July 12, 2010
Nikon Supports Whitney Museum Of American Art Youth Insights Arts Project
Teens Explore Photography, Creative Writing and Self Expression in End of Year Exhibition
MELVILLE, NY —
In support of the Whitney Museum of American Art's Youth Insights Education Program, photos taken by students using Nikon D-SLR cameras are now available for viewing in an online exhibition (http://whitney.org/Education/Teens/Gallery/2010InterpretingWar).
Youth Insights is an after school program that brings a diverse group of New York City high school students together to exchange ideas, work with artists, and develop a sustained engagement with American art and culture. Youth Insights teens studied photography with Nikon photographer and Whitney Biennial 2010 artist Nina Berman. Through Berman, Nikon loaned Youth Insights fifteen Nikon D5000 cameras to students in the program, enabling students to transition from point-and-shoot cameras to entry-level D-SLRs. Berman taught the amateur photographers about aperture, depth of field and other elements of photography and helped them create their final project focused on capturing the meaning of war through photography and writing.
"Nikon was excited to provide the Youth Insights program with Nikon D-SLR's to support aspiring student photographers," said Lisa Baxt, Senior Communications Manager, Nikon Inc. "This Whitney Museum project was a great way to give first-time photographers an opportunity to learn from a professional and express their point-of-view through words and imagery."
Students wrote stories, essays and poetry to complement their photographs. Their work was exhibited at the Youth Insights Spring Celebration at the Whitney Museum for an audience of more than eighty people, including family, friends, teachers and artists.
"When I first heard we were getting Nikon cameras, I thought, oh, this is a great opportunity. I had never used a SLR camera, although I had seen them around," said Troy Cordice, 17, Bronx High School for Visual Art. "I thought it was the same thing as a digital camera, but it's completely different. You can control everything and that's a great opportunity I'm fortunate enough to have had."
Student images included both literal and conceptual interpretations of war. The Youth Insights exhibit will be available for viewing online indefinitely.
For more information about Youth Insights at the Whitney, visit www.whitney.org.
Press Contact: MWW Group
Devin Davis | E: [email protected] | T: 201.806.3135
About the Whitney
The Whitney Museum of American Art is the leading advocate of 20th- and 21st-century American art. Founded in 1930, the Museum is regarded as the preeminent collection of American art and includes major works and materials from the estate of Edward Hopper, the largest public collection of works by Alexander Calder, as well as significant works by Jasper Johns, Donald Judd, Agnes Martin, Bruce Nauman, Georgia O'Keeffe, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Kiki Smith, and Andy Warhol, among other artists. With its history of exhibiting the most promising and influential American artists and provoking intense critical and public debate, the Whitney's signature show, the Biennial, has become the most important survey of the state of contemporary art in America today. First housed on West 8th Street, the Whitney relocated in 1954 to West 54th Street and in 1966 inaugurated its present home at 945 Madison Avenue, designed by Marcel Breuer. The Whitney is currently moving ahead with plans to build a second facility, designed by Renzo Piano, located in downtown New York at the entrance to the High Line in the Meatpacking District.
About Nikon
Nikon, At the Heart of the Image™. Nikon Inc. is the world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and photo imaging technology and is globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for its award-winning consumer and professional photographic equipment. Nikon Inc. distributes consumer and professional digital SLR cameras, NIKKOR optics, Speedlights and system accessories; Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras; COOLSCAN® digital film scanners; 35mm film SLR cameras; Nikon software products and Nikon sports and recreational optics. For more information, dial (800) NIKON-UX or visit http://www.nikonusa.com, which links all levels of photographers to the Web's most comprehensive photo learning and sharing communities.
Youth Insights is an after school program that brings a diverse group of New York City high school students together to exchange ideas, work with artists, and develop a sustained engagement with American art and culture. Youth Insights teens studied photography with Nikon photographer and Whitney Biennial 2010 artist Nina Berman. Through Berman, Nikon loaned Youth Insights fifteen Nikon D5000 cameras to students in the program, enabling students to transition from point-and-shoot cameras to entry-level D-SLRs. Berman taught the amateur photographers about aperture, depth of field and other elements of photography and helped them create their final project focused on capturing the meaning of war through photography and writing.
"Nikon was excited to provide the Youth Insights program with Nikon D-SLR's to support aspiring student photographers," said Lisa Baxt, Senior Communications Manager, Nikon Inc. "This Whitney Museum project was a great way to give first-time photographers an opportunity to learn from a professional and express their point-of-view through words and imagery."
Students wrote stories, essays and poetry to complement their photographs. Their work was exhibited at the Youth Insights Spring Celebration at the Whitney Museum for an audience of more than eighty people, including family, friends, teachers and artists.
"When I first heard we were getting Nikon cameras, I thought, oh, this is a great opportunity. I had never used a SLR camera, although I had seen them around," said Troy Cordice, 17, Bronx High School for Visual Art. "I thought it was the same thing as a digital camera, but it's completely different. You can control everything and that's a great opportunity I'm fortunate enough to have had."
Student images included both literal and conceptual interpretations of war. The Youth Insights exhibit will be available for viewing online indefinitely.
For more information about Youth Insights at the Whitney, visit www.whitney.org.
Press Contact: MWW Group
Devin Davis | E: [email protected] | T: 201.806.3135
About the Whitney
The Whitney Museum of American Art is the leading advocate of 20th- and 21st-century American art. Founded in 1930, the Museum is regarded as the preeminent collection of American art and includes major works and materials from the estate of Edward Hopper, the largest public collection of works by Alexander Calder, as well as significant works by Jasper Johns, Donald Judd, Agnes Martin, Bruce Nauman, Georgia O'Keeffe, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Kiki Smith, and Andy Warhol, among other artists. With its history of exhibiting the most promising and influential American artists and provoking intense critical and public debate, the Whitney's signature show, the Biennial, has become the most important survey of the state of contemporary art in America today. First housed on West 8th Street, the Whitney relocated in 1954 to West 54th Street and in 1966 inaugurated its present home at 945 Madison Avenue, designed by Marcel Breuer. The Whitney is currently moving ahead with plans to build a second facility, designed by Renzo Piano, located in downtown New York at the entrance to the High Line in the Meatpacking District.
About Nikon
Nikon, At the Heart of the Image™. Nikon Inc. is the world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and photo imaging technology and is globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for its award-winning consumer and professional photographic equipment. Nikon Inc. distributes consumer and professional digital SLR cameras, NIKKOR optics, Speedlights and system accessories; Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras; COOLSCAN® digital film scanners; 35mm film SLR cameras; Nikon software products and Nikon sports and recreational optics. For more information, dial (800) NIKON-UX or visit http://www.nikonusa.com, which links all levels of photographers to the Web's most comprehensive photo learning and sharing communities.