Student Photographers Exhibit at AANM
Over the last 12 months, middle school students of diverse backgrounds from Dearborn and southwest Detroit learned digital photography skills as part of the Arab American National Museum’s SURA Arts Academy, a program funded by The Skillman Foundation.
Now the students are doing what professional artists do – displaying their work in a public setting. From September 12 through November 1, 2009, more than 60 color and black and white images by these budding artists will be exhibited in the Lower Level Gallery at the Arab American National Museum (AANM), 13624 Michigan Ave. in Dearborn. The show is free with Museum admission.
On Saturday, September 12, the young SURA photographers and their families and friends will gather for an opening reception from noon-2 p.m. at the Museum, including refreshments and a performance by BombaRica. The public is invited to attend; no admission fee required. Please RSVP by contacting Celia Shallal at 313.624.0210 or cshallal@accesscommunity.org.
Sura is an Arabic word for photograph. In SURA Arts Academy, students learn to operate and care for the camera and how to compose a shot, but the instruction is also a catalyst. As they look through the camera lens, they develop self-awareness and respect toward others, and an idea of how they fit into the broader community.
Equipped with new digital cameras supplied by the Museum, children of Arab, African, Asian and Latin American descent spent the last year working with professional independent photographers as well as photographers from Detroit’s College for Creative Studies. They led the instructional activities and joined AANM educators in leading cultural discussions and explorations, helping the students gain insight into issues of identity, ethnicity, diversity and the value of documenting community history. The weekly sessions were held at Detroit’s Munger Middle School but also included field trips.
SURA Arts Academy was honored with a 2008 Coming Up Taller Award, presented by the President’s Council on the Arts and the Humanities to exemplary youth after-school programs.
Created in 1960, The Skillman Foundation is a private philanthropy committed to helping children in metropolitan Detroit by improving their homes, schools and neighborhoods. The goal of the Foundation’s programs is to achieve significant results for kids. Skillman grantmaking primarily supports nonprofit organizations and agencies working in six Detroit neighborhoods – Southwest Detroit (Vernor & Chadsey-Condon), Brightmoor, Osborn, Central and Cody-Rouge – and innovative, successful schools throughout the city of Detroit.
The Arab American National Museum documents, preserves, celebrates, and educates the public on the history, life, culture, and contributions of Arab Americans. We serve as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in this country. The Arab American National Museum is a project of ACCESS, a Dearborn, Michigan-based nonprofit human services and cultural organization. Learn more at www.arabamericanmuseum.org
and www.accesscommunity.org
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The Arab American National Museum is a proud Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Read about the Affiliations program at http://affiliations.si.edu
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The Museum is located at 13624 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI, 48126. Museum hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday (10 a.m.-6 p.m. May through August); noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday, Tuesday; Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is $6 for adults; $3 for students, seniors and children 6-12; ages 5 and under, free. Call 313.582.2266 for further information.