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SUNSHINE+love

A blog of sorts, by B. Gutierrez.
Click on the photos for full posts.
It’s been an exciting few months. I thought it was time for an update on my blog about Las Fotos Project in my community. When I started sharing the mission and vision of Las Fotos Project with my friends and contacts, there was an almost automatic response of support. We were able to get enough cameras and magazines donated to cover the initial workshop series.  Then something awesome happened. One of the Art Amiss board members expressed interest in supporting the project. Art Amiss, Inc is a non-profit art collective based in Fayetteville, AR. They provide services for artists living in, working in, or from Arkansas. I was asked to submit a grant proposal and soon after their review, we were awarded enough funds to run our initial workshops! Then another wave of awesomeness came when Bedford Camera & Video became sponsor of the project as well. Not only did Bruce, one of the Fayetteville Bedford’s team members, got on board as a mentor, but they are also gifting the film development and prints for the project.  With all that support and a great group of mentors, it all came together beautifully. The NWA Workers’ Justice Center has given us a venue for the workshops and access to all the audiovisual technology we need.  I don’t think I have ever been so proud to be part of this community. I’ve bragged before, but now this is next level! So, after all the work, I thought the workshops would run smoothly and was really excited about starting them. And finally, last Saturday (Feb. 12), seven Latina girls became the first Las Fotos Project students in Northwest Arkansas. My expectations were surpassed. I’m not so sure who got more of the first day, if the students or the mentors. We were all so happy! We had brutal weather (below freezing temps) so we rearranged the workshop schedule and started out with learning some history of photography and cameras, we learned to use photography to see our world in a different way (or angle), we learned about the different uses of photography, and we had the first crafts project.  None of the students have any experiences with cameras or photography. And the way they got involved in the lesson and the activities… It was just awesome. We have two more Saturdays of the introductory workshop series. The students will have the opportunity to learn artistic process from professional photographers, experiment with film photography, curate their work, and prepare a gallery exhibit for their work. Everyone involved is giving their time on a volunteer basis. And everyone is loving it.  If you’re reading this and have given me a camera, a magazine, moral support, or gotten me connected to someone who did… THANK YOU. You rock! You really do. Not in the rock, paper, scissors way… in the super star kind of way! Thank you! P.S. Check out Bedford’s blog

It’s been an exciting few months. I thought it was time for an update on my blog about Las Fotos Project in my community. When I started sharing the mission and vision of Las Fotos Project with my friends and contacts, there was an almost automatic response of support. We were able to get enough cameras and magazines donated to cover the initial workshop series. 

Then something awesome happened. One of the Art Amiss board members expressed interest in supporting the project. Art Amiss, Inc is a non-profit art collective based in Fayetteville, AR. They provide services for artists living in, working in, or from Arkansas. I was asked to submit a grant proposal and soon after their review, we were awarded enough funds to run our initial workshops!

Then another wave of awesomeness came when Bedford Camera & Video became sponsor of the project as well. Not only did Bruce, one of the Fayetteville Bedford’s team members, got on board as a mentor, but they are also gifting the film development and prints for the project. 

With all that support and a great group of mentors, it all came together beautifully. The NWA Workers’ Justice Center has given us a venue for the workshops and access to all the audiovisual technology we need. 

I don’t think I have ever been so proud to be part of this community. I’ve bragged before, but now this is next level!

So, after all the work, I thought the workshops would run smoothly and was really excited about starting them. And finally, last Saturday (Feb. 12), seven Latina girls became the first Las Fotos Project students in Northwest Arkansas. My expectations were surpassed. I’m not so sure who got more of the first day, if the students or the mentors. We were all so happy!

We had brutal weather (below freezing temps) so we rearranged the workshop schedule and started out with learning some history of photography and cameras, we learned to use photography to see our world in a different way (or angle), we learned about the different uses of photography, and we had the first crafts project. 

None of the students have any experiences with cameras or photography. And the way they got involved in the lesson and the activities… It was just awesome.

We have two more Saturdays of the introductory workshop series. The students will have the opportunity to learn artistic process from professional photographers, experiment with film photography, curate their work, and prepare a gallery exhibit for their work. Everyone involved is giving their time on a volunteer basis. And everyone is loving it. 

If you’re reading this and have given me a camera, a magazine, moral support, or gotten me connected to someone who did… THANK YOU. You rock! You really do. Not in the rock, paper, scissors way… in the super star kind of way! Thank you!

P.S. Check out Bedford’s blog

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