Photography exhibit documents teens' discoveries about their community

By Christina Schreiner and Nicole Riley SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE
Posted: 11/19/2008 09:10:12 AM PST

An exhibit of photographs and writing created and assembled by a group of local teens about their recent exploration of Pacifica will be on exhibit at through Dec. 30.

In addition to the library exhibit, the youths' work will be featured in an online exhibt on the council's website in spring 2009.

The exhibit is the culmination of a 10-week project called "How I See It: My Place," a program of the California Council for the Humanities that involved more than 300 teens in 21 libraries across the state in exploring and investigating their cities and towns using digital cameras, direct observation, and the resources of their respective libraries.

The council supplied the libraries with materials, equipment, a curriculum, and a grant to enable them to conduct the projects.

California Stories' How I See It: My Place is supported in part by the United States.

Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.

This project is conducted in partnership with Califa a membership-based service bureau designed to provide cost-effective delivery of services, programs, and products through a membership network of California libraries (www.califa.org)

Through the course of the 10-week project, participants Nicole Riley, Christina Schreiner, Marisa Benson, Alisha Spalding, Jesse McKeen-Scott, Kim Hansford, Oceane Ringuette, Ian Adams, and Matt Dodge learned research and presentation skills, how to document their observations with photography and writing, how to curate an exhibit, and how to organize and conduct a public program.

"We didn't realize how many little mysteries are in each corner of this neighborhood until we started this project," said Hansford.

"It has been a great learning experience for us because it's taught us to appreciate the beauty in things we regularly overlook," added Riley.

The program aims to create stronger connections between young people and their communities, promote intergenerational understanding and civic engagement, and highlight the role of libraries as centers of community life," said Council Executive Director Ralph Lewin. This program was loosely based on the work of John Stilgoe, a Harvard professor of landscape history who sees everyday landscape as a historical record and wants to awaken people to the excitement of exploring their surroundings.

"This project has encouraged us to make connections between past and present, and investigate how our city is constantly evolving," said Schreiner and Benson. In addition to its observational intent, the program also aimed to spark participants' interest in the humanities and encourage them to pursue their newly developed skills and interests through higher education and careers.

For more information about the Council's youth projects, and its California Stories initiative, visit http://www.californiastories.org/ http://www.calhum.org/programs/HowISeeIt_overview.htm

Project Director Kim Day can be reached at day@smcl.org or call the Sharp Park Library at (650) 355-5196.

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