High Point University Students Create Photo Exhibit at Local Museum
After President Donald Trump announced he was going to enforce immigration policies earlier this year, many immigrants and refugees in the High Point area have taken major precautions about being seen and having their stories told. Many immigrants in the High Point area have dropped out of programs created to help transition them into the community. These immigrants and refugees help create the fabric of the High Point Community and the scare from this policy has made the work of High Point University students an interesting task.
Fourteen High Point University students have immersed themselves within the High Point community as part of a Documentary Photography class. This class, under the direction of Benita VanWinkle, Assistant Professor of Art at High Point University, is focused on highlighting the contributions immigrants and refugees within the High Point Community make as well as some of the challenges they have faced. After news of immigrants and refugees dropping out of local community programs the students were partnering with in the High Point Community, these students had to search on their own, intentionally seeking families and businesses to highlight in the community.
“SEE ME: Looking with In(ten)tion,” is the name of the collection of archived work created by these students in the service learning, Documentary Photography course. “SEE ME” will be on display at the High Point Museum April 29th through July 15th. This exhibit is sectioned into three parts: Intentional Observations, Intentional Voices and Intentional Rapport.
“SEE ME: Looking with In(ten)tion” is a photography exhibit, displaying the lives and telling the stories of the immigrants and refugees in the community. “Intentional Observations” observes the First Presbyterian Church women, looking at being an immigrant in America from a first person point of view, along with protests and street photography. “Intentional Voices” covers stories such as that of the Somali family, while “Intentional Rapport” shows members of the community at the YWCA event, as well as professors and students of High Point University who reside here as immigrants or refugees.
A group of the students volunteered at the First Presbyterian Church in High Point, teaching a group of women from many countries around the globe how to use the cameras on their cell phones. As connections and relationships grew, the women shared family photos and stories, of which will be displayed in the exhibit.
This project and these fourteen artists have become social activists. Seeking to inform its audience about the lives of others to promote change within their communities, “SEE ME: Looking with In(ten)tion” aims to break the stereotypes America has created towards immigrants and refugees.
The students of this class partnered not only with the First Presbyterian Church in High Point but also the YWCA, local businesses, World Relief and a Somali family. The variety of partners these students connected with creates a unique view of the build up and history of the community.
According to the High Point City Census, immigrants and refugees make up ten percent of the High Point Community.
Through the YWCA, the High Point University students were exposed to different cultures in the community. Hearing literature and poems written by various famous Middle Eastern women, tasting food from around the globe and observing several cultural dances, the YWCA provided as a great “ice-breaker” into the lives of the immigrants and refugees of the community.
This exhibit will give residents of the High Point community insight to the lives of their neighbors. This project aims to eliminate prejudices we hold as a society against immigrants and refugees and urges us to come closer as a community.
With the support of neighbors and the help of this exhibit, “SEE ME: Looking with In(ten)tion” aims to bring the High Point community closer together, creating a welcoming environment for all to be a part of.
Communication with the Photographers
Join the fourteen students celebrate the opening of their exhibit, “SEE ME: Looking with In(ten)tion” on April 29th at the High Point Museum, located at 1859 E Lexington Ave, High Point, NC, 27262. To communicate with the photographers for further questions, email seemeexhibit@gmail.com, visit
, follow on Instagram at seemeexhibit and like us on Facebook at SEE ME: Looking with Intention.
