ONE by ONE campaign to transform the future of education in Jacksonville
9/7/2011
ONE by ONE campaign to transform the future of education in Jacksonville
New photography exhibition, ONE in THREE: Let's Solve Our Dropout Crisis, to spark interest in ONE by ONE: Transforming Our Future Together, a community engagement campaign
Jacksonville, Fla.- The Jacksonville Public Education Fund and the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens announced the opening of a thought-provoking new exhibition that aims to transform the way the community is involved in education.
The exhibition runs at The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens through December 20, 2011. From January to August 2012, the exhibition will travel to 16 different sites in neighborhoods throughout Jacksonville.
Through dramatic portraits by local photographer Ingrid Damiani, the ONE in THREE exhibition displays the faces and stories of 20 current and former students of Duval County Public Schools. Each student featured in the exhibition has faced obstacles to achieving academic success. Among those who have beaten the odds, one common thread is clear: community support.
The exhibition aims to get viewers involved in the Jacksonville Public Education Fund's ONE by ONE campaign. Over the next year, ONE by ONE will bring together thousands of Jacksonville residents from every neighborhood to speak out about what our public schools need and document closely what they say. But the goal is not simply to talk.
From those ideas, a volunteer-led Community Advisory Team will create an action plan that truly represents our entire city.
"The Jacksonville Public Education Fund believes that to get the public school system our city needs, we must elevate the role of the community in education," said Trey Csar, President of JPEF.
Organizers of the exhibit hope that viewers will not only speak out through the ONE by ONE campaign, but also get involved individually in the life of a child.
The students featured in ONE in THREE demonstrate the powerful and positive effects that result when the community-in the form of a mentor, an after-school program, a pastor or even a caring friend-takes action to support our youth.
Today, students featured in the exhibition are set to become the leaders of the ONE by ONE campaign.[Note to the press: If you missed the press tour, interview opportunities with the featured students are still available. Contact Deirdre Conner at 904-345-0597.]
Photographer Ingrid Damiani said photographing them has demonstrated to her how much one person can make a difference. And, she said, it has given her a sense of hope for the future-a sense that she hopes viewers will come away with after seeing the exhibition.
"I want people to see their faces," said Damiani. "When it comes down to it, it's affecting real people who have dreams and hopes and want to build a good life, and need the tools to do that."
Hope McMath, Director of the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, said the exhibition proves the power of art in delivering message and creating transformation.
"To understand, really understand, sometimes requires art as the messenger," McMath said. "Throughout human existence, the most important societal ideals have been represented in painting, sculpture and architecture. In ONE in THREE, it is the art of photography and the brave storytelling of 20 young people that provide new meaning and relevance to the conversation about our public schools."
The ONE in THREE exhibit was designed by Brunet-García Advertising, and audio and video components were produced by WJCT. Partners in the exhibit also included Duval County Public Schools
The ONE by ONE campaign will formally launch at the Community Opening Event on September 13, from 4-8 p.m at The Cummer. This event is free and open to the public, and will include musical performances and interactive activities.
Interviews with students featured, and high-resolution photos of images in the exhibition and pictures of the exhibition are available upon request.
Contact:
Deirdre Conner Amy Chamberlin
Jacksonville Public Education Fund The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
Office: (904) 394-0950 Office: (904) 899-6034
Cell: (904) 345-0597 Cell: (904) 859-8121
Deirdre@jaxpef.org AChamberlin@cummer.org
Presenting sponsors of the ONE in THREE exhibition are:
Brunet-García Advertising
The Chartrand Foundation
Corporation for Public Broadcasting(as a part of the American Graduate Initiative)
Cynthia G. Edelman Family Foundation
EverBank
Regency Centers Corporation
State of Florida(School District Education Foundation Matching Grant)
David A. Stein Family Foundation
Jay and Deanie Stein
J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver