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Chappaqua School Foundation: A Focus on Innovation

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CSF members gathering in front of the new Sustainability Research Center at Horace Greeley High School. First row (l-r): Julie Balber, Shauna Levy, Tara Brandoff, Jillian Bynum, Megan Gulotta, Michele Wolfberg, Dayna Beicke, Anuja Joshi, Lois O’Neill, Solveig McShea, Joanna Coogan, Sheri Hametz. Second row (l-r): Jennifer Belew, Todd Herrell, Eugene Song  PHOTO By Donna Mueller

Home to bucolic grounds, a small-town vibe and a nationally recognized school district, Chappaqua is renowned for its strong sense of community. Embedded within the fabric of that community is the Chappaqua School Foundation (CSF), a nonprofit organization with the mission of funding innovative, educational projects that fall outside the scope of Chappaqua Central School District’s (CCSD) budget. Over the past two years, CSF’s work has never been more relevant, as the organization evolves and pivots to support the district’s goal of prioritizing students’ needs. 

Mission Control

Since its inception in 1993, CSF has raised over $4 million, funding over 350 educational grants and innovative projects. Its Board of Directors is comprised of 22 parent volunteers, representing each of Chappaqua’s six schools with diverse backgrounds and skill-sets.

Solveig McShea, President of CSF, took on the role in a time marked by change and uncertainty. Her mission was simple despite an environment that’s been anything but. She explains, “Our mission to fund innovation in our schools has held fast and helped us to navigate the shifting landscape. We also increased our focus on engaging our rapidly growing community through a host of new initiatives. We want to involve people in the excitement of what we are doing. Our work, after all, impacts each of our children.” 

Granting Innovations

CSF works alongside CCSD, teachers, parents, and students to identify significant strategic initiatives that are innovative and meaningful. CSF funds those initiatives with two types of grants; Instagrants, and Traditional Grants. Instagrants are smaller grants under $2,500 that undergo a condensed approval process; ideal for projects that teachers wish to implement during the same school year. Traditional Grants are awarded through a multi-step process for programs that tie into the curriculum and take longer to develop. 

The grants process is a true partnership between CSF and CCSD. Todd Herrell, Vice President, Grants elaborates, “We have a strong, collaborative relationship with our District to identify grants that spur educational enhancements and innovations in each of our schools. In recent years, CSF has funded projects including Studio 7B, a fully functional professional grade digital television studio, clip-on microphones to enhance teachers’ ability to overcome audio challenges during the pandemic and, a particularly exciting endeavor, the Sustainability Research Center (SRC) at Greeley that’s currently in construction.” 

Christine Ackerman, Ph.D., Superintendent of Schools, Chappaqua Central School District is also enthusiastic about the grant, saying, “Our sustainability research center will allow our students to explore and understand how to conserve natural resources in a cutting-edge facility. We are thrilled to provide this space for our students through our partnership with the CSF, PTA and the Robert and Ardis James Foundation.”

This isn’t CSF’s first forward-thinking grant. In 2018, CSF partnered with the District on the 1:1 Digital Learning Initiative, the largest single grant ever awarded at that time. This grant provided every 3rd and 4th grade student with their own school iPad. The full scope of this grant was truly demonstrated in 2020, as Herrell points out, when “these resources became instrumental in helping to facilitate the quick transition to remote learning at the onset of the pandemic.”  

Putting the “Fun” In Fundraiser

Fundraising efforts are at the crux of CSF’s ability to support the District. Two years ago, however, fundraising events screeched to a halt, forcing CSF to rewrite its playbook. Lois O’Neill, Executive Vice President & Vice President, Fundraising met the challenge head-on with a slew of ingenuitive fundraisers. She says, “The pandemic both changed and expanded our fundraising platform, and frankly broke down some walls, allowing us to build creative new ways to interact with our community. We launched a line of Chappaqua apparel, debuted what are now annual events–the CSF Food Truck Night and our At Home Series–and began offering Holiday Rainbow Cookie Jars. We love that these fundraisers enable people to give at any level whether it’s through a Walter’s hotdog, a Chappaqua hat or giving at the Benefit Committee level.”   

After a two-years hiatus, CSF is excited for the highly anticipated return of its largest fundraiser, the annual Spring Benefit. O’Neill has big plans for the Benefit’s revival on Friday, April 29th. “We want CSF to be a catalyst for the return to fun; we want to deliver on that as a thank you to our community for their deep generosity,” she explains, adding, “This year, the Benefit will feature a “Tacos & Tequila” theme with music and dancing. Our silent auction features a curated selection of exciting gifts, travel, and food items, and is now an online, one-week event culminating on the evening of the Benefit.”

New Beginnings

As McShea reflects upon the previous year, she says, “Though it’s been a challenging time, it’s also been deeply rewarding. I’m proud of all we’ve accomplished, from funding projects like diversity libraries in the elementary schools to programs exploring the impact of discrimination and human rights violations to repurposing a commons space at Greeley for social/emotional well-being. We are exploring how CSF can support the whole student with a robust classroom experience, so that they are prepared to lead and thrive in the outside world.” McShea acknowledges that much work remains to be done and that priorities are constantly in-flux, but in uncertain times, the CCSD community can be assured that CSF will be a stable source of support.

Making Headway Foundation Turns 25!

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Maya and Ed Manley.Founders, Making Headway Foundation

Chappaqua Parents on a Lifetime Mission

You may have seen Making Headway’s sign on King or you may even know that Making Headway works with kids with brain tumors, but not really understand what that means.

I was lucky enough to spend time talking with two of the founders of Making Headway and I came away enlightened and inspired. Maya and Edward Manley handled the most traumatic event of their lives–seeing their daughter through diagnosis, treatment and the aftermath of an invasive brain tumor–and turned their family’s experience into a world class foundation whose focus is care, comfort and a cure for families facing pediatric brain tumors.

Over 25 years ago, the Manley’s daughter Cynthia began exhibiting symptoms that concerned her parents. It took three years until doctors were able to diagnose a brain tumor resting on her pituitary gland. Through the surgery and long period of chemo and radiation therapy that led to Cynthia’s recovery, they were immersed in the world of brain tumor treatment and its aftermath. When Cynthia graduated HGHS and eventually Ithaca College, after two gap years in Switzerland, the Manleys, along with Clint Greenbaum, were driven to create an organization that would help provide the emotional and practical support needed by families like them.

During Cynthia’s recovery, the Manley family was lucky enough to have the full support of the Chappaqua Central School District who was able to make accommodations, send tutors to the home and provide the emotional support needed to ensure Cynthia graduated on time. The family was acutely aware that many other children did not have the advantage of a district such as ours. From this idea, the Manleys have created a foundation that provides millions of dollars in support and resources to patients and families dealing with pediatric brain tumors.

Making Headway’s goals of “care and comfort” means a team of six education advocates and 29 psychologists are available to help families work with school districts to craft and execute Individualized Education Plans for each recovering student. Mr. Manley notes that every child who experiences chemotherapy will have some sort of learning disability to address. They provide sibling help, psychological care for parents and practical support for families. They seem proudest of the play room they support at The Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at NYU Langone Medical Center. They have created a bright and cheerful area with arts and crafts, games and healthy snacks. Prior to Covid, Mrs. Manley volunteered at the center two days each week and strived every day to make the lives of families easier. As she says “We give them courage for the next day, the next week, the next month.” Making Headway also funds several positions at the hospital designed to help families, including a Neuro-Psychologist, a Care Coordinator, and a Clinical Trial Nurse. 

The other pillar of the foundation is “cure” and the Foundation has invested over $7,000,000 in research to find better treatments and novel medications. Additionally they fund the Brain Tumor Tissue Bank at NYU Medical Center which allows researchers from all over the world to have access to tumor samples taken during each surgery.

How is Cynthia Manley Now?
She is married and lives upstate with her husband. She graduated from Ithaca with a studio art degree. Her work and ideas are woven throughout the children’s center. Mrs. Manley notes that Cynthia’s first job was at ICD Jewelry where Varda Singer treated her with patience and kindness that her parents have never forgotten.

How can you help?
The year marks Making Headway Foundation’s 25th anniversary serving children with a brain or spinal cord tumor. The need to help these children is greater than ever before, with mental health challenges that are compounded by the impact of COVID.  Mrs. Manley also notes that the holidays can be particularly difficult for families dealing with an uncertain future. If you live in Chappaqua and want to learn more, feel free to stop by their office at 115 King Street. And if you want to directly help local families that have a child with a brain or spinal cord tumor, please visit MakingHeadway.org and click on donate.

Three Key Organizations Supporting Education in the Chappaqua School District

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Chappaqua School Foundation

The mission of the Chappaqua School Foundation (CSF) is to enhance the education of Chappaqua’s students by fostering innovation and funding meaningful initiatives beyond the scope of the school budget. CSF connects Chappaqua Central School District educators’ creativity, imagination and dedication with community support, engagement and investment. The result: CSF empowers educators to improve the quality of education by making innovation possible throughout the district. Since 1993, CSF has invested nearly 4 million dollars through the funding of over 340 educational grants positively impacting every school, every grade and every student in the District. chappaquaschoolfoundation.org.

Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund

Photo by Grace Bennett

Sending a child to college can be a significant financial challenge. Since its founding in 1946, the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund (HGSF) exists to make up “the difference” between the actual costs of college and all other financial resources available to students and their families (i.e. loans, scholarships, work-study, student and parent savings) by giving grants to Greeley students and alumni to cover these financial deficits. HGSF is a nonprofit organization whose Board of Directors is composed of community members. It is funded by caring neighbors and members of the New Castle community who want to ensure that every student can realize their dream of a college education. hgsf.org

Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program

Photo by Ari Bennett

The Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program (CSSP) was founded in 1968 when two longtime Chappaqua friends despaired over the educational crisis in New York City. Now entering its 51st year, CSSP offers a bridge between the Chappaqua community and students from under-resourced high schools in the Bronx. It is an academic enrichment home stay program during the month of July when 24 rising sophomores, juniors and seniors stay with two different host families and take courses in STEAM, Shakespeare studies, creative writing and film making. Afternoons are spent taking tennis and swim lessons and engaging in community service and other workshops and activities. Students have attended many wonderful colleges and universities, and have gone on to join the workforce in a multitude of professions.

CSSP recently hosted its first annual college transition day for CSSP students entering college in the fall; an active Alumni Association has  been formalizing a mentoring program between CSSP alumni and students in college. chappaquasummerscholarship.com 

Courtesy of the Chappaqua School Foundation, Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund and the Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program.

The Space Between Light and Darkness BREAK THE HOLD FOUNDATION

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PHOTOS BY DONNA MUELLER

Changing the Conversation about Youth Mental Health

Mental health issues can be difficult to understand. Struggles of the mind are laden with kaleidoscopic subtleties that can complicate their management and resolution. How can we help someone who is in a place where the pain and suffering in their mind is so terrible that it outweighs everything else life offers? Between the light of wellness and the darkness of mental illness there is a dim place that is under-discussed. It is here that a social network, community, family, friends and self-care plays a crucial role; this is where life-saving opportunities are being missed.

Through a new and innovative program, the Break The Hold (BTH) Foundation of Pleasantville is making strides by breaking down misconceptions about mental illness and building a safety network that mitigates the real risk factors. They are, in effect, extending branches for those suffering to grab hold of and implementing safety nets to catch those who are spiraling into darkness.

Driven by the love for their middle son, Brian T. Halloran, who lost his battle with depression in January of 2018, Pleasantville residents Brian and Jolina Halloran are determined to help those suffering the way he did. Through the BTH Foundation, named after their son’s initials, the

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-24. Each day in the U.S., there is an average of over 3,470 attempts by young people in grades 9-12. Four out of Five teens who attempt suicide have given clear warning signs. They don’t want to die.

Source: bthbreakthehold.org

Hallorans provide school and community-based advocacy programs that promote emotional wellness, resilience and suicide prevention in Pleasantville and nearby communities. Their program focuses on suicide education, raising awareness of the warning signs and empowering young people to have the courage to communicate about this difficult but important issue. The BTH Foundation is giving the community the tools to deal with mental health preventatively and is referring those suffering to the appropriate places to get the help they need. The outstanding progress the BTH Foundation has made merits attention.

The Education Platform – BTH 360

In short, the BTH Foundation’s mission is suicide prevention. The BTH program advocates a safety net system of “Recognizing and Referring”; teaching those in the community how to recognize someone suffering and refer them to receive appropriate help. “We often hear that a friend had seen a flag that could have been addressed but felt that saying something about their friend’s struggles is snitching. The message needs to get out that keeping friends healthy and happy is the right thing to do,” says Brian Halloran.

When BTH is contacted, they have a team of clinicians who, based on a triage system, put together an action plan to help connect those in need with viable options and work to overcome barriers to treatment such as financial cost.

Prevention through education is key. The BTH Foundation has worked alongside the Pleasantville High School (PHS) administration and a team of local psychologists.  Together, they have developed programming for the school district that satisfies the NY State mandates for mental health in the curriculum. Their program is focused on teaching Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is evidence-based training for emotional regulation. DBT uses mindfulness strategies to manage emotions, increasing student’s tolerance of negative emotions.

The idea is that everyone will be speaking the same language, everyone will learn to respond a little bit more thoughtfully rather than emotionally. We must get to the kids early. They need to be able to understand and communicate what is going on in their heads,” says Halloran.

Last September, ninth graders in PHS had 16 hours of mandated mental health education incorporated into the school curriculum. This coming school year, fifth graders will receive 10 hours of the program. Within 4 years everyone at PHS will have had 26 hours of DBT training. In addition, all staff in the Pleasantville High School, Middle School and Elementary School are receiving 8 hours of DBT training. Parent workshops are offered regularly.

It is especially important to educate teens before they go to college. The BTH Foundation arranges senior transition meetings to help. “Adolescents lose many protective factors once they leave home to go away to college. Many risk factors increase at this time,” Halloran warns.

BTH is sharing their model with neighboring school districts around Westchester. For example, this Fall, the program will be rolled out to ninth graders at Alexander Hamilton High School in Elmsford.  The Foundation is also working to get government resources.

Dismantling the Stigma

Those suffering with mental illness are not the only ones in the dark. Some people think of suicide as “the ultimate selfish act” and wonder “how could they do that to their family and friends?” These judgements are often based on misconceptions. Most who die by suicide do not want to end their life; they want to escape their pain. Suicide is not a rational decision; it is one made under extreme duress.

A person trapped in a burning building might reasonably make the decision to jump out of the window rather than suffer the pain and anguish of being burned by the fire. A person jumping off a bridge to end their life is trying to escape pain that is very real, just like the pain of burning to death. The instinct to escape mental suffering can be as powerful as the instinct to escape physical pain. BTH is trying to break down social barriers to recovery by addressing misconceptions and normalizing the conversation about mental health.

Mental health is a public health issue requiring the help of the entire community. We have lifeguards and life preservers to mitigate the risks of swimming, the Heimlich maneuver to prevent choking and defibrillators in the case of cardiac arrest. Public controls are placed in countless situations to manage health risks. The BTH system of Recognizing and Referring is something everyone can help implement. The community should not underestimate how important they are.

Are you OK? Is something wrong? Can I help you? Those were the words I desperately wanted to hear.” – Kevin Hines, Suicide The Ripple Effect

The Art of Mental Wellness

We can’t stop thoughts from coming into our heads, but we can cultivate an awareness of them. Just because a thought is in your head does not mean it’s true. Skills can be taught so thoughts can be assessed and managed. For someone struggling with a mental illness like depression, thoughts of self-criticism and self-doubt can grow to become powerful and even debilitating. Thoughts like: “everything I do is wrong”, “nobody likes me”, “everyone I love would be better off without me”, “I have nothing to give”, “I am not able to live up to what everyone needs from me” and “I am a failure.”

Living with these ruminating thoughts is frightening and painful.

Unable to control and manage overwhelming negative thoughts, and not understanding what is happening in your head, can lead to a feeling of being trapped. Panic can ensue and bring with it impulses to escape the epic amount of mental and emotional suffering that the negative thoughts create.

The shame of what is secretly happening inside one’s mind prevents resolution and the thoughts continue to spiral. “I felt unable to function. I was being crippled by my struggle as the pain got louder and louder. It might have looked like I was ok on the outside, but the amount of work it took to maintain this false appearance was not sustainable,” recalls one survivor of depression.

The shame that prevents one from reaching out for help is a huge barrier to treatment. The person suffers internally in silence as their condition worsens and signs are missed.

Those who could help don’t know how to read the signs indicating there is an issue, and if they do sense there is something going on they don’t know how to react. If the person continues to suffer in silence, they are unlikely to get better. Depending on the sufferer’s resilience and stress factors, the bubble can ultimately break.

Please remember to be kind. You never know what someone else is going through. Jolina Halloran.

Mental health struggles are managed best when openly discussed. “There is a false belief that talking about suicide will escalate the idea. However, the opposite is, in fact, the case. An adolescent or young adult who is spiraling downward benefits immensely from simply talking about their thoughts”, says Dr. Gayle Augenbaum, a child and adolescent psychiatry specialist who practices in Armonk. BTH gives people a safe and accessible place for these conversations to take place. These simple conversations can deter unhealthy choices such as self-medicating with drugs and alcohol or worse.

Ultimately the BTH Foundation encourages people to be involved in their own self-care. “If you want to beat this mental illness problem, you have to be involved in the process. Everyone can help and we need a network and a community of support, but it is also necessary to take effort in and be proactive in your own self-care,” advises Halloran. Just as an individual with asthma pays extra attention to their breath, and a person with a food allergy has a heightened awareness of what they eat; similarly, a person who suffers from “brain pain” can become aware of the thoughts that enter their minds and learn how to manage them.

You don’t necessarily beat depression once and then it is gone. It is often something you live with throughout your life. When a person who suffers from depression is well, they can learn to practice preventative measures to maintain and manage their mental health. Mental illnesses like depression can break down one’s resilience over time and can turn thoughts into irrational behavior. But the key is “over time”; that’s where the opportunity lies, between the light and the darkness.

How Mindfulness Can Help

The principles behind mindfulness are the basis for much of DBT. Mindfulness concepts like self-compassion, non-judgement and gratitude can redirect thoughts from the darkness into the light. “Meditation helps bring awareness to your thoughts. You are not blocking thoughts but relating to them differently, letting them come and go and observing them. This will help in life because you will be able to recognize when thoughts are not helpful and can dismiss them instead of intensifying them which can lead to sadness or anxiety,” says Jodi Baretz, a holistic based therapist from the Center for Health and Healing in Mt. Kisco.

There are other methods to proactively keep one’s mental health in shape. Exercise can help in many ways including shifting one’s focus from the mind to the body. Getting enough sleep can play a big role as well.

The Next Generation

There is concern that the next generation is especially at risk of depression. Technology fosters social isolation; the omnipresent screens that children and teens are growing up with are barriers to human interaction. Mental illness breeds on social isolation; humans are meant to be in groups and care about one another.

While it is extraordinarily difficult for an adult to manage a mental illness, it is even more difficult for a child or adolescent. “Kids and teenagers don’t have the right words to name their emotions and their frontal lobes are not finished developing. Therefore, they are more impulsive and more reactive and tend to be more rigid with whatever they are feeling, not recognizing that there is hope for change.” Says Augenbaum. Teens don’t have the ability yet to understand that situations aren’t permanent. This is a learned lesson that takes time and life experience they don’t yet have. And so, the risk factors continue to pile up.

Walking into the Light

The Hallorans have suffered the unimaginable in losing their son Brian. But with the work of the BTH Foundation, steps have been taken towards compassion and understanding and away from judgement and misconception. Every time a teen who has gone down the road of darkness is given the tools to recover, Brian is there. With Brian’s light leading the way, steps are being taken in the right direction. This past June, the community showed their support by participating in the BTH Foundation’s second suicide awareness walk. The steps they took communicated a clear message to those suffering from mental illness: you are not alone in this fight; we will walk into the light with you. For more information, please visit:  www.bthbreakthehold.org

 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:

800-273-TALK (8255) or Text “TALK” to 741-741

A Bit About Brian

Brian was a beloved son, brother and friend. He was well-liked, smart and athletic. He was friendly and had a lot of empathy for others. His parents knew he was a good person but “didn’t realize how kind he was”.  After he passed away, friends and acquaintances contacted his parents and told them that if Brian saw someone who seemed sad he would not hesitate to reach out to them.

Brian appeared to most to be a typical teenager, but underneath his strong exterior he was suffering from depression. Depression can come and go. It can appear to be managed but then come back. Though Brian had been doing well, still the day came in January 2018 when his parents got a knock on their door. Brian had died by suicide while away at school in South Carolina. Before Brian died he reached out to several people but was not able to connect with anyone.

 

Inside the The Gordon Parks Foundation

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Gordon Parks, Untitled 1941
Credit: Photograph by Gordon Parks.
Copyright: Courtesy of and copyright The Gordon Parks Foundation.

  Making a Difference in the World to Overcome Bigotry, Poverty & Hatred

Nestled on Wheeler Avenue in Pleasantville are the exhibition space and offices of The Gordon Parks Foundation with its mission to permanently preserve the work of Gordon Parks, make it available to the public through exhibitions, books, and electronic media, and support artistic and educational activities that advance what Gordon described as “the common search for a better life and a better world.” The Foundation shines a light on the remarkable career of the iconic creative talent of Gordon Parks.

Parks was an extraordinary artist with an amazing range. His portraits were diverse, from socialites like Gloria Vanderbilt, civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. to sports figures like Muhammad Ali. “Gordon Parks used the power of art to make a difference in the world and to overcome bigotry, poverty and hatred,” says Peter W. Kunhardt, Jr., the Executive Director of the Foundation. As a photojournalist, Parks captured the poverty and racism that affected Black America.

Breaking Barriers

“Gordon broke barriers as the first African American photographer to work at Life Magazine and worked closely with my grandfather Phil Kunhardt who was the managing editor,” says Kunhardt.

Gordon Parks (1912-2006), a multi-talented, modern-day Renaissance man, was born into poverty and segregation in Fort Scott, Kansas.  As an itinerant laborer, he worked as a brothel pianist and railcar porter among other jobs before buying a camera from a pawnshop, training himself to become a photographer. He also found success as a writer, composer and film director. “He was the first black filmmaker to direct a studio motion picture, and his first film Shaft helped create a genre. But Parks’ enduring contribution was to break down the barriers of racism in Hollywood,” writes Desa Philadelphia for the Directors Guild of America.

“At the core of The Gordon Parks Foundation’s work is the support of current and emerging leaders who carry on Parks’ legacy,” says Kunhardt who has led the foundation since 2011. During Kunhardt’s tenure the Foundation created The Gordon Parks Foundation Scholarships and Prizes program, and established The Gordon Parks Foundation Fellowship, which has awarded six fellowships to photographers, artists, filmmakers, and musicians whose work addresses themes of representation and social justice. In 2019, he oversaw the launch of The Gordon Parks Arts and Social Justice Fund dedicated to supporting these educational initiatives.

Gordon Parks, Untitled 1941
Credit: Photograph by Gordon Parks.
Copyright: Courtesy of and copyright The Gordon Parks Foundation.

Supporting the Next Generation of Artists Inspired by Parks

Each year the Foundation celebrates Gordon Parks’ legacy and honors those who continue his vision for social change at The Gordon Parks Foundation’s Annual Awards Dinner and Auction. The Gordon Parks Foundation Award is given to individuals who have enriched our lives in ways that reflect Parks’ ideas and goals by using creative means to inspire the next generation. The Patron of the Arts Award recognizes and celebrates individuals with a deep appreciation of the arts. Recipients receive this special recognition for their support and promotion of artistic creativity in the visual arts, film, literature, or performing arts.

Kunhardt sums up the impact of the Foundation’s work. “Through initiatives such as our scholarship and fellowship programs, as well as these annual awards, we continue to empower the next generation of change-makers and those who are current forces for social justice and the arts.”

The exhibitions at The Gordon Parks Foundation space feature fellowship recipients, curated selections of Gordon Parks’ work, and works by artists whose work is influenced by Parks.

The Gordon Parks Foundation Honoree Chelsea Clinton accepts award from Sarah Lewis and Alex Soros at the annual Gala at Cipriani’s in New York, June 4, 2019. PHOTO BY SEAN ZANNI FOR PMC

I don’t think there has ever been a more important time in my life to support art and artists. They help prevent us from becoming complacent or numb to the challenges we face, while urgently illuminating those challenges. They show us what is possible when love and kindness, not hate and indecency, are celebrated and empowered. And they offer us hope, pushing us toward what Gordon called “the common search for a better life and a better world.
– Chelsea Clinton

Not to Be Missed Exhibits

Two upcoming exhibitions are Guadalupe Rosales’ Must’ve been a wake-dream: September 6 through October 18, 2019 and Hank Willis Thomas’: Exodusters October 25 through December 20, 2019.

Must’ve been a wake-dream is a celebration of Rosales’ work as a 2019 Gordon Parks Foundation Fellowship recipient, which includes collaborations with Latinx and LGBTQ communities to examine the interplay between photography and community. Through her careful collecting, preservation, and presentation of vernacular photographs, letters, party flyers and ephemera representing Latinx Southern California youth culture, Rosales creates an expanding archive that brings visibility to a community that has been overlooked, misrepresented and criminalized. Also on view during Must’ve been a wake-dream will be a group of Gordon Parks’ photographs, selected by Rosales, from Parks’ celebrated Harlem Gang Leader series, made as the first African-American photographer for LIFE magazine in 1948.

Hank Willis Thomas has an ongoing vested interest in photography as a documentation of history and a universal means for people to represent their stories. Exodusters examines the representation and depiction of history, particularly during a significant moment in the pursuit for freedom and liberty during the Great Depression in Dust Bowl America. Thomas draws upon the archive of Gordon Parks’ seminal and semi-autobiographical film The Learning Tree (1969) that depicts the fictional Cherokee Flats, which is based off of Parks’ hometown in Fort Scott, Kansas, where he returned to produce the movie.

The Gordon Parks Foundation welcomes visitors to view the rotating shows of photography in their exhibition space. Hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is free.

For more information: gordonparksfoundation.org