Exhibition to Feature Photography and Sculpture by Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County Students

The University Galleries will collaborate with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County to present "ImageMakers," their national photography competition, as well as artwork from the University Galleries' pilot outreach program "ReFocus," an art program at the Boys and Girls Club Belle Glade Teen Center. The combined exhibition will open with a reception on Friday, March 7 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Ritter Art Gallery, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus. The exhibition will run through Tuesday, March 11 and is free and open to the public. 

"Photography helps build confidence as the children discover their hidden artistic skills. Many of the participants have never touched a camera before. In the five years we have sponsored the program, the young photographers have become better and more creative. The photos truly are amazing," said Dennis Young, director of Computer Education for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County and founder of the "ImageMakers" competition.

"ImageMakers" will feature photography by children from the 13 Boys & Girls Clubs in Palm Beach County. These children, ages 6 to17, learn photography skills and take photographs during scheduled club field trips within the community.

"ImageMakers" is part of the organization's participation in a national photography competition. In addition to Young, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County participate in the project under the guidance of Anton Spalding, core technology specialist.

More than 7,500 children participate in the Boys & Girls Clubs program at one of 13 clubhouses throughout Palm Beach County. The Boys & Girls Club is the county's largest not-for-profit youth development organization dedicated to serving youth, particularly those from disadvantaged circumstances. 

The exhibition also will showcase artwork made by students in a program called "ReFocus," which is a collaboration between the University Galleries, Resource Depot in West Palm Beach, and the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Beach County. Beginning in the fall 2014, selected FAU visual arts students serve as mentors to teenagers at the Boys and Girls Club Belle Glade Teen Center. Employing arts integration philosophies and teaching methods, "ReFocus" combines the visual arts and environmental sciences to explore conservation and art by using recycled materials provided by the Resource Depot in West Palm Beach. "ReFocus" is coordinated for the University Galleries Museum Education Program by Jill Lavetsky, a recent FAU MFA graduate and teaching artist.

The "Imagemakers" and "ReFocus" exhibitions at FAU are produced by the University Galleries Museum Education Program. Since 2003 the program has trained FAU students to provide art education services to school age children through interactive tours of exhibitions and studio art experiences. The Museum Education Program is made possible in part by the Kaye Endowment for Arts Integration. The University Galleries' programs are made possible in part by a grant from the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. Museum Education programs are made possible in part by the R.A. Ritter Foundation, the Sun-Sentinel Children's Fund, a fund of the McCormick Foundation and the Bank Atlantic Foundation.

The University Galleries are free and open to the public Tuesdays through Fridays, from 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturdays, from 1 to 5 p.m. Classes and groups are welcome during public hours or by appointment. For more information, call 561-297-2661 or visit www.fau.edu/galleries.