For Immediate Release: July 23, 2012
Media Contact: Marketing and Communication Department
Investigating Where We Live 2012: Media Advisory
National Building Museum Exhibition Showcases Teens’ Views of D. C.
Opening reception for Teen-Produced Exhibition about Anacostia
WHAT
Interview opportunity with the student creators of Investigating Where We Live, the National Building Museum’s annual teen-designed and produced exhibition.
Equipped with digital cameras and sketchbooks, middle and high school students from the metropolitan Washington area made the city streets their classroom in the National Building Museum’s four-week summer outreach program. Investigating Where We Live (IWWL) is a visual journey that showcases their fresh outlook on the city in which they live, and offers visitors a chance to see new perspectives of D.C. through the eyes of young people.
This summer’s participants examined the historically and culturally rich neighborhood of Anacostia. They used digital cameras to explore, document, and interpret the built environment, and interviewed residents and professionals in the area to explore the themes of diversity, change, and community. Their original photographs, writings, and artwork are featured in the exhibition. Participants worked with Museum staff, photographers, writers, and curatorial experts to find the best way to tell the story they saw in the neighborhood. They then planned, fabricated, and installed this exhibition.
IWWL challenges students to actively observe their surroundings, and to use photography and creative writing as a way to understand and explain local neighborhoods. Emphasis is placed on educating the participants about the importance of the neighborhood in the larger context of the city while highlighting what makes it unique.
The participants’ photographs and writings will be on display at the Museum from July 28, 2012 – May 26, 2013.
Gallery opening and reception to follow remarks.
WHERE
National Building Museum
401 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
(Judiciary Square Metro, Red Line)
WHEN
Opening Reception
Friday, July 27, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Free. No registration required.
Exhibition
July 28, 2012 – May 26, 2013
$8 adult; $5 youth; Free for Museum members.
SPONSOR
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. Additional support for outreach programs is provided by The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Clark Charitable Foundation; The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc.; Sunrise Foundation; and The Tower Companies, among others.
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.
