The Moody College of Communication opened a new photojournalism gallery on Tuesday featuring the work of California-based social activist, photojournalist and Moody College Fellow David Bacon.

Bacon’s collection, titled “More Than a Wall/Más Que un Muro,” covers labor, immigration and environmental issues on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. The collection will be displayed on the third floor of the G. B. Dealey Center for New Media until March 20. Student work from the winner of a School of Journalism and Media contest will fill the gallery from March to August. Applicants must submit five photos with a cohesive narrative arc of their choosing by Feb. 13.

“(Bacon’s) stirring black and white photographs depict migrant farmworkers toiling in the fields, factory workers organizing for basic protections and protesters raising their voices for justice,” photojournalism professor Donna DeCesare said.

DeCesare said she and her colleagues had the idea to create a photojournalism gallery for years. However, she said finding a space for the photos and getting approval from Moody’s administration kept the idea grounded.

“Raymond Thompson, our new faculty member, came on with new energy,” DeCesare said. “We both saw it as an opportunity to make what we do in photojournalism much more visible in the college.”

The Moody College Dean’s Office approved a budget for the gallery last summer, and the funding went toward purchasing a hanging system, DeCesare said. The journalism faculty proposed to host three shows in the gallery each year — two by professional photographers and one featuring student work. Future professional exhibitions could include the work of Moody College Fellows or other professionals in the field.

“These are fellows who are at the pinnacle of their careers,” Celeste González de Bustamante, Moody Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, said at the opening Tuesday. “This is an opportunity for students … to meet these stellar media professionals and learn about their work.”

The winner of the journalism school’s documentary photography contest will fill the student exhibition after Bacon’s exhibit ends, according to a Moody press release. An outside juror will judge the contestants’ work, so students can use this experience on their resume and professors can advise students on their portfolios.

“(Contestants) need to be grounded in the origin story of the image,” DeCesare said. “We’re looking for a broad array of different kinds of work. So feature photography, sports, portraiture, events, decisive moments.”

All students enrolled in Moody classes this school year, regardless of major, are eligible to apply for the contest. The Best in Show will win a $500 prize, and two Honorable Mentions will win a $250 prize.