ICA TEENS

Stand Out: To Each Their Own is a teen-curated collection of photography made during the Photography Collective program at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, during the fall of 2021. These young people focused their cameras to share their worlds as they see them.

In the words of Teaching Artist Gretjen Helene:

To connect to oneself is to connect to one’s senses. When our own nose perks up at the smell of a favorite flower dying in the fall or our eyes turn toward a light which no one else sees, this is our self-expression being revealed to us. When we are called to traverse a road less traveled in an empty alley or watch the smoky exhale of a friend revealing secrets of their Covid experience, we are watching the world from our own unique attention to detail. When we look long and deep into the eyes of an animal who cares to share a glance with us, we are exploring our curiosity about the Other in relation to the Self. When we stroll through the quotidian lot of a gas station and interpret the scene as though mystical animals are coming to life and soaring above us in brilliant light, we are expressing our minds and how they interpret our experience of the world. We hope you can see it all too. We hope that you will enjoy and understand our visual languages, our experiences as they relate to your own, our creative intentions, and our worlds as we see them.

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Teen arts education is central to the ICA, and the Photography Collective program is just one of many teen arts programs offered at the museum. The ICA’s award-winning teen program serves thousands of area youths annually. We believe that robust arts education—including learning by doing—is critical to building future artists, audiences, and engaged citizens, and we aim especially to create a more equitable education for urban youths.

Please visit icateens.org to learn more about these programs and to view additional images by these photographers.