Tampa, Fla. – The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in collaboration with The Florida Orchestra will be opening Prodigy Showcase on Friday, July 26th, 4 to 7 p.m. The program overview and introductions will be at 5:30 p.m., followed by a student violin recital at 6 p.m.
“Having FMoPA as a Prodigy partner expands upon our already diverse offerings of art disciplines. Exposing Prodigy® participants to the photographic arts and all the many ways photography can enrich lives has been a wonderful addition,” said Mike Trepper, Prodigy® director.
The partnership of the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts with Prodigy® Cultural Arts resides in educating children within the arts as well as with a variety of life skills. Children who are economically challenged, culturally displaced or recovering from the trauma of a refugee situation are provided with an artistic outlet based on the medium of photography.
The program works with a solid foundation of education, in the technical aspects of photography as well as the artistic applications, documented with pre and exit tests for each class with a current success rate of over ninety percent retention of information despite some severe language barriers and a high rate of near illiteracy.
Photography Prodigy®classes still happening this summer include:
FMoPA at Wilbert Davis Boys & Girls Club, Mondays and Thursdays through July 25, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – SmartPhone Photography
FMOPA at University Area CDC at 14013 N. 22nd St., Tampa, 33613, Tuesdays and Thursdays through July 25, 10 to 11:30 a.m. – Digital Photography
ArtReaches (short-term visual/performing art activities/demonstrations/projects designed to introduce art to the community):
- 7/22 – Thonotosassa Park, 1:30 – 3 p.m. – Photography 101
- 7/29 – Egypt Lake Park, 10 – 11:30 a.m. – Photography 101
- 7/29 – Thonotosassa Park, 1:30 – 3 p.m. – Photography 101
- 8/5 – Egypt Lake Park, 10 – 11:30 a.m. – Photography 101
- 8/5 – Thonotosassa Park – 1:30 – 3 p.m. – Photography 101
- 8/12 – Egypt Lake Park, 10 – 11:30 a.m. – Photography 101
“When the students create images, they tell their individual stories, and become fully involved in community and the world around them,” said FMoPA’s Executive Director Zora Carrier, Ph.D.
At the July 26 reception, the program overview and introductions will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by a student violin recital at 6 p.m. Admission is donation based. To learn more about this exhibition and other programming at the museum, visit www.fmopa.org.
Established in 2000, the Prodigy® Cultural Arts Program is achieving its mission of transforming young lives and now reaches across 10 counties. Prodigy® uses an innovative approach to empower, educate and enable at-risk youth, providing a doorway to a better world. Youth ages five to 18 years of age experience performing and visual arts, taught as a tool for self-expression, to learn communication, exploration, problem solving and conflict resolution skills. For information on how to register for Prodigy® classes, visit uacdc.org/prodigy.
Celebrating more than 20 years of serving the community, University Area CDC offers support for thousands of Tampa residents through youth programs, adult education and resource assistance. Its primary mission is the redevelopment and sustainability of the at-risk areas surrounding University of South Florida’s Tampa campus. For more information about University Area CDC, visit www.uacdc.org or call 813.558.5212.