York Guardian
May 25, 2010
Creating A Digital Community Portrait
By FANNIE SUNSHINE
Youth Arts assistant Neil San Gabriel, 18, left, instructs Jonathan Oliveira before he takes part in a community arts project at 33 Gabian Way on Thursday. Local residents were invited to pose in a photo booth with the strip of images becoming part of a digital community portrait. Staff photo/IRVIN MINTZ
By stepping into the photo booth, which was stationed in the lobby of 33 Gabian Way Thursday, May 20, residents helped create a digital community portrait.
Arts for Children and Youth’s (AFCY) digital community portraits program set up the Snapz photo booth, the type found in shopping malls, for residents in the Keele Street and Eglinton Avenue apartment building to snap two photo strips of themselves; one to keep and one to be used in the community portrait.
The photo booth set up was part of an ongoing AFCY youth art program running every Thursday night until June 10 at 33 Gabian Way, although residents of any age could take pictures in the booth.
The weekly arts program, called Circles of Success, is designed to offer local youth a means of developing new skills while becoming more engaged in constructive community activity.
Youth learn how to use lighting and set up shots using professional, digital cameras under the guidance of AFCY artist Michael Reyes.
The program, which is free for participants, is funded by the City of Toronto through the Drug Prevention Community Investment Program.
The photos taken during the program, along with the wallet sized photo booth shots, will be made into a collage to be displayed at 33 Gabian Way sometime in June.
“The program has really helped to bring out the community,” said Neil San Gabriel, AFCY youth arts assistant. “When you get bored because you have nothing to do, things get bad. The youth really enjoy the program and some want to get into photography seriously.”
Founded in 1995, AFCY has provided arts programming to more than 40,000 children and youth from under-served communities through inner-city schools, community centres, hospitals and Toronto Community Housing buildings.
Each year, AFCY develops some 200 programs in visual arts, dance, drama, filmmaking, video, poetry and music at more than 70 locations in Weston-Mount Dennis, Jamestown, Jane and Finch, Regent Park, Lawrence Heights, Steeles/L’Amoreaux and Warden Woods-Victoria Village.
