FotoFocus Biennial Project Incorporates Internships for Local Students
Posted on July 20, 2022
Australian artist Ian Strange will create new photographic and film works while completing an Artist in Residence program with FotoFocus at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. The residency includes a student internship program, and we spoke with Romaiza Nadeem, illustration major at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and one of the nine interns assisting with the Ian Strange project throughout the summer.
Australian artist Ian Strange will create new photographic and film works while completing an Artist in Residence program with FotoFocus at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. The residency and production of new works is part of the 2022 FotoFocus Biennial: World Record. This project incorporates numerous partnerships, including Strange’s artist residency at the Art Academy of Cincinnati (AAC) and student internship program. The internship program provides hands-on opportunities for AAC students from the initial development to realizing the final exhibition and installation. Students self-selected areas of interest and are working with Strange’s team during each stage of the project, including archive/research development, pre-production, site prep, community engagement, documentation, and post-production.
The following AAC students are contributing to the project:
Francsico Huerta
Lilly Lamping
Mykaela Mays
Romazia Nadeem
Jenna Riffe
Derek Sally
Rory Torstensson
Emily Underwood
Ellie Wallace
During our initial conversation with Strange in May, he emphasized the importance of cooperating with local communities: this is where the Community Engagement team comes in. Romaiza Nadeem is an illustration major at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and one of the nine interns assisting with the Ian Strange project. In collaboration with Linnea Gartin, AAC Director of the Office of Engagement, Nadeem has been spearheading the Community Engagement initiatives throughout the summer in preparation for the production phase of the project. Nadeem shares her experience below:
I got involved with [the Ian Strange] project after a mass email went out to all of the Art Academy students explaining there was a new internship opportunity. When I saw the email, it immediately caught my eye and I replied enthusiastically. I was later welcomed onto the team, opening the door for many new opportunities.
When I first started working on the community engagement team, it was a completely new experience but that’s exactly why I chose the position.
To me, community engagement involves connecting with communities to help you develop a more socially-responsible organization.
During our process of going out into the neighborhoods, we built trust with community members and learned about their experiences in the neighborhood. As we are working in their neighborhood, it is critical that we be accepted into the community and have the opportunity to educate them on the project. I spent a lot of time on strangers’ porches listening to their stories of the neighborhood. This allowed me to really get to know those who were willing to open up. LaKesa Bryant, resident in the house across the street, lives there with two of her seven grandchildren. She noted that there isn’t a lot of traffic and everyone keeps to themselves, greeting one another with “just a honk and a wave.” From talking to some of the neighbors, I learned that there are residents who have lived in the neighborhood for a long time, while others have recently moved in.
Working on this project, the community response has been great—everyone seems so enthusiastic about the project and is very excited to see what the outcome will be. With this being a new experience for me, I have had challenges, as expected. Many people didn’t take me seriously at first and assumed I was a salesperson coming to their door. I made flyers to put in mailboxes for those people who weren’t home and slowly learned a better approach to explain the project and get to know the community a little better.
I anticipate this experience will lead me to even more art-based opportunities as well as contribute to my growth, education, and confidence. Overall, my experience working with Ian Strange on the FotoFocus project has been nothing short of exceptional.
Make sure to see the final artworks displayed in the FotoFocus-curated exhibition, Ian Strange: Disturbed Home, at the Art Academy of Cincinnati’s SITE 1212 this fall.