Top row: Faith Bocian, Kyle Tata
Middle row: Brandon Gordon, Ashley Lane, Trevor Timson, Ivan Leshinsky
Bottom row: Toya Moulden, Aamira Saunderlin,Merlyn Rosenberg, Emily Waters
Ivan Leshinsky, executive director of the Chesapeake Center for Youth Development, is working with the Baltimore School for the Arts senior Photo II class, led by instructor Merlyn Rosenberg.
photo by Jason Okutake
Wired, but Not Quite ... Connected
Historically, neighborhood identities run deep in Baltimore, and while that adds to the city's charm, it can work against building the kinds of connections the city needs to reach its full potential.
In an era where the Internet has spawned virtual communities more prevalent, accessible, and even more meaningful to city residents than their actual neighborhoods, I worked with a group of students from the Baltimore School for the Arts and their photography teacher, Merlyn Rosenberg, to examine the disconnect and interconnectedness of Baltimore's neighborhoods and people.
The light rail system, a major connector of people and communities along Baltimore's north-south axis, became the students' "base camp." They traveled within the city limits from Mount Washington to Patapsco Avenue and took photos at each stop. They noticed that some communities a mere stop apart remained disconnected in almost every other way...
All photos are black and white Tmax film, silver gelatin prints. They are available for sale. Contact Merlyn Rosenberg at merlynro@yahoo.com
