Earlier this month, we were thrilled to visit the Cleveland Print Room to see the opening reception of Multiple Exposure, a year-round, after school photography program and arts workshop for middle and high school students in the city of Cleveland. The program helps participants express creativity through photography via access to instant film cameras. We supported the Cleveland Print Room earlier this year to start up Multiple Exposure in a handful of locations as part of our new mastery based arts initiative.
The reception was part of the ArtCraft Holiday Sale in the ArtCraft Building, and featured artwork by students from organizations including Saint Martin de Porres High School, Campus International School, Bethany Baptist Church, Lexington-Bell Community Center and Fatima Family Center. Student work is on sale through Dec. 16!
The Cleveland Print Room is a nonprofit community darkroom, educational center, studio workspace and gallery located in the St. Clair/Superior neighborhood. Nearly 120 students are part of Multiple Exposure, learning instant photography using the Lomo Instant Wide device, led by MX’s Program Manager Julie Brannigan, MX’s Community Education Liaison, Amber Ford along with other instructors. Students experience an immersive arts education, practicing visual storytelling and the technical craft of instant photography. Curriculum includes studies connecting visual arts to the written word, practicing still-life photography, movement, portraits, and incorporating photography within mixed media projects. The project aims to scale up to serve hundreds of students at ten sites citywide.
Our mastery based arts initiative officially kicked off earlier this year with a grant to the Cleveland Public Theatre in partnership with the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority to support the Brick City Theatre Program. Multiple Exposure is modeled after Brick City Theatre’s successful implementation of year-round after school immersive arts programming. All creative disciplines – music, theater, dance, writing, visual arts, and more – offer important advantages to our young people when delivered by teaching artists through high quality, long-term, skills-based instruction.
Check out an online gallery of work, meet some of the artists, and follow MX on Facebook and Instagram. Be on the lookout for future exhibits of Multiple Exposure around Cleveland—you may even want to add the artwork to your personal collection!
