From May 4 - June 23, HCP’s Learning Center Gallery will showcase work by sixteen participants in the Collaborations IX program. During the six-month program, students from nine Houston-area high schools met every other week at HCP to develop the concept of the exhibition while sharing their personal experiences and their photographic eye. This year's participants met with artists and photographers such as Peter Brown, Heather Sanchez, Galina Kurlat, Jill Hunter, and Felisa Prieto who guided them throughout the process of developing their exhibition. Reflecting on the passing of time and its effect on people and objects, Aging is an exhibition that explore issues such as childhood, maturity, decay, and expiration.

HCP’s Collaborations program helps students build confidence as they learn to talk about their work, share ideas with others, and learn about artistic and curatorial aspects of the art world. HCP works with various organizations and commercial businesses to educate participants about photography and its history; guest lectures are both informative and hands-on. Once the students select a theme for the exhibition, HCP calls upon experts in the field to educate and inform the students about their chosen subject. For example, last year’s theme was “Pick your Battles,” and HCP brought in Scott Dalton, an award-winning conflict photographer to meet with students. This year’s theme is “Aging,” and students will be meeting with a photographer who has created a moving series of aging animals. The program culminates in a final exhibition of the students' work and fosters the students’ public speaking and presentation skills through the vehicle of artist talks which are attended by the general public in HCP’s galleries.

This year's participants include students from a variety of schools including Awty International Schools, Carnegie Vanguard High School, Clearbrook High School, Cy-Fair High School, Cypress Ridge High School, Episcopal High School, John H. Reagan High School, Kingwood Park High School, KIPP Houston High School, Klein Oak High School, Lamar High School, Saint Agnes Academy, St. John's School, and a home school student..

Collaborations IX participants are Constance Atton, Dylan Beckman, Leslie Campos, Emilee Cooney, Magaly DeLeon, Gabrielle Dunn, Margeaux Epner, Caroline George, Anna Harding, Crysta Hernandez, Carol Hernandez, Katherine Hernandez, Barbara Jaimes, Ian Mellor-Crummey, Brandon Merz, Isabelle Metz, Mary Martha Meyer-Hill, Christina Morgan, Judie Mozie, Zenzele Ojore, Silvia Pera, and Tessa Slavinsky.

EXHIBITIONS ON VIEW AND RELATED PROGRAMMING

Nancy LeVine - Senior Dogs Across America - HCP’s Main Gallery, May 4 – June 23, 2012

Isa Leshko's Elderly Animals, 2012 HCP Fellowship Recipient, selected by Christopher Rauschenberg 

         - HCP’s Gallery X, May 4 – June 23, 2012

David Politzer's When You're Out There, 2012 Carol Crow Memorial Fellowship Exhibition,selected by

         Christopher Rauschenberg - HCP’s Gallery Y, May 4 – June 23, 2012

Collaborations IX: Aging - HCP’s Learning Center Gallery, May 4 – June 23, 2012

Opening Reception for all four exhibitions at HCP, Friday, May 4, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Juror Christopher Rauschenberg in conversation with 2012 Fellowship Recipients Isa Leshko and David Politzer

      at HCP, Friday, May 4, 5:30 p.m.

Artist Talk with Nancy LeVine at HCP, Friday, May 4, 6:00 p.m.

Artist Talk with participating artists of Collaborations IX: Aging at HCP, Saturday, May 5, 2:00 p.m.