An exhibit by teenage photographers, “In this Moment,” is on display in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Education Gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
In addition to the age of the contributors to the display in the fifth-floor gallery, the collection is notable because the artists participated in the “Art with a Heart in Healthcare” program. All of the photographs were created by patients being treated at Wolfson Children’s Hospital.
Lori Guadagno, co-founder, program director and artist-in-residence for Art with a Heart, said digital photography was chosen as a project for the teens because the age group is naturally comfortable with the technology.
“With cameras on cellphones, the medium is accessible and familiar to them. We didn’t encourage them to take hundreds of images. We try to make them think about form and composition,” she said.
Since Art with a Heart was founded in 2001, thousands of patients at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Nemours Children’s Clinic and Ronald McDonald House and their families have been served with custom art activities.
Five days each week, a team of staff artists, community volunteers and students from the University of North Florida meet patients and share an art experience.
“We challenge the patients to make their environment visually interesting and tell their stories,” Guadagno said.
Being exhibited at MOCA is an asset for the patient-photographers and for the program, she said.
“It’s important for these kids in our community to hang their work at a museum that is as highly respected as MOCA,” said Guadagno.
The “In This Moment” collection will be displayed through Nov. 30.
For museum hours and information about MOCA’s other exhibits and educational programs, visit mocajacksonville.org.
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