Downtown museum comes to Hunts Point for lessons
By Anthony Moran
amoran@hunter.cuny.edu
One of Alexis Davila’s photographs of neighborhood people.
The photography studio at The Point was filled with activity on a recent afternoon. Kids were developing pictures they had taken, cracking jokes, changing film reels, mounting photographs for their portfolios, and blasting the radio as they worked.
The students were scattered in different work areas, each with its supervising instructor. O’Hara Brown was being introduced to the dark room, Alexis Davila was reviewing her negatives, and Isabela Espinal was learning how to change film without exposing it to light. Other students were in the darkroom learning how to use chemicals in the development process.
“I love photography! I love capturing moments, like when you catch a family member laughing or when you see a branch on a tree that looks different from all the rest. That’s what I love; I want photography to always be my main hobby,” said Espinal, who is 12.
She and the other students are enrolled in the International Center for Photography program at the local community center. Established in 1997, ICP at The Point is a free program for anyone between the ages of nine and 21. It provides each student with a 35mm camera and trains them in its basic use.
Students also learn techniques of studio lighting and creating portraits with models. They meet with professional photographers and museum professionals and travel to places of interest that offer either a good setting for picture-taking or a chance to see the work of accomplished artists.
“Along with teaching in the studio, we like to take the kids on field trips to the ICP museum, and send them out to the neighborhood to take photos,” explained instructor Keisha Scarvillie, a freelance photographer. Class visits also include trips to the Bronx Zoo, New York Botanical Garden and Central Park, she said. “We get them out as much as possible.”
“I’ve only been in the program for three weeks now, but I’ve learned a lot about working a manual camera, how to set shutter speed and basic photo composition,” said 16-year-old O’Hara Brown.
Brown said he’s found he likes photography, but he thinks he would prefer shooting moving images. “I love seeing a good movie.” he said.
Instructor Alicia Clarke hopes to fulfill Brown’s wishes. “We hope to extend the program to digital video recording soon,” she said.
As students progress, they become eligible for jobs at ICP at The Point and at ICP’s home office on 43rd Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, assisting with classes and in the labs.
Joseph Gilmore is one of those former students who now teaches in the ICP program. His work is featured in a HYPERLINK “http://fm.hunter.cuny.edu/huntspointexpress/?page_id=158” photo exhibit currently on view at The Point, devoted to the work of alumni. ICP at the Point, he said, “is a wonderful asset to the neighborhood, especially an urban neighborhood where you wouldn’t find a great program like this for free.”
“I joined 10 years ago, and now I’m teaching kids the things I learned when I was around their age. I try to be an inspiration, make them think about what they can do.”
Clarke is another former student who has returned to The Point to teach. “Now how many programs do you know that provide so much for free?” she asked. “We’re always laughing, but we are also setting a good example. The kids are learning a lot.”
Alluding to the city’s plans for the Oak Point rail yard, Clarke continued, “I heard they wanted to build another prison here. This type of program shows the positive side of Hunts Point.”
Joselyn Dejesus, another former student and one of the 16 photographers featured in the exhibit at The Point, represented the ICP program at the White House, where First Lady Laura Bush presented her with a prize honoring community outreach photography programs.
“The ICP means a lot to The Point,” said Maria Torres, the center’s president and chief operating officer. It showed confidence in the new center when it was just getting started, she said.
ICP at The Point has introduced people from all over New York City to Hunts Point and its community center. “People come from Manhattan, Brooklyn all over,” Clarke noted, saying the program reaches out to counselors at schools to help recruit students, and also works with adults on weekends.
“I love photography. I hope I can go to school for it one day,” said Davila as she arranged her negatives for her portfolio. The 12-year-old captured images of her neighborhood and of her friends.
“The instructors are really helpful and have taught me so much,” Espinal said, “I hope one day I can come here and teach others about photography, too.”