Who is American?

Exploring Digital Citizenship 

September 12th - November 21st, 2024

Reception: Thursday October 3rd, 5-7pm

This exhibition showcases video work created as part of the ongoing research project Who is American Today? investigating how high school-age students understand citizenship. The study’s premise is to enable student voice through digital making by asking more than 100 students across the country to create a short video answering to the question “Who is American today?” Exploring issues of personal and national identity, this exhibition showcases digital stories of students from across the country over a seven-year period. Connecting creativity and democracy, students are invited reflect upon their experiences in their own communities and perceived status as citizens. Viewers can experience different points of view, shared values and concerns, the range of technical skills and creative approaches, and the potential of digital story telling for elevating these voices. By creating and circulating original digital stories, participating students have experienced how digital making can bring attention to less-known stories, validate perspectives, help surpass polarizing issues, and engender shared understandings. Seeking to help articulate connections between students’ personal and political spheres, this project affirms the role of creative practices in advancing civic engagement. The work in this exhibition illuminates how creative practices can provide a road map to facilitate democratic dialogue, therefore, creating pathways for the pursuit of a common good.  

Works by high school students from Provo High School, Utah; Oyler High School, OH; Miami Valley High School, and Kennedy Heights Art Center, OH. 

Project Creators: Flávia Bastos, Ph.D. and James Rees, MFA