‘Playtography’ puts local kids behind the camera

You could say the artists of a new photography exhibit in Detroit started their craft early in life. “Playtography: A Photography Exhibition By and About Children,” taking place this month at the Gallery at Brewery Park, features the work of children ages 6-12 and explores how at-risk youth express themselves through photography.

The exhibit is the culmination of a six-week summer camp operated by Rosedale Park Baptist Church (RPBC), designed and led by Urban Link Village, a community-based nonprofit that works to improve opportunities for at-risk youth, with photography sessions led RJ & Cheryl Photography.

"It has been great for (the kids) to see themselves through another lens as they learned how to capture candid, unscripted life moments through exposure to yet another aspect of the arts,” said RPBC Camp Director Lutricia Valentine, who co-founded Urban Link Village with her late husband Anthony. “Some are even interested in pursuing photography now."

The exhibit features a collection of more than 45 photos taken by students and their instructors, with subjects found in the surrounding areas of the churches where the camps were held. 

Amanda Koss, the gallery coordinator at the Gallery at Brewery Park, said the subjects range from a bracelet off a girl’s wrist to a Doritos bag that was laying around to different angles found within play structures.

“What they did is amazing,” Koss said. “The concepts that they grasped during the class were stunning, and the photos are a complete reflection of that.”

The photos are available for purchase for $125 each and come framed, with proceeds supporting Urban Link Village.

.

Koss said it’s a special exhibit with a bigger message than a traditional art or photography show.

“It’s to show the kids they can do something amazing with their lives, that they don’t have to stay in the same circles that they’ve been in, so when they grow up they have something awesome under their belt," she said.

“Playtography: A Photography Exhibition By and About Children"

 Until Sept. 29 at The Gallery at Brewery Park, 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit. The exhibit is free and open to the public.