It's only the beginning

This morning as we worked for the last few hours we had to prepare for our final exhibition, it had not even occurred to me yet that this was the last day we would all be together. When you live with an especially great group of people for 4 weeks, you become so comfortable with each other. We created our own little home away from home and became a photo family. During the scurry, agitation, and frustration of this morning's work to make sure each person's project looked as amazing as the next, we were all glad to have something to remember each other by with the portfolio exchange. Now we all have one picture from everybody involved in the program and we have that one special picture to remember them by. 

During the final exhibition, it was great that the students were able to show our friends and family how we have grown and learned new things in the past 4 weeks. As we all walked through the department trying to read the artist through their photographs, a few students talked about their work and what it meant to them. I had also just realized that each student's project talked about them in a personal way if they meant to or not because the art work that we have worked so hard for to create and look beautiful became a part of them which was great for all the friends and family to see how much we have grown as artists and individuals. A treat today was that we received the book from the professional photographer Jamel Shabazz who was unable to make it to our show until the end of the reception when we were all so pleased to see him. He was very interested in our work and is incredibly gracious. He was so passionately involved with all the students.

Today we left this program with so many new things. We have new ideas, new experiences, new memories, new creations, and new friends. It's really hard to describe what 21 people share together but it was mainly life, not only by living together but by working, seeing, hearing, talking, sharing, laughing,  and listening with each other. It was incredibly sad that it all has to come to an end but I think of what Nichole said today "the program may be ending, but this is just the beginning of this community."

Simply, 

Harry