Cynthia Manuszak is a freelance photographer here in Fresno and a graduate of Fresno City College. She started taking classes here in 1989, despite being a single mom at the time and a high school drop-out.
She finished her GED in Las Vegas and when she moved here she had to get the rest of her education.
Manuszak said, “I decided back then that I really wanted to learn. Even though I was messed up in my youth, I had to get it done.” Manuszak graduated with two associate degrees, one in child development and another in drug and alcohol counseling.
She said it was a hard road to raise a child and take classes at the same time, but taking art helped her balance.
“I got really interested in art when I went to FCC. I took ceramics and my teacher at the time was a major role in my view of art,” said Manuszak.
She uses her art to put a twist on things such as drug addiction and homelessness. She has really put her photography on the map by capturing the image of breast cancer.
She has established two events, The Pink Show, and The Crystal Show, which both have stories behind them.The story behind the first event began in 2006, when Manuszak photographed her next-door neighbor Mary Lozano. At the time Lozano lost all her hair because of her chemotherapy treatment and Manuszak thought that it would make a very interesting photograph.
Living next door to Lozano opened Manuszak’s eyes to the world of breast cancer. She said,
“I really felt bad to see her suffering the way that she was, because I saw her a lot and we lived next door to each other.”
She thought the photograph of Lozano and her husband was so beautiful that she asked to enter the shots in a competition at the Fresno Fair.
She found out later that the photo was taken out of the competition, because it was a very sexual picture of a gay couple.
“I was really mortified by that statement because there was nothing sexual about the photo, she lost her hair and to be accused of being a man during such a horrible time in your life is pretty sad. And even if it was a gay couple there was absolutely nothing wrong with the photograph; they should not have taken the photo out.”
The photo was later put back in the competition and it won second place, Manuszak discussed the controversy over the picture with Lozano, who in turn brought up the idea for an art show. They decided to make plans for it to be next year because breast cancer month was within a few weeks.Manuszak agreed to the idea until her thoughts became restless. She said,
“I woke up in the middle of the night with an epiphany and I said I can’t fight this off. I need to do this right away, I’m going to call it the Pink Show.”
The second of Manuszak’s events is called The Crystal Show, which turns the harms of drug abuse, and crystal meth addictions into expression and art.
“The Crystal Show came about because my husband is a drug addict in prison. He has a problem with meth, and it’s really destroyed his life.”
The Crystal Show is scheduled for October 17, 5-9 p.m. in the Banker’s Ballroom at Fresno Pacific Towers downtown located at 1060 Fulton Mall.
The event will have appearances by Chief of Police Jerry Dyer, Sheriff Margaret Mims, John Tull with the Fresno Falcons, and Mayoral candidates Henry Perea and Ashley Swearengin.
The Pink Show will be on Saturday, September 20, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Bentley’s Bistro. The evening will include original artwork by local artists, an art auction, music and food.
Guest speakers include Sheriff Margaret Mims, Stefani Booroojian and Fresno Bee reporter Tracy Correa.
Manuszak looks at her hardships from the past as a way to move ahead.
“I want to bring out a different side of a painful addiction or a disease through art. I feel like I went through a lot of things in my younger years but I feel really good about where I’m at right now, and I want to help other people. I want to try to make a difference so people will not take the same route, and if they do, there is hope, there is always hope.”
