Shoreline Goes “Inside Out” for student art project

Middle school students from Room Nine Community School installed larger than life portraits of inspiring family and friends around Shoreline last week. 

The striking black and white portraits with accompanying stories are part of the global Inside Out art project. The first location for the art installation opened on October 22nd at Third Place Commons. 

Next, Shoreline City Hall will show the project at their quarterlygallery opening on November 3, 2011 from 5:30-7:00pm. The students posted their outdoor installation of the project on Saturday, which can be seen outside the Subway sandwich shop on the northwest corner of Aurora and 185th.

The students call themselves the ShorelineNighthawks Association for Pictures (SNAP). The last names are withheld to protect the identity of the families and friends who have been life changing for these young people. Each of the large posters has a unique web address that allows you to read the story of the individual featured in the portrait online.

Michael Callahan, a teacher from Room Nine, who helped the students with the project reflected:

The stories of the family members and friends are heart-warming, but equally so was the humanity, compassion, and seriousness shown by these kids. They stuck with the process over several months despite setbacks. This is one art project they will remember for a long time.

About INSIDE OUT

INSIDE OUT is a large-scale participatory art project that transforms messages of personal identity into pieces of artistic work. Everyone is challenged to use black and white photographic portraits to discover, reveal and share the untold stories and images of people around the world.

These exhibitions are documented, archived and viewable virtually on the Inside Out website or YouTube channel.

The project was created by French street artist, “JR”, after he won a TED prize in late 2010. To date over 13,000 images have been shared around the world. Inside Out participants were highly visible in the Tunisian revolution (Arab Spring).

About Room Nine Community School

The Room Nine Community School, established in 1974, is located in Meridian Park Elementary School in the Shoreline School District. It is an alternative learning choice for students grades K-8, with an enrollment of 100 students.

Room Nine addresses students’ needs through a wide range of curricular vehicles, including standard curriculum, community resources, field trips, projects, and teacher/parent/student-generated activities. Parent involvement is a cornerstone of the school.