School Shootings: Studio 789 youth photo gallery opens by Rajesh Barnabas
Thu, Apr 17, 2008  April 4, 2008 – Forty years ago today, shots rang out in the Memphis sky. Tonight in Rochester, a completely different kind of shooting was observed and celebrated – that of youth photography. Students from Studio 789 had their end-of-the-year photo opening - “Sharper Image” at the Link Gallery at City Hall. In his speech to the students, School Board President Malik Evans noted the ominous anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination and the now famous black and white photo taken just minutes following the tragedy.
“Who knows the lives you may touch, the moments you may capture,” said Evans. “During the Civil Rights movement, most people didn’t have televisions, so there were only photo images to tell the stories.”
Launched in 1999, Studio 789 is a 22 week after-school photography program for middle school students from Wilson Foundation Academy. It is a Rochester City Schools collaboration with the Community Darkroom at the Genesee Center for the Arts and Education.
Dean Lawrence and Jacqueline Wells, 2008 photo club graduates, presented the club’s images in a slide show in the City Council Chambers. Over one hundred guests attended. Special recognition was given to Laidlar Fitzgerald – the South West Area Neighborhood bus driver who has been with the photography club for the past three years. “He has been there for us despite bad directions and trips to odd places down back country roads,” said Sharon Turner, lead teacher for Studio 789.
Field trips included a llama farm in Avon, a tree fort in Henrietta, a Japanese garden, the Rochester police station, the top of the Bausch and Lomb building, and Mt. Hope Cemetery, to name a few.
City Councilman Adam McFadden shared more congratulatory words for the photo club. “Of all our programs this is the easiest one to fund,” said McFadden, who is also Executive Director of Quad A for Kids, one of Studio 789’s supporters. “We are happy to keep this going.”
“Rochester is more than statistics, crime, and dropouts. These photos show that it is about family, kids having fun, and a place where there are support systems for our children,” said McFadden.
“None of these pictures are doctored,” added Tariq Spence of WDKX. “They did not use Photoshop, these images are what they are. It’s natural, it’s life, it’s raw.” He joked that the student work was so captivating that they had taken his focus away from the cookies and brownies on the tables beneath. “Rarely am I distracted from dessert.”
Norma Holland - of 13WHAM, told a touching story about a photo album that her family had lost and with it a record of their past. She instructed the youth to cherish their photos and “guard them with your life.”
The 30 students were each given a club book, professionally produced by PUB – a division of the Rochester Institute of Technology that specializes in publishing print and web material. Recognition was given to John Carew – Program Manager at PUB and his staff. They showed photo club members how to scan their photographs and design their book.
The highlight for Amari Porter, a first year student in the program, was “meeting new people and getting to know new things in Rochester.” She admitted she wasn’t interested in photography for any of its political significance. “I get to capture everyday life, and make images of things people don’t pay much attention to.”
Porter’s photos revolved around nature. Her “My View Over the Horizon” was an up close look at grass and plants, but from a caterpillar’s point of view. Her caption read:
I inched my way over the grass and came across long, narrow stalks reaching way into the sky. I began to climb my way up and thought to myself, “Little caterpillar, what are you doing? This is far too high. You’ll fall.” But regardless I continued to climb up and stopped halfway. I looked around but most importantly I looked down at the ground below me. The ground was waaaaaaaay down and I looked back up afraid of what might happen. “Don’t worry,” I told myself, “You won’t fall.” I heard a sound and turned to my left and there stood a human with a large object in her hand. I squinted my eyes to get a better look at it and all of a sudden FLASH! I was blinded by a white light and I felt the ground coming closer and closer……
After the ceremony, guests were invited into the gallery for the first public viewing of the students’ photographs. Beautifully framed and placed along the long halls of City Hall’s first floor, each image served as a window into the young artist’s world. The Sharper Image show was billed as both photographs and writing by Studio 789, so the captions served as window sills to the artist’s work, supporting the image with even greater detail.
First year students of Studio 789 included: Justin Anderson, Shauntika Baltman, Teiana Bennett, Rhodesia Brown, Jahlen Calvin, Ashley Chistophe, Dominick Cotton, Shanalyn Crawford, Ashley Cruz, Richard Elliot, Brittany Frank, Cierra Jackson, Khadijah Kelly, Amari Porter, Meaghan Rodriguez, Jeremiah Rueda, Shamika Spencer, Kadijah Thompson-Mack, Diana Virella, TiCara Weaver, and Donovan Wilson.
Second and third year students are Mildred Lampley and Thomas Scott. 2008 graduates of Studio 789 are Sergio Cruz, Dean Lawrence, Jayla McNair, Ellen Sherwood, and Jacqueline Wells.
The six photography teachers joining Turner were: Dennise Gruttadaro, Megan Monday, Jen Moon, Juliana Muniz, Kaci Smith, and Susan Morelock.
The Sharper Image exhibit is open 9am-5pm daily and will run through April 28th at the Link Gallery at Rochester City Hall – 30 Church St.
For a glimpse at Studio 789 photos on-line go to: http://www.lovebirdarts.com/photoclub
And more info about the club at: http://www.geneseearts.org/darkroom/youth.phtml
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