PROVIDENCE - City of Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and the Department of Art, Culture + Tourism are pleased to announce a new exhibit in the Gallery at City Hall entitled AS220 Photo Mem: Kennedy Plaza Portrait Project. The exhibit will be on display from September 25 to December 3 with an artist reception during the FirstWorks Festival: On The Plaza In 2012 on September 29 from 6pm - 9pm. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.
For the past three years, the AS220 Youth photography program called Photo Mem has spent six weeks each summer producing the Kennedy Plaza Portrait Project. The goal was to capture a cross section of Rhode Island citizens by photographing Black & White portraits and recording interviews of a small cross section of the tens of thousands of people who use Kennedy Plaza every day.
The project gave the AS220 Youth an opportunity to sharpen their social skills by having to cold-approach strangers regarding the project, explaining it then finally interviewing them about it. Along with social skills being sharpened, the AS220 Youth developed valuable photography skills beyond what's taught in the darkroom by having to learn how to compose, expose and execute a photograph in a real world setting with time being a major factor.
About AS220 Youth:
AS220 Youth is a free arts education program serving young people ages 14-21, with a special focus on those in the care and custody of the state. Their goal is to engage youth in a creative process that will lead to positive social, educational and vocational outcomes. They offer workshops and intensives in the following areas: music, dance, creative writing, visuals arts, 2D and 3D design, and photography.
AS220 Youth has continuously offered arts programming at the Rhode Island Training School (RITS) since 1998, making it the longest-standing arts program in a juvenile detention facility in the United States. Nearly half of all RITS residents opt to participate in our groups. In 2010, more than 60 made the transition from the RITS to their downtown Studio after release. Currently, AS220 Youth serves about 330 youth each year, engaging youth at three sites: the RITS, UCAP (The Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program), and AS220's 115 Empire Street complex.
About the Gallery at Providence City Hall:
Offering space to artists and organizations that might not have a permanent gallery, the Gallery at City Hall exhibits an eclectic array of work that highlights the artistic and cultural diversity found in the Providence community. It is located on the second floor and is open to the public during City Hall business hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm; on the first and third Wednesday of every month, hours are extended until 7:00 p.m. (25 Dorrance Street, 2nd Floor, Providence, RI 02903)