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National Building Museum Exhibition Presents Teens Views of D. C.

Equipped with digital cameras and sketchbooks, middle and high school students from the metropolitan Washington area made the city streets their classroom in the National Building Museum’s four-week summer outreach program. Investigating Where We Live (IWWL) is a visual journey that showcases their fresh outlook on the city in which they live, and offers visitors a chance to see new perspectives of D.C. through the eyes of young people.

This summer’s participants examined the historically and culturally rich neighborhood of Anacostia. They used digital cameras to explore, document, and interpret the built environment, and interviewed residents and professionals in the area to explore the themes of diversity, change, and community. Their original photographs, writings, and artwork are featured in the exhibition. Participants worked with Museum staff, photographers, writers, and curatorial experts to find the best way to tell the story they saw in the neighborhood. They then planned, fabricated, and installed this exhibition.

IWWL challenges students to actively observe their surroundings, and to use photography and creative writing as a way to understand and explain local neighborhoods. Emphasis is placed on educating the participants about the importance of the neighborhood in the larger context of the city while highlighting what makes it unique.

The participants’ photographs and writings will be on display at the Museum from July 28, 2012 – May 26, 2013.

National Building Museum
401 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
(Judiciary Square Metro, Red Line)

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