HOLDUP in the HOOD

“These photographs are taken from an ongoing series that documents an after-school, collaborative arts curriculum rooted in self-portraiture. I co-authored and teach the collaborative to inner city children in Manchester, a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, PA. The program and documentation have run consecutively for 13 years. "HOLDUP in the HOOD" is both a personal and communal exploration of self. It concerns the sense of identity that comes with the realization of making one’s mark. The photographs can incorporate drawings, re-cycled photographs, print media and body gesture to explore issues of race, class and gender.”