UCCP Newswire: "Greetings from Philadelphia..."

Thursday, September 10, 2009

"Greetings from Philadelphia..."

The exhibit "Greetings from Philadelphia" at Tyler's School of Art on August 12th, 2009 was the culmination of a six week summer program, where 23 youth presented to the public the past, present and dreams of their community.

This summer, fourteen youth from South West Philadelphia and nine youth from North Philadelphia were asked to become the curators of their own neighborhoods. The project was a departure from previous years for the UCCP. Aside from incorporating art as the main media form, the project also required organizational partnerships to support the different stages of the project. The Philadelphia Museum of Art, for example, graciously invited the youth to tour the museum providing them with a framework to see and understand art from different perspectives. The Urban Archives at Temple University welcomed the students to tour their facility and made available materials, maps and pictures so that the youth could study the history of their neighborhoods. A collaboration with Laura Deutch’s “Messages in Motion” project gave each one of the youth the opportunity to create a one minute video postcard about his/her life. One of our priorities during the project was to provide the youth with opportunities and access to resources they could use to bring their ideas to life. Our partnership with Myers Recreation Center through the City Lights Coalition provided the youth with support in their own community and encouraged them to see themselves as active and contributing members.

Last but not least, having access to the Temple Gallery at the Tyler School of Art was a great opportunity for the youth. Having their work displayed in a professional and legitimate setting was a particularly important experience, one that allowed them to see the value adults placed on their ideas and work.

Some pictures from the event: