Studio@620 hosted their annual “Through Our Eyes” exhibit on January 12. The exhibit is a showcase of photos taken by the students of Melrose Elementary, John Hopkins Middle and Lakewood High School as a part of the Journeys in Journalism program. The exhibit has been running for 18 years, consistently being hosted every year since 2005.
The grand opening of the exhibit lasted two hours, from 6:00 pm. to 8:00 pm, but the exhibit will be on display until February 3. The photos that the students took over the past few months have been hung across the walls of the venue, and each one is available for purchase while the exhibit is open.
Kenya Woodard started the event, then the Mayor of St. Petersburg, Ken Welch, spoke about the importance of the exhibit and how impressed he is of the talent of the current students enrolled in the Journeys in Journalism program.
Afterwards, a discussion panel took place at around 7.00 pm.
Alex Mahadevan hosted a panel of five students from varying schools and grade levels. The students featured have recently reported on the renovations of the Tropicana Field and the response from the community around the Gas Plant district at the time. They were asked questions about their role during the reporting process, their experience with reporting on the story and what they learned from it.
The students spoke clearly and were able to answer with well thought-out responses. The adults in the audience were surprised and impressed at how well spoken the students were, with audible gasps and cheers being heard during the discussions.
The attendees were invited to view the gallery of photos as the grand opening came to a close.
This year’s grand opening was a special one. The photos showcased were amazing and inspiring, and the panel discussion this year showcased the brilliant talent of the students in the Journeys in Journalism program and made the event one-of-a-kind. The reception from the people who attended was overwhelmingly positive and the exhibit has once again been a great success all around.
