The NIU School of Art and Design presents a photographic exhibition that is an extension of the “Faces of Belonging Project,” a collaborative art project that promotes belonging amongst individuals who live work and study in DeKalb, Ill.
“CREATE & DISCOVER Belonging in STEAM” is running in the Annette and Jerry Johns Student Art Gallery in Jack Arends Hall from September 25 through October 13. The gallery is located on the second floor in Room 214, and is open Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The exhibition is free and open to the public. A closing reception will be held Thursday, October 5, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Photographs by Drew Dzurko, Edwin Perez-Hernandez, Emma Vitallo and Jayla Watkins and the Barb City STEAM Team.
This exhibition features color photographs created by NIU photography students Drew Dzurko, Edwin Perez-Hernandez, Emma Vitallo and Jayla Watkins and the Barb City STEAM Team.
Inspiration sparked after viewing the film “Picture a Scientist,” and the artists began to create portraits of individuals who have been historically excluded from STEAM fields. As a group, Dzurko, Perez-Hernandez, Vitallo, and Watkins came together to discuss the importance of this project, as well as how to accurately and authentically represent those who volunteered to be included.
For Belonging in STEAM, it was important for the photographic team to discuss the complexities of representing people with differing experiences and realities. Exploring every avenue of how the project may be perceived, the group made decisions on the most ethical practices as a means of this representation. They found that in order to make the project more meaningful and create accurate photographic representations, they would have to take the time to get to know each volunteer individually and highlight their STEAM work.
Visiting the participants’ laboratories, classrooms, and fields, the artists were able to make images that go far deeper than the surface level of simply taking a photograph. They learned about the processes and research of the STEAM professionals and how these individuals are impacting their individual fields from chemistry to biology to kinesiology, and on. The images were inspired by the background, passion for their work, and the qualities that ultimately led them to finding success in their fields.
Collaboration with youth members of the Barb City STEAM Team required a different approach. The photographers visited the Barb City STEAM Team classroom weekly for collaborative photographic still lives and portraits. The Barb City STEAM Team also came to the School of Art and Design lighting studio to collaborate on a light modulator assignment that is a part of the ARTD 470 Photographic Lighting curriculum. While learning these photographic processes, the students took their shot at making their own photographs which are featured in the show. The students were given the freedom to activate their capabilities and widen their perspective of what is possible for their futures in STEAM.
This collection of photographs features environmental portraits illuminated with dramatic light painting. The Barb City STEAM Team created still lives with projects and classroom objects illuminating them with radically colored light. Attention to other photographic technics such as lighting and composition makes these photographs technically sound and visually appealing. In this exhibition, you will see the success of content meeting form via beautiful representations of what a person in STEAM can look like.
For more information, please contact Jessica Labatte, Director, School of Art and Design, Norther Illinois University at jlabatte@niu.edu.
Northern Illinois University’s Annette and Jerry Johns Gallery is located in the School of Art and Design on the second floor of Jack Arends Hall in Room 214.
Gallery Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-4pm
Top image: Katharine Hogan, Ph.D., Grassland Restoration Ecologist. DeKalb, Illinois. 2023. Archival inkjet print. 24in x 18in.
