Engaging children through photography

Vincent Michael, a trustee of NTHP and board member at the Gaylord Building, recommended that historic sites look at Eyes Wide Open as a model for engaging children. He recently attended an art opening at Unity Temple in Oak Park, Illinois that featured a few dozen works by kids aged 8 to 17 at three Frank Lloyd Wright sites: Unity Temple, the Westcott House in Ohio, and Fallingwater in Pennsylvania. According to Vincent, “The amazing thing about the opening was not only that the 5 Oak Park kids showed up (and saw several of their works sell to benefit the project) but that most of the kids from Uniontown/Mill Run, Pennsylvania and Springfield, Ohio showed up as well. I was especially impressed by how much the value of the architecture was conveyed to these kids through their interaction with it. It was clear that in Springfield, Mill Run and Oak Park that these historic landmarks were going to be valued in 20 years time. (Full disclosure: my kids were involved.) The local media coverage was impressive as well, in both print and radio, and the fact that all of these families traveled across the Midwest for this opening was stunning.”

The purpose of the Eyes Wide Open program is to “connect artists and children in a mentoring relationship, teach children how to use photographic equipment, and hold gallery events where children display their work to the community.” The concluding activity is that two photographs from each child are printed to canvas and exhibited in a gallery and auctioned to the public. “The gallery exhibits are designed to create a background environment that stimulates emotion and grabs attention, while allowing the children to interact with the public. All the auction proceeds go back to the children in the form of a scholarship, funding for additional arts education, a camera or gear, or other art-related items.”