By LAUREN WOLMAN Special to the Daily Press
A display of photographs at MTV Networks in Santa Monica aims to show how diverse Los Angeles really is.
“Faces of LA,” an exhibit of photographic works by high school students was launched this past Thursday and is part of the Anti Defamation League’s “Dream Dialogue Program.”
The exhibit documents Los Angeles’ cultural diversity and multiplicity of social identities as captured through the camera lens. The program is designed to show the different social and cultural groups in Los Angeles including age, socio-economic class, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnicity and nationality, as well as physical and mental ability.
“This is really a student empowerment project. The students are the ones with the power and vision; it is their project,” said Melissa Morgan, assistant project director of the Southern California chapter of the ADL.
ADL’s “Dream Dialogue” brings together a diverse group of young people to bond across ethnic groups, develop teen leadership skills, train to become facilitators, lead discussions in valuing diversity and initiate a community social action project.
“It is hoped that the exhibit will promote dialogue about the issues of bias,” said Tessa Hicks, project director for ADL’s “A World of Difference Institute.”
The 75 photos run the gamut of cultures throughout LA, including war protesters, a Jewish family celebrating Shabbat, an African American man wearing a “I Have A Dream” shirt, an Hispanic girl wearing a dress and a Caucasian boy eating an ice cream cone. Also included are pictures of the students behind their lenses.
The project gave participating students an opportunity to see how the rest of Los Angeles lives.
“I never knew there were so many different cultures outside of where I live,” said Neda Farzan, a student photographer.
“I never knew there were so many different cultures outside of where I live.” — — NEDA FARZAN Student photographer
High School Junior Sophie Bibas came to the exhibit because she wanted to see how the photographs illustrate the diversity in her city.
“The pictures showed great insight into Los Angeles’ vibrant and multi-faceted culture,” she said.
ADL has a national partnership with MTV, called “Fight For Your Rights Campaign,” which encourages people to take a stand against discrimination.
“MTV welcomed us and they had the building available,” said Alison Mayersohn, ADL associate director of the Pacific Southwest Region.
The traveling show will be exhibited at the Beverly Hills Municipal Gallery at City Hall from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 and the YWCA of Greater Los Angeles from Oct. 17 to Oct. 31, as well as other Southern California venues throughout the 2003-04 school year.
For further information about the exhibit, call the ADL at (310) 446-8000, ext. 241.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 30, 2003. Read the original PDF.