June 14 - July 31, 2008

The students of First Exposures explore the idea of what it means to be misunderstood and misrepresented. You Must Be Mistaken features work created using a multitude of photographic processes from cyanotype to digital imagery. The students’ work incorporates text and multi-layered concepts to approach this deeply personal theme.

June 20 – August 5, 2007

The Mills Museum Studies Workshop engages students in basic questions about the nature of art museums and curatorial practices, particularly them proper handling and care of works of art. Their final project is a group-curated exhibition shown in the Mills College Art Museum during the summer or fall semester. This exhibit of over 100 photographs includes images about identity created in conjunction with The Contemporary Jewish Museum, photos exploring relationships culled from the book First Exposures, and work from a public art billboard project on tolerance and acceptance.

May 10 - May 20, 2007

SF Camerawork’s First Exposures mentorship program provides urban teens with an opportunity to develop photography skills and explore the medium as a form of self-expression. The Contemporary Jewish Museum and SF Camerawork have partnered on a curriculum for a series of workshops based on the themes in the CJM’s exhibition The Jewish Identity Project: New American Photography. Using the Identity Project as a springboard, Exposing Identities features the results of students’ investigations into issues of identity including culture, religion, and race.

September 28 - November 13, 2005

Manon Bogerd-Wada
Jeremy Castro
Naomi Castro
Jontonette Clark
Lauren Desuyo
Ivan Fernandez
Franky Hernandez
Robert Lima
Ariana Montemayer
Courtnie Rykalski
Melanie Solis

First Exposures students explored their own personal and cultural histories by using family and historical photos along with their own images and text. The students utilized a variety of photographic media, including traditional black and white printing, cyanotypes, Van Dyke prints, color prints, and digitally created images. Students delved into their own personal and cultural histories, using their family pictures, historical, and found photos. They were then given the opportunity to create unique installations in Zeum’s cylindrical gallery space.

Fall 2004

Lorrie Aspiras
Manon Bogerd-Wada
Tara Brown
Jeremy Castro
Naomi Castro
Jontonnette Clark
May Deng
Lauren Desuyo
Ivan Fernandez
Robert Lima
Mario Luna
Taylor Mixon

First Exposures students had a unique opportunity to create billboards that were publicly displayed on city streets throughout San Francisco and San Jose. Using current events and their personal experiences with prejudice or misjudgment, First Exposures students used the power of their words and images to design billboards to encourage greater acceptance of diversity and difference. The students’ hope is that the billboards may inspire people to overcome the inclination to prejudge one another, instead affirming our commonalities. The resulting billboard prototypes were also displayed in a show at San Francisco City Hall, in collaboration with the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery.

The billboard project was made possible by generous donations of time and resources by:

The Nelson Fund of the Community Foundation Silicon Valley
The Louis R. Lurie Foundation
The Gould Family Foundation
The Potrero Nuevo Fund of the Tides Foundation
The Morris Stulsaft Foundation
Clear Channel Outdoor
LeAnne Hitchcock and Janeil Englestad, Guest Teachers
Patricia Sohl, Symbolism Archivist at the C.G. Jung Institute
Joe Brook, Photography Editor at SLAP Magazine

Spring/Summer 2004

Summer 2003

Spring 2002

Spring 2002

Fall 2001

Summer 2001

During the summer of 2001, First Exposures partnered with the Boys and Girls’ Club, Guerrero Unit to provide a Photoshop and Web Design class to help prepare students for today’s job market, which relies heavily on computer skills. Students were matched one-to-one with volunteer mentors to learn photography-related computer skills to create their own websites. By altering images and creating internet web pages in Photoshop and the Dreamweaver web design applications, students elevated their creativity and critical thinking skills while expanding their knowledge of photography-based technologies.

Spring 2001

Spring 2001

Spring 2000

December 18, 1999 - March 18, 2000

Spring 1999

Spring 1998

Winter 1998

Fall 1997

Spring 1997

First Exposures: SF Camerawork
Tenderloin Afterschool Program
Friends of Photography
Collision Outreach
Guerrero House
Ground Zero: Healing Kids
Avenues for Independence: Larkin STreet
From the Familiar: IC chng
Group Home Hunters Point Girls Photo Workshop: SF Education Services

Winter 1996

Fall 1996

Fall 1996