The SMILE:) Project
You
are
invited
What is the mission of the SMILE:) Project?
To foster positive peer to peer relationships and personal empowerment within an all-inclusive environment through leadership and creative expression.
To promote insight of individuality in a global society while providing awareness to current trends, dialogue, and visual representations.
To use the fine art of Portrait Photography as a means of creative expression, development, and final implementation.
To exhibit student portraits in a final group show with a free and public art reception at a local cultural institution, gallery, or museum.
Get engaged ...
in a creative and diverse collaborative photography experience.
Showing courage in the face of adversity...
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.
In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats so you can know who you are,
what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
— Maya Angelou
Why is this project important?
Students leaders will ...express personal attributes and individual characteristics in a welcoming and nurturing peer environment.
Personal skill sets will guide students to lead, create, and express themselves though art in a quality studio environment using professional equipment and materials.
Interaction with peers and communication opportunities to explore personal development and acceptance.
A collaborative approach will be used to infuse individuality with the community as a whole by exhibiting the fine art portraits in a final group show.
The public is welcome to explore student expression. Interact with the final work, as it invites the viewer to engage in conversational practices and inquiry.
"I'm not here to be perfect, I'm here to be real." - Lady Gaga
Adversity refers to a state of hardship, difficulty, or misfortune that one deals with in life.
Resilience refers to the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.
How are we doing this?
The Pauline Hopkins Gallery (in the 200 wing) has a portrait studio set-up and ready to go.
Dolphin Time will be the time for students to participate in this enrichment experience.
Participating students sign-up for a Dolphin Time with Ms. Da Rocha (Persechino) any day Tues-Fri. during the weeks of October 24th- November 3rd.
The SMILE:) Project leaders direct the participating students portrait sessions.
Participating student portraits will be printed for exhibition (public display).
In addition to students having their photograph taken, they will write a brief comment about how they were resilient in the face of adversity Smile:) leaders will help guide this writing that is totally anonymous and will not be directly related to the portrait. However, the anonymous writing piece will be shared as part of the exhibit.
a·non·y·mous
/əˈnänəməs/
adjective
not identified by name; of unknown name.
"the participants wish to remain anonymous"
"the participants wish to remain anonymous"