The University of Saint Francis School of Creative Arts Celebrates Opening of Outdoor Gallery, Images of Our City Public Art Project

April 15, 2008, Fort Wayne, Indiana: The School of Creative Arts at the University of Saint Francis is pleased to announce the opening of the 2008 Outdoor Gallery, Images of Our City public art project, a program made possible in part by a Creative Alternatives Programs (CAP) Grant from Lincoln Financial Foundation, Foellinger Foundation and Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne.

Based on the belief that arts experiences can be a stabilizing influence in the lives of at-risk youth, the CAP Grant Program stimulates, funds and supports hands-on art programs. To recognize and encourage artistic talent, the School of Creative Arts created The Outdoor Gallery, Images of Our City project in which students from 17 high schools in Allen County worked with a photographic artist and learned various aspects of digital photography and photo manipulation. Each high school team built a collaborative photographic montage guided by the artist and their own SOCA student mentor. The final 17 pieces will be printed on large format banners and displayed this summer. Charles Shepard, the Executive Director of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, will judge the final pieces and name a “Best in Show” which will be printed on a billboard-sized banner.

The Grand Wayne Center, located at 120 West Jefferson Street, will host the Outdoor Gallery, Images of our City exhibition from May 30 to June 27, in the first floor foyer along the Jefferson Street side of the facility. The free kick-off celebration of the exhibition will take place on Friday, May 30 from 5 to 9 p.m., in tandem with the Downtown Improvement District’s Second Annual Arts Crawl. Awards will be presented at 6 p.m.

For more information, please call 260-399-7700 ext. 8004. The School of Creative Arts (SOCA) is an accredited school by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).