Our Photo 2 unit on portrait photography became an art installation. The basis for this project originated from two different artists, JR and Brandon Stanton. JR started a global movement with his Inside Out Project, enabling groups around the world to use portraits to advocate for change. Brandon Stanton's Humans of New York series focuses on the faces and stories of complete strangers. He travels the world striking up conversations with people and sharing their stories, offering us insight into each other's lives. With all of us feeling the weight of the pandemic, our Photo 2 classes decided to use these two artists as inspiration to create an installation meant to celebrate our strengths, reflect on our hardships, and bring us closer together through our shared thoughts and experiences. Participants were invited to join through a Google from and could select their level of participation. Within a week, over 140 people had signed up to share their faces and stories with us. It took us two more weeks to edit, print, mount, and attach the hardware necessary to hang the portraits. The project ended up being a huge success. Students and staff were so moved by it that we ended up turning the installation into a photo book to remember the faces and stories. The story of the installation was also picked up by WFSBs news segment What's Right with Schools. Check out the segment below!
I am honored to have been able to assist my Photo 2 students in making their ideas a reality. The time, energy, and thoughtfulness put in by these students is truly something to be admired! Student agency at it's finest!