 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Re+COLLECT: Photographs and stories by refugee youth of San DiegoA new display in front of SDMA features photography taken by refugee youth living in San Diego. The installation was designed by the AjA Project and includes 24 large-scale photographs that express the wide range of experiences that San Diego County refugee teens encounter in their daily lives. The display is scheduled to be on view until early 2007. The AjA Project is a nonprofit organization based in San Diego that serves refugee youth affected by war, displacement, migration, and resettlement in San Diego, Bogotá, and the Thai/Burma border region. Since 2002, AjA's after school photography program, Journey, has empowered over 400 recently resettled refugee teenagers. Through the Journey workshops, students consider the power of pictures and learn to think critically about their personal histories in relationship to their new surroundings. The photographs serve as an outlet for the youth to share their stories and gain self-esteem, a sense of belonging, and communication skills. The installed images include photographs of city sights and cultural events, insightful family portraits, children at play, and domestic scenes. The original photographs taken by the students have been transferred and blown up on to vinyl and complemented by student quotes and sections of color patterns, which are attached to Plexiglas and illuminated by the natural outdoor light. The Frameworks/AjA installation is organized by the San Diego Museum of Art in collaboration with the AjA Project. Support for the project is made possible by the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, the County of San Diego Community Enhancement Fund and members of the San Diego Museum of Art. Production of this brochure is made possible by the generosity of The Thursday Club. Major support for the 80th Anniversary at SDMA is provided by Tamara and Kevin Kinsella, Audrey S. Geisel, Wells Fargo Bank, Gordon Brodfuehrer, Mary H. Clark, the office of San Diego County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price and the Docent Council of the San Diego Museum of Art.
|
    |
