Friends! We have some very exciting news to share!
Seed Chicago is a direct result of Chicago’s Plan for Economic Growth and Job’s strategy to nurture neighborhoods and foster continuous development of talent, business and real-estate assets. The Plan was developed by World Business Chicago at the request of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel last year in order to accelerate Chicago’s economic growth.
How amazing is that?!!!
And, we are super excited about our meeting with Mayor Emanuel and the other 10 participants which will take place on Monday, April 15th, 2013. We are certain we will have much to share after the meeting!
Our hopes are that by participating in this project, we will receive a high level of exposure and community support, thus increasing our ability to meet our funding goal of $16,000.
We are beyond thrilled to be one of eleven projects featured on Seed Chicago.
To check out Seed Chicago, go to http://www.kickstarter.com/pages/seedchicago.
Please take a moment to explore our project!
Come on and show us some BIG love- we promise we won’t let ya down!
Here’s the link:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1934479244/its-a-beautiful-day-in-my-neighborhood-photo-proje
Here’s the scoop:
“It’s a Beautiful Day in My Neighborhood”
“It’s A Beautiful Day in My Neighborhood” Youth Photography Project will be a creative partnership between Lindsey Meyers and Beauty & Brawn Art Gallery and Think Space and 20 children from the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. Students will be selected from neighborhood schools and in three age categories, those being: 4-8, 9-13-14-18 years old.
The project will run over the course of 10-12 weeks.
The Process: “It’s a Beautiful Day” will introduce students to both the technical and experimental applications of photography and will be exploring various concepts of imagery, the fundamentals of picture making and self-portraiture, and the documentation of their worlds through photographs.
Students participate in picture taking outings and adventures throughout the neighborhood, lectures, lab visits, technological and printing demonstrations and peer critiques, and will go behind the scenes in the gallery to acquire knowledge of day to day business operations.
The Technical:
The technical aspects of the project focus on the students creating interesting images and works of art, framing and showcasing the work, learning lab technology relating to cameras, shooting, photo set up, editing and printing and more. Digital cameras will be used throughout the project.
We will partner with Latitude: a Not-for-Profit digital lab which directly supports emerging and established artists by providing access to advanced digital media equipment, a professional production space, and a curriculum dedicated to real-world workflows and contemporary art theory.
www.latitudechicago.org
The Sociological:
The sociological component of the project supports the students examinations of the “self”, both physically and emotionally, and teaches them to explore him/herself in relation to others and to the surrounding community and beyond. We will guide the children through exercises promoting self-reflection, and focus on understanding and relating the internal self and the creative self to the surrounding community/world.
The Space:
Beauty & Brawn Art Gallery and Think Space is the vision of photographer and mixed media artist Lindsey Meyers–one which combines the intelligence and intellectual pulse of an art gallery and the indelible power and importance of an arts education space that truly lies outside the box. Our mission is to service the community with outstanding arts education resources, supreme artworks, visionary projects, and philanthropic and charitable principles.
The Creative Philosophy:
The project will embody the overall spirit and energy of Beauty & Brawn, and promote the ideology that every child holds a place in a neighborhood and that every child has feelings about being in such a place. At Beauty & Brawn, we believe that it is our obligation to teach love, respect and creative openness and awareness to anyone and everyone who enters our space.
The Finale:
The project will culminate with a student gallery exhibition at Beauty & Brawn Art Gallery and Think Space. The exhibition includes an invitation only opening reception to be publicized throughout the Chicagoland and the surrounding areas through appropriate social media outlets-both in print and on line. Each student will be given a camera to keep!
Risks and challenges:
Rarely do urban youths have the opportunity to express their feelings and opinions about their own life experiences, nor given a platform from which to respond to these issues through a creative means.
We are not only providing kids with an opportunity to learn a creative trade through the literal movements of picture taking and print making, but are allowing them to experience work and project collaboration, self-sufficiency and task completion, as well as social and peer support recognition.
However, we are aware that not all families and community members will welcome the artistic intrusion of a curious young person and a camera lens.
The kids truly come to understand that photography can be a probing into the very private lives and social constructs of others.
Should we face any difficulties in these areas, we will immediately address them with both the student and his/her family, and try to provide emotional safety, solid communication and consistent encouragement to and for all involved parties.
And as any with any creative project, a myriad of mishaps and setbacks might arise- from delays at the printing lab and a shortage of workable daylight shooting hours, to student illnesses, scheduling conflicts and shipping delays.
Our intention is to deliver our goods in a timely and efficient manner, and that they are representative of the highest quality and standards.
We ask for your patience if any bumps appear along our project road, and as always, wholeheartedly appreciate your kindness, support and belief in our kids and in our art!
