Caldera Center Presents Work by Underserved Youth

Adriana Barrero stands in front of her display, "Alter Egos" a digital photography show of 50 portraits of the staff members of Caldera, a non-profit arts education organization whose mission is to foster creativity among underserved youth.  Work by several other Caldera youth is also on display at the Wieden and Kennedy Building, 224 N.W. 13th Ave., both on the walls and in the digital filmmaking gallery.

Nine high school students who have a deep interest in photography and filmmaking are exhibiting their work throughout November in an exhibition called "Seeing is Believing."
As part of the Caldera Arts Center apprentice program, the photos are displayed in the Wieden + Kennedy building lobby, 224 N.W. 13th Ave. between Davis and Everett streets.  Exhibition hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for November. Films will be screened from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesdays  through November.
This is the inaugural exhibition of photography and filmmaking for Caldera, a non-profit organization that nurtures the creativity of underserved youth.
A one-on-one student-to-artist experience, the apprentice program pairs Caldera kids who have expressed a deep interest in a future in the arts with a professional artist for a two-year mentorship.  The youth whose applications are accepted in the apprentice program deepen their practice in the art form of their choice under the supportive eye of their mentors.
They shadow their artist mentors in the various aspects of their mentor's professional day, attend performances, lectures and openings relevant to their focus art form and create an original body of work that will be publicly exhibited. 
North Portland photographer and contributor to The Skanner, Julie Keefe, and digital filmmaker Peter Wiedensmith are the mentors for this first group of apprentices.  The exhibition is sponsored by Ann and Mark Edlen.
Caldera's programs occur in schools and community centers throughout Portland and Central Oregon and at the Caldera Arts Center's Blue Lake facility near Sisters. Caldera's partner schools in Portland are Open Meadow, Ockley Green, H.B. Lee and Binnsmead middle schools. For a complete description of the program, visit the Web site, www.calderaarts.org.