Studio 678 @ George Eastman Museum

Presented in the Gallery Obscura this spring will be creative works by students who are a part of the 2023–24 Flower City Arts Center’s Studio 678 Photo Club. These photographs and texts are inspired by the students’ vision of the world around them.

Started in 1999 as an eight-week pilot project, Studio 678 Photo Club is now an annual thirty-five-week after-school program, and in its twenty-sixth consecutive year. The program is offered free of charge to students in grades six through eight in the Rochester City School District.

Working with program mentors and volunteers, thirty participants in the fall of 2023 learned how to use a professional film camera and develop film. With these acquired skills, students took the lead on their art process from beginning to end. In a very hands-on creative journey, students practiced photography within the studio and around the community, as well as made their own black-and-white prints in a darkroom. Participants also wrote poems and stories to accompany their photographs, which were matted and framed by the museum’s exhibition team. Additionally, students worked in a digital lab to create a collaborative book of their images and writings, weaving together their narratives.

Through the camera and creative writing projects, Studio 678 Photo Club students have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their community and build connections. All of the projects in the program are designed to enhance knowledge of core school subjects, develop conceptual thinking skills, build confidence, and empower youth to express their vision and voice.

Poetry Readings with Studio 678 April 10, 11, 17, 18. 24 4:30 pm, in Gallery Obscura

Join us on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons throughout April to celebrate the photography and poetry of Rochester City School District students. Each week, different students from Studio 678 will read their poetry that accompanies their photograph in their exhibition in Gallery Obscura.