On view: May 15 – June 4, 2022
Silver Street Studios, Entrance 3
2000 Edwards St. Houston, TX 77007
Fun in the School Zone is the theme for the 2022 FotoFinish exhibition. With schools returning to the classroom, it became clear to the Teaching Artists that a playful element would bring healing to the students after the life-changing events of the past two years. This exhibition allows the students to present their experiences and ideas to their friends, families,
and the public in a participatory gallery experience, bringing audiences into their world through their creative works.
The exhibition aims to activate the inner-child in all. Joining together indoor/outdoor games with bright primary colors, the space creates a world for imagination and joy. The staff of FotoFest are delighted to present these works from different “school zones” to the public and invite all audiences to play and contribute a piece of writing in studio 206, the reading room.
FotoFinish is the culminating showcase of the in-school and after-school art residencies built on FotoFest’s Literacy Through Photography curriculum. Teaching Artists guide K-12 students through lessons on the elements of photography. These skills assist the students in photography and writing around the four
themes of self, home, community, and dreams. This annual exhibition provides students the opportunity to share the amazing work that they produced over the course of the residency.
Special thanks to 2021–22 FotoFest Literacy Through Photography Teaching Artists: Adanna Ade, Rakia Chestnut, Leticia Contreras, Veronica Gaona, Tyarra Hogan, Dariel Johnson, Felicia Johnson, Moe Penders, Gabriella “Moody” Pomales, Sha’Na Smith, Alexia Torre.
2021–22 Exhibiting Schools and Community Programs
HISD: Longfellow Elementary, Emerson Elementary, Hartman Middle, Raul C. Martinez Elementary, Roberts Elementary
Aldine ISD: Hall Academy for Success
Alief ISD: Alief Middle
Galena Park ISD: Havard Elementary, Cobb 6th Grade Campus
Humble ISD: Humble Middle
Community Organizations: Ripley House, Boys & Girls Club Havard, Yale Village Apartments
Curated by Adanna Adé; Organized by Chelsea Jones, Rose Tylinski, Annick Dekiouk
Writing by Felicia Johnson
Photograph taken by Fourth Grader from Roberts Elementary featured in exhibition FotoFinish: Fun in the School Zone, 2022. Houston, TX. Courtesy of FotoFest.
EXHIBITION TOURS
Exhibition tours for schools are available Tuesday through Friday at 10 AM, 11:30 AM, and 1:00 PM. Register for a 50-minute tour by emailing FotoFest Learning Programs Manager Chelsea Jones at chelsea@fotofest.org or calling 713-223-5522.
FOTOFINISH SPONSORS
FOTOFINISH FUNDRAISER CHAIR
Marcia Nichols
FOTOFINISH FUNDRAISER SPONSORS
Julie and Drew Alexander, Dean Burkhardt and Elaine Loiselle, Mary Kay Casey, Michael A. and Katy Casey, Thomas and Lisa Damsgaard, Carola Herrin, Larry and Melanie Margolis, Neal Manne and Nancy McGregor, William E. Joor III and Rose Ann Medlin, Marcia and Michael Nichols, Phoung Tranvan and Joel Straughen, Wendy Watriss.
2021-2022 LITERACY THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY SPONSORS
The Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation, The Powell Foundation, Texas Commission on the Arts, Judith
and Gamble Baldwin, The Melvyn and Cyvia Wolff Family Fund, Arts Connect Houston, Center for AfterSchool, Summer, and Expanded Learning (CASE), Harris County Department of Education, FotoFest Board of Directors and Silver Street Studios.
2021-2022 COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Young Audiences of Houston, The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, Houston Arts Partners.
HISTORY OF LITERACY THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY
Literacy Through Photography was initiated in 1987 by FotoFest Co-Founder Frederick Baldwin with photographer and educator Wendy Ewald. Expanding to roughly one thousand Houston Independent School District students by 1990, the program has grown into a full-scale photography and literacy program offering students a creative platform for self-expression. The program blends photography-based art projects, visual literacy exercises, creative writing, and social emotional learning to stretch student imagination, broaden perspective, and build creative skills.
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