After listening to presentations, participating in a brief discussion, and receiving a “how-to” demonstration, participants will work with artists Oteh and Watkin on an exercise pushing the envelope of photography and representation.

Working with the PPRC digital cameras, each participant will both photograph and be photographed by two partners.  They will dictate a brief oral history to their first partner and dictate an “I am from..” poem to their second partners.  A self-portrait will also be taken and presented without any background information.  Using a scanner and printer provided by PPRC, the photos and background information will be mounted on huge sheets of butcher paper on display during the convening; markers will be provided for viewers to make comments directly on the images about which photographic/written presentation best represents the participant and which representation has the most impact.

Bios

Mel Watkin is a visual artist and director of the PPRC Photography Project; a program of the Public Policy Research Center at the University of Missouri, St. Louis.  The project trains community groups to photograph and address issues of community revitalization, historic preservation, youth/older adult enrichment and social services.

Chinyere Oteh has conducted four Photography Projects since 2007.  She has a passion for community arts and youth development and in addition to the Photography project she teaches photography and creative writing with Springboard in the St. Louis Public Schools.