José Luis Villegas
Received Bachelors of Fine Arts in photography from the University of San Francisco/Academy of Art College in 1983. I worked as a newspaper photojournalist for many years, now freelance in the Sacramento region.
I was part of the Pulitzer Prize team for General News coverage of the Loma Prieta Earthquake Coverage with the San José Mercury News.
In 1996, along with writer Marcos Bretón, we were awarded the Alicia Patterson Fellowship to continue our project on Latin Baseball. The project published as, "Away Games" by Simon & Schuster in 1999.
"Home is Everything" a bilingual companion photography book to Away Games was published and released by Cinco Puntos Press in March of 2003.
“Far From Home” co-authored with writer Tim Wendel was published by the National Geographic in 2008
I was also a contributing photographer in the photographic project “Americanos”, documenting Latino culture in the United States, published by Little Brown in 2000.
Photography contributor to the Ken Burns documentary, The 10th Inning, 2010
I am based in Sacramento, California where I live with my greatest supporter and wonderful wife Ruth, near our children Jacqueline and Jeraline, and our grandchildren.
Awards
1st Place - CNPA feature photo, 2018
2nd Place - CNPA sports action, 2017
1st Place - CNPA sports action, 2015
1st Place - CNPA news photo, 2014
1st Place - Inland Press Association sports action, 2015
1st Place - San Francisco Bay Area Press Photographers Association news pictures, 2013
2nd Place - San Francisco Bay Area Press Photographers Association portrait-personality, 2013
3rd Place - San Francisco Bay Area Press Photographers Association Photographer of the Year, 2013
1st Place - San Francisco Bay Area Press Photographers Association features, 2012
2nd Place - San Francisco Bay Area Press Photographers Association general news, 2012
Award of Excellence - Society of News Design, photography, 2005
1st Place - CNPA pictorial, 2004
1996 - Alicia Patterson Foundation Fellowship-Latin Baseball
1996 - Grand Prize-Inter-American Press Association
1996 - The Santa Fe Workshop, The Project Competition-Second Place
1994, 96’ - National Association of Hispanic Journalist Photography Contest-Grand Prize
1989 - Pulitzer Prize – General News/San José Mercury News Loma Prieta Earthquake Coverage
Exhibits
2009 Spring/Winter - National Baseball Hall of Fame - Cooperstown, New York - Solo Exhibition - “The Latino Baseball Story”
2005 Fall – Oakland Museum – Oakland, California - “The Latino Baseball Story”
2005 Winter – Museum of Modern Art – Houston, Texas - “The Latino Baseball Story”
2003 Fall – California State University Sacramento, California -Solo Exhibition/Latino Baseball
2000 Spring - Crocker Art Museum – Sacramento, California - Solo Exhibition/Latino Baseball
1999/2000 – “Americanos” Traveling Exhibition - Contributing photographer