Eye on Houston: High School Documentary Photography (2015) February 3–May 10, 2015
Mackenzie Ward, Stools, 2014, inkjet print, Bellaire High School. © Mackenzie Ward
Tamirah Collins, Protect My Home, 2014, inkjet print, Jack Yates High School. © Tamirah Collins
Vanessa Najera, Untitled, 2014, inkjet print, César E. Chávez High School. © Vanessa Najera
Janesha Bass, Chalk Girl, 2014, inkjet print, Jack Yates High School. © Janesha Bass
Erin Rice, Curiosity, 2014, inkjet print, Bellaire High School. © Erin Rice
Cailtin Sperling, Abuelita, 2014, inkjet print, Bellaire High School. © Cailtin Sperling
Ariana Fonesca, Untitled, 2014, inkjet print, César E. Chávez High School. © Ariana Fonesca
The annual photography exhibition Eye on Houston: High School Documentary Photography offers a unique view of Houston through the eyes of local high-school students. This year’s presentation features 54 photographs by juniors and seniors from three schools: Jack Yates High School, César E. Chávez High School, and Bellaire High School.
The talented young photographers were challenged to create images that capture the distinctive personality of each community and its inhabitants. Students at Yates High School photographed the Third Ward neighborhood; the teens from Chávez High School documented the communities of Houston’s East End; and the Bellaire High School students took pictures in the incorporated city of Bellaire.
Founded in 1995 as Eye on Third Ward, the program was originally created to encourage Yates students to hone their skills and powers of observation by documenting their neighborhood and its residents. Now in its 20th year, the expanded program offers even more students the opportunity to express the diverse characteristics of Houston’s various and vibrant communities.
The "Eye on Houston: High School Documentary Photography" exhibition receives generous funding from the CFP Foundation; Texas Commission on the Arts; and the Junior League of Houston, Inc.
All education programs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, receive endowment income from funds provided by the Louise Jarrett Moran Bequest; Caroline Wiess Law; the William Randolph Hearst Foundation; The National Endowment for the Humanities; the Fondren Foundation; BMC Software, Inc.; the Wallace Foundation; the Neal Myers and Ken Black Children’s Art Fund; the Favrot Fund; and Gifts in honor of Beth Schneider.