VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

Join Literacy Through Photography (LTP) and FotFest on Sunday, May 17, 2009, 2-4pm at FotoFest, for the opening of FotoFence 2009, a celebration of writing and photography by LTP students, readings by student writers, and free family portraits in our green-screen photo booth.

FotoFest’s annual FotoFence exhibition offers LTP elementary, middle and high school students the opportunity to professionally display their writing and photography to fellow students, teachers, families, school officials and the general public.

Over 500 student posters and essays from the 2008-2009 school year are being exhibited. Students’ stories and photographs address experiences in their own lives, their communities, their families and dreams as well as social issues, such as climate change, animal rights and teen pregnancy. Participating schools include exemplary charter schools, inner-city schools and college preparatory schools.

The 2008-2009 Literacy Through Photography schools are:

Archway Academy, Houston; Cullen Middle School, Houston; East Early College High School, Houston; Furr High School, Houston; George I. Sanchez High School, Houston; Helms Elementary, Houston; Herod Elementary – (WITS), Houston; Jackson Intermediate, Pasadena; KIPP Academy Middle School, Houston; KIPP Shine Prep, Houston; Lanier Middle School – (WITS), Houston; Memorial Drive Elementary, Houston; Miller Intermediate School, Pasadena; Patt Neff Elementary, Houston; Raul Yzaguirre School for Success, Houston; Sinclair Elementary, Houston; Spring Branch Elementary, Houston; Spring Woods High School, Houston; The Chinquapin School, Highlands; The Parish School, Houston; The Pro-Vision School, Houston; The Rhodes School, Houston; Velazquez Elementary, Richmond.

The 2008-2009 LTP program is working with 22 Houston-area schools. With LTP, FotoFest has a number of special partnerships, including a new year-long, school-wide collaboration with the Houston Grand Opera and Pat Neff Elementary School. The Neff Community project includes a series of writing, visual and performing arts activities by Neff students and teachers. The entire second and fifth grade classes and teachers are completing these projects using LTP.

Among four other special LTP partnerships is Writers in the Schools (WITS) at Herod Elementary School and Lanier Middle School in Houston. WITS is an Houston non-profit organization that focuses on at-risk inner city students to engage them "in the pleasure and power of reading and writing… to help students develop their creative and analytical thinking skills.”

Literacy Through Photography is also part of the teaching program at KIPP Shine Prep in Southwest Houston, the first early education and elementary charter school opened by KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) in the U.S., During the 2008-2009 school year, 113 students; the entire third grade class; have been using Literacy Through Photography.

A third LTP partnership is with The Chinquapin School, where the LTP program has expanded to three teachers. It is being used in a variety of classes including Advanced Placement English, Creative Media, photo-blogging with 10th grade students, and all 8th grade students. A number of students are also using LTP for their Creativity Week Project as “Photography for Social Progress.”

The LTP partnership with East Early College High School has expanded the LTP program this year to include regular visits from professional photographers, the use of new technologies with photography, and tours to the FotoFest gallery.

The FotoFence 2009 exhibit is being shown at the FotoFest Gallery in downtown Houston through Saturday, May 30. The FotoFest gallery is open Mon-Friday 10am - 5pm; Saturday noon-5pm. Admission and parking are free. For directions to FotoFest click here for a map or email LTP2@FotoFest.org