Scrapbook
I created a scrapbook of the trip to capture the playful spirit of the retreat and balance out some of the heavier content in the overall project. The images are either taken by myself or by the students using my phone and Instagram account. I included quotes from the trip and interviews with the students once they returned home. I also intend to collect personal more writings from the students (similar to page 8) and include them on the blank left pages.
Page 1
Page 2
Text block 1- "Nature can all be one. Just like we could all be one. Trees don't look at the rocks and say 'You're too close" and fight with each other. They make space. What if they fought the way that we fought? They wouldn't be able to coexist. I think about stuff like that. I love nature."
Text block 2- "I feel a lot safer here. There's a lot of violence back home, but here I feel like it's just bears and stuff. I'd rather be killed by nature than by humans."
Page 3
Text block- "Connecting and communicating with people, that was my favorite part."
Page 4
Text block 1- "I've never experienced anything like this before. I've never been in a place where there's so much green area."
Text block 2- "I've made life long friends here."
Text block 3- "I say 'Dear friend' but I'm really just talking to myself. Everything that I don't say I just express through the song. It's called 'When You Come Home.' "
Page 5
Text block- "Tears were shed, words were said, wounds bled."
Page 6
Text block 1- "I feel like I can be an advocate for the better things in the world and make an actual difference."
Text block 2- "We've created our own family and can be ourselves."
Page 7
Text block- "We inspired each other."
Page 8
Text block- "I wanted to have a new experience and a break form the city. I didn't know what to expect but it was interesting. The retreat made me learn new things and I became friends with new people. I really like the yoga/ hula hooping most. It was really relaxing. I also like the positive people that gave me words of inspiration and listened to my problems. One certain conversation that stuck with me was with DJ about negativity. My favorite part of it was getting in touch with myself and being able to have people understand me, My least favorite part was the whole vegetarian diet. I miss the nature/ woods."
Page 9
Page 10
Text block- "It felt like everybody was together, and everybody was one, and everything was okay because we got this little thing going on right here."
Installation
Here is what the scrapbook looked like in the Corcoran Gallery accompanied by a portrait of Rakia Brown.
Community Engagement:
Youth Summit
A large number of the youth in the Fly By Light program have expressed that the relationships they have with facilitators and peers in their chapter are more loving and caring then their families at home. During an active day long youth summit I set up studio lights and a backdrop to take portraits of the attendees who wanted to participate, so they could take home a beautiful picture of their second families. Below each image is their answer to the prompt“What does Fly By Light mean to you?” The images will be printed collectively in a zine with the prompt responses accompanying each portrait.
A place where I feel loved and supported no matter what.
A never ending support system
Fly By Light means family
My safe place
A place where I can be myself and not have to worry that I won't be accepted.
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