Support Our International Photography Exhibition and Travel!

SUPPORT THESE PHOTOGRAPHERS!

If you haven’t already read about it, seen it, and heard it! It’s in the works. WHS’s Photography students are planning their trip to Russia!

This fall the Visual Arts Department, in conjunction with Westbrook High School, hosted 5 Russian guests from School N21, Arkhangelsk Russia (3 students, a teacher, and their Principal.) As a department, we acted as the foundation for the exchange by embracing the opportunity to use art a method for integrating global education. As we feel it is essential for K-12 students to develop the skills, knowledge, and dispositions needed for responsible participation in a democratic society and in a twenty-first century global community. Our labors ranged from The overall coordination of all exchange programing (Sarah Ritz Swain, Art Director K-12); Art- engaged learning activities for students and teachers (Debra Bickford, Teacher), and “A Day in the Life of the City” Photography Exhibition (Matthew Johnson, Teacher.)

“ A Day in the Life of the City” is a joint, traveling exhibition of Arkhangelsk Russia and Greater Portland featuring 40 Photographs from 15 artists. Sponsored by the Archangel Committee Photography Exchange; a community partnership that has been supported in Westbrook for over 25 years. “A Day in the Life of the City” project engages visual art practice that confront the challenges of 21st century learning: including emerging technologies, new social formations, and new forms of cultural expression, identify, and community engagement. The exhibition considers the identity of the Greater Portland Community in a global context. Extending beyond the walls of our schools and homes in search of imagery that describes not only our own community but the broader relationship between community and visual identity. The collected photographs allow for a unique opportunity to form a collected response to the questions: What is community? What is identity? How are they connected? How do artist support and embrace this connection? We hope the results of this photojournalistic project inspires you to look at the people and places in our community through a new more global lens.