Memphis photojournalist Karen Pulfer Focht honored by DAR

Memphis photojournalist Karen Pulfer Focht honored by DAR

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Women in the Arts Recognition Award honors women who have made significant, outstanding contributions to the arts at a community level.

Below: Karen Pulfer Focht

During the celebration of our nation’s 250th anniversary, the DAR has chosen to acknowledge my contributions to visual storytelling and American cultural history. What an extra special honor.

America is a very special place.

Never have I taken for granted the freedoms that I have been given and the sacrifices of those who have made those freedoms possible.

I have been blessed with an extraordinary career—one that peaked during the golden age of photojournalism—while serving as a staff photographer for the preeminent newspaper in the Mid-South, The Commercial Appeal, renowned for its outstanding photojournalism while owned by Scripps Howard.

Documenting history, enlightening readers, bringing people to places they might not otherwise go, and telling intimate stories that reflect the heart and soul of our community has never been just a job for me; it has been a calling. It is all I have ever wanted to do. I’ve been sent on assignment all over the world, including the White House, looking to capture precious storytelling moments. I have had a front row seat to life.

But what I love more than anything is doing impactful community journalism; work that makes a difference.

My work continues today, and I hope it will for a long time to come.~

Thank you~

Karen Pulfer Focht

Below are the nomination Letters and photographs

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Below are some of the image that were selected for the nomination.

Memphis Zoo Babies Debut Children's Book

Saturday May 10, 2025 Karen is signing her debut children’s book at the Memphis Zoo 11-4pm!

Just in time for Mother’s Day!

When Karen came to Memphis to work for The Commercial Appeal in 1988, one of her favorite photo beats was the Memphis Zoo. She has a love for animals, and she and her three children spent many hours visiting. Working closely with the zoo, Karen photographed the stories of many animals, zookeepers, and the zoo vets. Her ongoing favorite, though, was photographing the zoo’s babies. Her photo of a nuzzling mother and baby giraffe have been going viral for over a decade and have become one of her most popular photos. Karen’s photos have showcased the Memphis Zoo in publications worldwide. She has put together a collection of her photos that highlight the zoo’s mothers and babies in a new children’s book, Memphis Zoo Babies, available in the Memphis Zoo Gift Shop. Proceeds will benefit the zoo. The gift shop also sells her cards and photographs.

For an online purchase you can buy direct on Karen’s website @ https://www.karenpulferfocht.com/store/memphis-zoo-babies

Honored My Art Selected For The Memphis Magazine Gift Guide

My cards and ornaments got a mention in the Memphis 2021 Homegrown Holiday Gift Guide~ https://memphismagazine.com/features/the-2021-homegrown-holiday-gift-guide/ along with many other wonderful locally produced gift ideas.

Link to my card catalog and art ~ https://www.karenpulferfocht.com/store

Create a gift pack of local cards for the person that has everything.

Over 80 cards for when you want to send more than a text. Discounts are given on cards purchased in bulk.

Raising Funds For Boyd Station

I was honored to be one of the photojournalists asked to participate in a New York art gallery show where we raised money to help the next generation of photojournalists.

The Ki Smith Gallery held an auction this spring as a way to raise funds for Boyd Station in Kentucky. The exhibition "Witness: Beauty in Truth" amassed 70 images from some of today's more prominent photojournalists, many of the images rarely are for sale.

Boyd Station is a place for creatives, writers and visual story tellers to come away from it all, get away from distractions and focus on their craft without the distraction of the every day world. Boyd Station is especially set up to provide inspiration and assistance to aspiring local photojournalists.

This is becoming especially important in this day and time where many of todays struggling newspapers seem to be losing the art of long form visual story telling or are, sadly enough, often happy enough with iphoneography.

Great photojournalism is at risk. Great photojournalism is important. Great photojournalism changes hearts, minds and communities.

Boyd Station is positioned to teach the next generation about great photojournalism. This was the idea of longtime photojournalist Jack Gruber, who set up the nonprofit which aims to "cultivate the arts in the bluegrass of Kentucky" while documenting the community at the same time.

One of my most popular images, a signed copy of the late blues musician Mose Vinson’s hands on a piano, was auctioned off in the fundraiser. I shot it on film and it was shot for his album cover. We shot the photo on Beale Street in Memphis, where he used to play. The auction was hosted by the Ki Smith Gallery in New York City in March. The event showcased 40 of today’s most acclaimed and awarded photojournalist's.

Thank you Ki Smith Gallery for a successful auction and fundraiser.

Ki Smith Gallery
712 W 125th Street
New York, NY 10027

We were lucky to get a mention in Newsweek. Alexander Cavaluzzo did a write up about the exhibit. https://www.newsweek.com/big-apple-plants-bluegrass-roots-grow-future-art-1356914

A successful online auction of our photos was held a few months later through Paddle8, where proceeds once again befitted Boyd Station. Paddle8 is an online auction house based in New York City that sells fine art.

https://www.boydsstation.org/ to learn more about Boyd Station.