Purple Hearts visits Voorhesville High School

I’m pleased to announce that the Purple Hearts exhibition will be on display at the Clayton A. Bouton High School in Voorheesville, New York from March 1 through March 18, 2011. Not many would be so proud to publicize a high school exhibition — hardly glamorous, not likely to bring in collectors, but showing Purple Hearts to young audiences has been one of my most rewarding experiences as a photographer. I started presenting and exhibiting in high schools in 2004, first visiting high schools in New York and New Jersey, and then with a grant, traveling with Robert Acosta, one of the subjects of Purple Hearts, to high schools across the country. In many of the classes we visited, students had family members serving in the armed forces, or they themselves were being recruited. Last year, in conjunction with the Whitney Museum of American Art 2010 Biennial, I served as an artist in residence, working with New York City high school students at the museum to create works that focused on their interpretation of war. Teenagers make for a really exciting and committed audience and I encourage any artist/photographer/journalist to seek them out. I would be interested in hearing comments from other photographers who would like to share their experiences working with high school students.