Two shows at the Louie Meager Art Gallery

The Gallery Class at Ohlone College is designing two shows for the upcoming months.  We are looking for ideas about how to exhibit and install these works.  Below are descriptions of the projects and some of the ideas that the gallery class students came up with.  Maybe you can add some suggestions in the comments section?

The Changing Face of Homelessness | Make Your Own Book

The Changing Face of Homelessness Exhibit April 24^th-Fall 2012

When a photograph is created from a place of empathy, compassion, and consciousness, it's not only a beautiful piece of art, but has the ability to provoke awareness in a viewer and to help bring positive change to our society.
                                                        — Renee Billingslea, Lecturer, Santa Clara University



The Changing Face of Homelessness features a collection of portraits and drawings created by Santa Clara University students who enrolled in a drawing course and the course Exploring Society through Photography, taught by Renee Billingslea from 2006-2011. In addition to learning camera function and examining ethics in photography, students visited local shelters and got to know individuals and families experiencing extreme poverty. Midway through the quarter, students held a "portrait day" and everyone living in the inn was invited to have their portrait taken free of charge. Later, they were given copies of the photographs.

Students haven taken great care to ensure that individuals are shown in a positive light as a continuing process of breaking down stereotypes perpetuated by our society. Oftentimes, the difference between the homeless population and ourselves is circumstance.

 

Renee teaches at Santa Clara University and has a joint project for 7 years with her photo and drawing classes.  We will showcase photos of real homeless people to have a show of photos of people and student drawings based on the photos.  Students work in the shelter and keep a journal.  Catalog, show thesis is that these people are real.

IDEAS:

Francia: cardboard signs like homeless signs with the quotes.

Tiffany: Giant roll of paper from workshops, cover wall and draw frames around the pictures and write the quotes in chalk.

Alexis: Large collection cups for donations and events.  Market more with Facebook events.

Gretchen: Photobooth or set up photographers in the workshops.   Ask Paul Meuller about project social landscaping and or digital.  Gretchen and Claire talk with Paul.

Possibly the drawing is different then the photo that is exhibited.

Performances and or readings on the stage.

Tara: Have Ohlone students write stories about the people in the  show?

Can we get a teacher, sociologist, volunteers, or someone to give a talk or essay or help out in some way.  Round table or forum from Ohlone or Santa Clara University?

Clothing, food, and or toy drive?

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Renee Billingslea’s Solo Show in Fall 2012

This show will consist of black and white photographs of children made by Renee.

Renee’s show:  she would like to have a more traditional hanging and not so much interspersed stuff unless it’s isolate to one section.  So wall treatments and mixing stuff is less of an option.  Maybe just on one wall.  She has traditional frames.  The show will focus on children and will focus on Halloween Parade images and large scale silver gelatin portraits of uncostumed kids.  The show will be in the fall and will be around Halloween so maybe costumes?

IDEAS:

 

Claire: Theatre costume class fashion show.  Collaborate with theatre design classes.  They make costumes.  Series of events, films, talks, children’s books readings. Drawing and or painting events.

Oscar has some of his kid’s handmade costumes. Maybe in the bays outside.

Gretchen: Photobooth or set up photographers in the workshops.   Ask Paul Meuller about project social landscaping.

Tara: Have Ohlone students write stories about the people in the show?

Drawing, hand print, wall for children.

Tara: Carnival or games. 

Early childhood education involvement.   Write or deliver stories and or papers about children.