Beyond Housing: 15 Kids: By Us, For Us, About Us
Beyond Housing: 15 Kids: By Us, For Us, About Us
Training: January 18 - March 8, 2005; Pagedale Family Support Center; Mel Watkin, Instructor
Exhibition SITE #1: PPRC Photography Project Gallery
April 21 - August 30, 2005
Exhibition SITE #2: St. Vincent Community Center
April 22 - August 30, 2005
Website: www.beyondhousing.org
"Affordable housing is the foundation of family success..." This is the core belief of Beyond Housing/National Housing Services, a St. Louis organization that helps families transform their lives and communities through affordable housing. Founded in 1980 and 1975 respectively, these two organizations merged in 2003. Their combined resources now help families access a range of services enabling tenants to maximize their potential through financial independence. Beyond Housing/NHS manages the Pagedale Family Center on Ferguson Avenue, and the facility offers programs as varied as senior citizen aerobics, tax and legal advice, and a daily after-school program.
Provided to children from kindergarten through 7th grade, the program offers art activities, homework assistance, and physical fitness. Fifteen of the Center's older children (ages 10 to 13) participated in Photography Project training. The resulting exhibitions were entitled 15 Kids: By Us, For Us and About Us. The training revolved around photographic portraiture. Photography Project Director, Mel Watkin, introduced the children to historic portrait photographers like James Van Der Zee of Harlem; the late New York photographer, Richard Avedon; and Samuel Fosso, who, in the late 70s, when he was just 13 years old, set up a portrait studio in the Central African Republic. The group experimented with different backdrops such as plain fabric, a brick wall, grass, and the sky. The kids also tried casual portraits, formal poses, and even some portraits at night.
--Mel Watkin, Instructor and Director
PPRC Photography Project
PARTICIPANTS:
Sabria Cox
Sabrian Cox
Juanita Edwards
Deont. Fisher
Marcus Frazier
Chardonnay Gray
Graigory C. Lovings
Tyrous Morris
Antoine Payton
Kinzell Stanciel
Theron Steele
Earl Willis
Khadijah Willis
LyDarrell Wilson
LaRell Woods
COMMUNITY PARTNERS:
Beyond Housing/Neighborhood Housing Services
Pagedale Family Support Center
St. Vincent Community Center, Pagedale