Lenses Collective:
A Collaborative Photography and Writing Project between Youth and Seniors
WHAT IS LENSES COLLECTIVE
Lenses Collective is a collaborative photography and writing project for East Lansing seniors (55+) and youth (middle and high school students). The thirteen-week project is designed to bring youth and seniors together to explore generational perspectives and experiences through dialogue, creative writing, and photography. The participants' artwork will be displayed in a collaborative art exhibition.​
exploring
self
Over the 7-week duration, participants will have opportunitities to explore their identity, lived experiences, and visions for the future.
Intergenerational
Dialgoue
Through a range of activities, participants will engage in dialogue with those who belong to a different generation and have diverse range of experiences.
Photography &
WRiting
Participants will learn basics of photography and creative writing. They will develop short collaborative artistic projects using these two media.
Collaborative
exhibition
The project will culminate in a collaborative art exhibition that will be open to the East Lansing community and the broader public.
WHEN
Lenses Collective will meet every Wednesday from
3:30 pm to 5:30 pm, starting October 24, 2018 and ending December 19, 2019.
WHERE
East Lansing Public Library,
Abbot Road, East Lansing.
WHAT DO YOU NEED
No equipment or prior experience with photography is required. Participation in the project is FREE for all selected participants.
WHO WE ARE
Lenses Collective is developed by a group of artists and educators working to bring together a diverse group of youth and seniors to actively lead positive change, in their own lives, and in the world using the creative mediums of photography and writing.
Jacqueline Carroll
ART INSTRUCTOR,
EAST LANSING HIGH SCHOOL
​
Jacqueline Carroll has been teaching Art and English in East Lansing Public Schools for the past three years. During her time in the district, she has taught 6th grade Art, 7th/8th grade Computer Arts, high school Darkroom and Digital Photography, and American Literature. She received her degree from Northern Michigan University, where she specialized in photography. Jacqueline’s artistic passions involve seeking out elements of surprise - this is why she loves the varied nature of pinhole photography so much. You can view her work at www.jdcarrollphotography.weebly.com
Jane Kramer
FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER
​
​
Jane Kramer is a fine art photographer in East Lansing and recipient of an Individual Artist Grant and the Chris Clark Fellowship from the Arts Council of Greater Lansing. She has a degree in Anthropology from the University of Minnesota and photography training from the Rocky Mountain School of Photography in Missoula, Montana. Jane's photography projects are created with a conceptual approach and are motivated by a story, message, or educational element, often focusing on subjects that are overlooked, discarded, forgotten or underappreciated. You can view her work at www.janekramer.com.
Vivek Vellanki
DOCTORAL STUDENT
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, MSU
​
Vivek Vellanki is a doctoral student in the Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education program, Michigan State University. Before moving to East Lansing, Vivek was an elementary teacher in Pune, India. He has experience working with youth and teachers in Delhi, Pune, and East Lansing. His current work explores the ways youth use photography to tell stories about themselves and the world. In his research and teaching, Vivek is driven by a desire to explore diverse forms of writing, reading, and experiencing. You can view his work at www.vellanki.carbonmade.com
How
to
Apply
Email your application and letter of recommendation to lensescollective@gmail.com or, if you are a student, drop them off at East Lansing High School or Macdonald Middle School offices; please request that they be put in Jacqueline Carroll’s mailbox. You may also drop your documents off at the East Lansing Public Library front desk.