For Immediate Release: July 30, 2009
Media Contact: Marketing and Communication Department
2009 Investigating Where We Live: Media Advisory
WHAT
Thirty students. Thirty cameras. Twelve days. Three neighborhoods. These are the ingredients for Investigating Where We Live (IWWL), a 4-week summer program created by the National Building Museum in which middle and high school students from the Washington, D.C. metro area use digital cameras to explore D.C. neighborhoods. Kealea Foy, age 15, noted her experience exploring the neighborhoods, "I got a hands-on approach that taught me more than a simple textbook would. To be able to hear peoples' stories then document and preserve them gave me such a new take on things. Everything and everyone has a story, we just need to listen and preserve it with our own stories, writings and artwork." The 2009 IWWL program examines the neighborhoods of Columbia Heights, Shaw, and the U Street Corridor in northwest Washington, D.C. The students' goal is to design an exhibition, using photography as the main form of communication, which will offer visitors a chance to see their fresh perspectives on these vibrant and historic neighborhoods.
By meeting with photographer Camilo José Vergara, who has documented America's inner cities for the last 40 years and whose exhibition Storefront Churches is on view at the Museum through the end of November; speaking with curators of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture's Scurlock Studio & Black Washington: Picturing the Promise exhibition; and working alongside local photographers, students are better able to explore, document, and interpret the physical and cultural landscape of these neighborhoods.
The exhibition is on view to the public from August 8, 2009 through January 18, 2010. Visit the exhibition for a visual journey through Columbia Heights, Shaw, and the U Street Corridor.
Major funding for Investigating Where We Live is provided by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Beech Street Foundation. Additional support for outreach programs is provided by The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; The Capital Group Companies; the Government of the District of Columbia, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development; the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture; and Joseph F. Horning, Jr., among others.
WHERE
National Building Museum
401 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20001 (Judiciary Square Metro, Red Line)
WHEN
Friday, August 7, 2009 / 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Investigating Where We Live: Communities in Motion Exhibition Opening Reception
Free. Refreshments will be served.
CONTACT
Marketing and Communications Department, 202.272.2448, ext. 3458
Student Photos available on request.
The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to advancing the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives. Through its exhibitions, educational programs, online content, and publications, the Museum has become a vital forum for the exchange of ideas and information about the world we build for ourselves. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org. Connect with us on Twitter: @BuildingMuseum and Facebook.
