The Communal Heartbeat

Joseph Sailor

Featuring:

PHOTOGRAPHY II CLASS PARTICIPANTS –

Caleb Aristizabal (Grade 11), Avery Bertett (Grade 11), Samantha Beckmann (Grade 12), Connor Cannaday (Grade 11), Aviana Christiano (Grade 12), Jacob Collo (Grade 10), German DeJesus (Grade 12), Dylan Dooley (Grade 12), Miles Doorley (Grade 10), Dayana Fraga (Grade 10), Tyler Gieseler (Grade 12), Zion Hamilton (Grade 12), Kara Hender (Grade 12), Abrianna Hoover (Grade 11), Cooper Lysinger (Grade 12), Jonathan Martin (Grade 12), Joshua Martin (Grade 12), Alexander Pagan (Grade 11), Noah Quinn (Grade 12), Joseph Sailor (Grade 12), Shane Samoyan (Grade 11), Cassidy Yates (Grade 10).

LUNCH BUDDIES –

Jessica Grandmaison (Grade 12), Kaya Huber (Grade 11), Adyson McQuillen (Grade 11), Carmiya Jane (Grade 12), and Mira Sherako (Grade 11)

A while back, Adriana Palmer’s Portrait Photography class embarked on a project inspired by Platon’s style. The students captured the school’s custodians and teachers, including the late custodian, Pete. Influenced by a Platon video, the class aimed to emulate his approach. With Covid causing growing communication apprehension, and a computer update wiping out their work, revisiting the project felt imperative. Adriana believes in fostering interpersonal communication skills; hence, the project was revisited with her Photography II class. Hoping for a spot at the Photoville exhibition, their aim was to provide students with hands-on experience in photographing members who are the backbone of the school community, ensuring smooth daily operation. Inspired by individuals like the late Pete Hartman, they recruited 10-15 custodial and support staff, crucial to the school’s functioning. The project, initially an assignment, became an engaging activity, especially for Adriana’s Period 1 and lunchtime students. They were excited to interact with staff, directing poses and conversations. Staff members came up with playful titles reflecting their roles – like The Kitchen Witches, The Cookie Lady, The Soup Lady, The Multitasking Ninja, and many more. The end result was deeply moving and exhilarating for everyone involved.

In this project, there are several artists participating, primarily students from Photography II classes and Adriana Palmer’s Lunch Buddies, who are students that spend their lunchtime in her classroom almost every day and have expressed interest in being involved in the shooting process. These students span across grades 10 to 12, and the specific classes involved comprise 15 to 20 students each, demonstrating excellent teamwork and enthusiasm for the project.

Organizations

Ocean City High School

Ocean City High School has a rich history dating back to its first graduating class in 1904, which consisted of six students. Initially located at Central Avenue between 8th and 9th streets, the school later moved to a new building on the same site, serving as the high school until 1924. Architect and OCHS alumnus Vivian B. Smith designed the second school building, situated between 5th and 6th Streets and Atlantic and Ocean Avenues, which underwent expansion in 1963 with the addition of north and south wings.

Throughout its history, Ocean City High School has evolved, with changes including the discontinuation of students from Somers Point and Linwood attending after 1961. In 1982, a renovation project modernized the front portion of the old building.

In December 2001, voters approved the construction of the current facility on Atlantic Avenue between 5th and 6th streets. Construction began in 2004, and the new building was completed for the 2004–05 school year. The gradual demolition of the old building replaced it with parking and tennis courts, with a Neo-Gothic entrance arch being the sole remnant of the previous structure. Today, Ocean City High School continues its tradition of excellence in education, providing students with a dynamic learning environment to prepare them for future success.
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 8th consecutive year, and to celebrate Photoville’s 13th 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/