First Day With Cameras!

¡Mis estudiantes de Puebla, Mexico!

The purpose of my trip to Mexico is to participate in an artist residency through an organization called Arquetopia.  Arquetopia has paired me with Museo Imagina, which is very similar to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia.  The distance learning project that I am facilitating strives to allow elementary school children in Mexico and in the US to explore the similarities and differences in their lives and cultures through photography and bookmaking.  First, my students in Mexico are photographing their surroundings and constructing two copies of an autobiographical handmade book.  One copy will be theirs to keep and the other will come to the United States with me.  Upon my arrival home, two of my super seniors at the University of the Arts will teach the same lessons to my elementary school students at Centro Nueva Creación, an after school program in North Philadelphia.  When their books are completed, we will send copies to our friends in Mexico and students will be paired according to age, gender and personality.  The project will conclude when the students "meet" their new international friends through Skype.  Almost all of my students at Centro Nueva Creación speak Spanish so the kids should have no trouble communicating.

Today was our first day with supplies and we had the perfect amount of cameras; one per student!  Each child is taking a camera and rechargeable batteries home over the weekend to document their families, pets, friends and communities.  We walked around the beautiful grounds surrounding the museum while they practiced taking pictures and deleting them.  After that, we worked on the covers of our books.  These kids have an amazing work ethic.  Today the interns and I had to practically pull supplies out of their hands when it was time to go.  They are fantastic and I feel so fortunate to be working with them.

Uriel's camera

"Imagination is a dream that never ends" by Victor, age 12

Using our cameras outside of the beautiful Museo Imagina! Jessica on the left and Miguel on the right are my fantastic interns.