas: Women Who Keep — Documentary project on Mexican women preserving the tradition of Escaramuza
Between Two Worlds — Long-term documentary project exploring women navigating cultural and social change
Until We No Longer Can — Documentary project on the vanishing craft of adobe brickmaking in Jalisco