by Carrie Resch
Staff Writer
“How do girls see the world?” That was the question posed to a group of young girls who were handed disposable cameras and sent out to capture the world through their eyes, and some surprising results developed.
The girls were told to focus on female athletes, especially in non-traditional roles.
“Some of the pictures are amazing. I find (the display) endlessly fascinating,” said Rena Coughlin, president of Girls Inc., the organization that joined with the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art on the project.
For two months, photographs from the amateur photographers have been on display in a JMOMA exhibit, but the photos were so popular that they are going to be showcased at different locations after they leave the museum March 14.
First stop, City Hall.
City Council President Elaine Brown is excited that the photos will be adorning the walls.
“It was so nice of the museum to loan us this collection to be enjoyed by people visiting the council and City Hall,” she said.
Brown toured the photo exhibit at the museum and was amazed at the talent of the young photographers. “I found it fun and it brought a smile to my face just to look at them,” Brown said.
The photos will replace the “Faces of Jacksonville” photos that hang on the hall walls of the fourth floor City Council offices for about six weeks.
Coughlin is looking to exhibit the photographs elsewhere, possibly at the beaches or even the state capitol.
“It was a success on many levels and I’m delighted that we can continue sharing them with the community,” she said.
About 400 girls between the ages of 10 and 17 from diverse backgrounds in the greater Jacksonville area participated in photography workshops. There were eight Saturday workshops and three outreach visits to schools and community centers.
The 12-by-24 inch photographs have been on display on the fifth floor of JMOMA as part of their PhotoVoice exhibit entitled, “How Girls See the World.” Thousands of entries were received but only 41 were chosen to be part of the exhibit. Three local photographers judged the entries.
“Black and white film adds a certain depth, I think, and the girls really paid attention and thought about subjects and meaning to them,” Coughlin said. “All the photo entries presented an overview of what Jacksonville looks like.”
Girls Inc. is a national non-profit organization for young girls that has had programs in Jacksonville for 35 years. The goal of the organization is to deliver programs to girls that help them develop life skills.
“The mission is to inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold,” Coughlin said. “Many of them want to be professional photographers now. It opened up new possibilities for them when they found out what they were capable of.”
Planning for this project started over a year ago. It was based on a Girls Inc. PhotoVoice project that documented female athletes in Massachusetts. The photography project complimented a curriculum they were using, teaching girls about heath, beauty, gender stereotypes, risk taking, smart choices.
The Women’s Giving Alliance has awarded Girls Inc. a grant to continue the PhotoVoice project with JMOMA.
Brown is planning a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new City Hall exhibit on Monday at 9 a.m.