Un Verano en Queens / A Summer in Queens

Anny Lugo

Maya Guadarrama, Tseten Lama, Anny Lugo, Isa Newman-Rodriguez, Kelly Ojeda, Emily Olaechea, Alma Reyes, Marlett Reyes, Leslie Sanchez-Huerta

During the summer of 2021, Back to the Lab hosted a free photography workshop for teens in Queens. Students from the Jackson Heights and Elmhurst areas ranging from ages 14-18 participated in a two-week intensive beginner photography workshop located at Forte Prep Academy. Led by photography teachers Sandra Riaño and Salvador Espinoza, students learned how to use DSLRs, as well as photography theory and history. Students also learned about the rich histories of the Jackson Heights and Elmhurst communities from local photographers, organizations, and activists. Throughout the workshop, students were led on tours of the neighborhood and had the opportunity to learn about community gardens, workers’ collectives, small business owners, and street vendors. They set out to collectively document the neighborhood and surrounding areas using the photography skills they learned.

Durante el verano de 2021, Back to the Lab organizó un taller de fotografía gratuito para adolescentes en Queens. Los estudiantes de las áreas de Jackson Heights y Elmhurst con edades comprendidas entre los 14 y los 18 años participaron en un taller intensivo de fotografía para principiantes de dos semanas ubicado en Forte Prep Academy. Dirigidos por los profesores de fotografía Sandra Riaño y Salvador Espinoza, los estudiantes aprendieron a usar las DSLR, así como teoría e historia de la fotografía. Los estudiantes también aprendieron sobre la rica historia de las comunidades de Jackson Heights y Elmhurst de la mano de fotógrafos, organizaciones y activistas locales. A lo largo del taller, los estudiantes realizaron recorridos por el vecindario y tuvieron la oportunidad de aprender sobre jardines comunitarios, colectivos de trabajadores, propietarios de pequeñas empresas y vendedores ambulantes. Usando las habilidades fotográficas que aprendieron, se dispusieron a documentar colectivamente el vecindario y las áreas circundantes.

This program was made possible (in part) by the Queens Council on the Arts with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council and the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation.

Organizations

Photoville

Founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, NY, Photoville was built on the principles of addressing cultural equity and inclusion, which we are always striving for, by ensuring that the artists we exhibit are diverse in gender, class, and race.

In pursuit of its mission, Photoville produces an annual, city-wide open air photography festival in New York City, a wide range of free educational community initiatives, and a nationwide program of public art exhibitions.

By activating public spaces, amplifying visual storytellers, and creating unique and highly innovative exhibition and programming environments, we join the cause of nurturing a new lens of representation.

Through creative partnerships with festivals, city agencies, and other nonprofit organizations, Photoville offers visual storytellers, educators, and students financial support, mentorship, and promotional & production resources, on a range of exhibition opportunities.

For more information about Photoville visit, www.photoville.com
PhotoWings

We’re honored to continue our partnership with Photoville for our 7th consecutive year, and to celebrate Photoville’s 12th edition! Each year Photoville provides so many rich, unique, and diverse experiences in and around photography–PhotoWings is thrilled to help enrich this community as Education Partners.

Our mission is to highlight and help facilitate the power of photography to influence the world. We help photography to be better understood, created, utilized, seen, and saved. We are dedicated to utilizing the power of photography to further deep thinking, communication, and action.

The PhotoWings Outreach Program and our extensive media archive have myriad educational applications and possibilities, including projects from partners that cross disciplines, generations, and cultures. We also create toolkits/curricula for replication, adaptation and/or inspiration.

PhotoWings has partnered to document the Photoville Talks for the past five years, to expand the ways the global community can be a part of these important dialogues. Explore the collection of Photoville Talks today!

Be sure to check out all the Photoville Resources that have been supported in partnership with PhotoWings

And for more information about PhotoWings, you can visit http://photowings.org/
Back to the Lab

Back to the Lab is a community-driven organization for photographers seeking to hone their skills and craft their vision. We blend photographic technique with an understanding of the language of photography. We provide resources for photographers in the form of workshops, artist talks, meet-ups, and one-on-one mentoring.

Back to the Lab aims to develop and expand on the interest in photography particularly with youth in our communities. Through free photography workshops, we strive to help open a new realm of possibilities in how future generations can share their stories through photography.