How I See It — My Place
San José
Top row: Thomas Brown. Second Row (L to R): Danny Dinh, Nicole Hamilton. Third Row (L to R): Kathy Pham, Tina Crnko, Miyuki Tajima, Michael Pearce. Last Row (L to R): Olivia Hsieh, Angie Miraflor, Feeza Mohammad (Photo by David C. Hill)
Michael Pearce – Michael posting a self-portrait to the exhibit space. (Photo by David C. Hill)
Olivia Hsieh – Olivia with her finished product. (Photo by David C. Hill)
Tina Crnko & Feeza Mohammad – Tina and Feeza finishing up their exhibit space. (Photo by David C. Hill)
Behind the Scenes
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library is located in downtown San José, an area rich in cultural, economical, and architectural history. It is a joint use building, combining San José Public Library and San José State University to create an open partnership between the public and academic communities. Downtown San José's population is mostly Latino (50%) with the White and Asian groups representing 20% each. It is a young community with a median age of 29 years, and 25% of the population is 19 years old or younger.
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A group of 12 teens from all around San José participated in the project. The teens came from all parts of San José and heard about the program through their library teen advisory group, our website, or a flyer from their school. Several of them had prior experience with photography, but there were also a few who signed up in order to learn how to use a digital camera as well as learn photography techniques.
From neighborhoods with century old Victorian houses, to the brand new City Hall, to high-rise condos still in construction, this group was able to capture a period of innovative change and preservation of history. They worked with David Hill, a local professional photographer who specializes in documenting the urban history of San José, and learned photography techniques as well as the history of the downtown area. The teens used what they learned about juxtaposition to photograph images of old buildings next to new or renovated buildings next to brand new construction.
Feeza Mohammad & Miyuki Tajima – Trying to get a picture of their afternoon snack!
(Photo by David C. Hill)
The teens toured the San José Museum of Art to learn about what an art exhibit is and the different forms that artwork can become. For 8 of the 12 teens, this was their first time visiting the museum. Creating the art exhibit was the most rewarding experience during the entire program. Each teen had their own style when displaying their photographs. Some were very simplistic and followed more of a traditional art exhibit such as framed pictures with titles, while others used the space to create a collage-type exhibit incorporating their photos, writing, and other props to tell their stories. The community really enjoyed the exhibit. Viewers not from the area learned more about downtown San José and the local community had the opportunity to see familiar environments in another light.
Nicole Hamilton & Miyuki Tajima – Yuki and Nicole showing off their finished exhibit space. (Photo by David C. Hill)
The initial goals of the project were to give teens an opportunity to tell their stories about the neighborhood, and to share with the overall community these stories. Both of these goals were successfully met. But there were also some unexpected results that came from this project. By the end of the program, the teens formed very strong friendships, and have expressed interest in forming a digital photography club at King Library as a way to keep in touch and continue practicing photography.
— Angie Miraflor, Project Director
