Community Portrait Project
A large-scale multimedia project celebrating eight remarkable people from Washington, D.C.’s Ward 7 and 8 through the lens of ArtReach students (ages 8-18), George Washington University’s photojournalism + new media graduate students and Corcoran College of Art + Design Alumni artists. The artwork uniquely examines these individual’s stories and explores the passion, energy and commitment found east of the river in our nation’s capital.
Civic Engagement and
Social Connectedness
The broad purpose of the project was to introduce and connect community members, raise public awareness and social consciousness of local identity, uplift community’s self-image, nourish and enrich social capital, explore a variety of creative disciplines, share intergenerational stories and celebrate active and engaged citizenship.
Community Influencers
When identifying assets within the community, inclusiveness and transparency are essential. By activating a democratic decision-making process, a variety of residents, local businesses, and organizations were contacted for candidate suggestions. The eight unique portrait subjects selected represented a wide variety of backgrounds, professions, hobbies, and interests.
The selected influencers included: an Afro-folk singer, oral historian, urban farmer, local assemblage artist, professional skateboarder, founder of an independent activist radio station, a third-generation resident ANC outreach specialist for the Mayor, and Fredrick Douglas, a historical social reformer from the neighborhood and the only non-living portrait sitter.
Each portrait subject represented an enthusiastic commitment to the community by providing their time, energy and genuine dedication to the enhancement and service of their neighborhood.
Three stages of collaboration
The portrait project began with listening. During the first phase, each community influencer was interviewed and photographed in an environment congruent to their passion. With a background of information, students participated in group discussions and brainstorming mixed media collaborative portrait making materials.
At each meeting, the community influencers participated in a photo shoot where the volunteer photojournalism students photographed the portrait sitters in action. During the interview, the influencers shared their thoughts and experiences as a youth and as an adult in the community. They each articulated the challenges facing their community along with their aspirations for the neighborhood.
Back at the studio, the photographs and interviews were shared with thirty ArtReach students who reflected on the portrait subjects, discussed the influencers’ contributions to the community, and collaborated on selecting relevant portrait materials. For the next three months, the students worked together to create multiple portraits depicting their sitters.
As a third layer to the project, fourteen Corcoran alumni artists across a variety of art disciplines also participated by volunteering to create a portrait representation. Working from the same influencers’ information and in their medium of choice, the adult artists created work at their own studios in tandem with the ArtReach students.
Community Portrait Exhibition
Nearing the end of the project, the portraits were collected and put on display in the ArtReach gallery. At the opening, family and community members celebrated alongside the artists. The project participants were particularly excited for the event and unveiling because it was the first time the community influencers would see the portraits and the first opportunity for all artists to meet face-to-face.
The opening celebration was, in itself, an inclusive and transformative experience with incredible community excitement and participation.
Reflection - Building Collective Efficacy Through Asset-Based Programming
The holistic project hosted opportunities to weave a fabric of the community through multiple levels of participation. Each person brought energy, curiosity and competencies to the art project, permitting it to evolve and grow. Each participant shared a profound and enriching experience through connection, collective pride, and interaction. The community based art education experience showcased citizens who have accomplished great things, and also helped students and the community at large understand that great things are possible.