Shining a Light on Social Issues

A student demonstrates their light box projector.

During the fall 2014 semester, I worked with the 7th grade at Orchard STEM School. This residency project was my first “solo” residency that I completed with Progressive Arts Alliance. It was a learning experience for both the students and myself. When developing this project I thought back to when I was in 7th grade. What were the worries or struggles that I dealt with? I couldn’t think of anything specific, but I knew that when I was twelve I began to express myself in many different ways. I found the music that I liked, I grew my hair out, and I actively made decisions between doing one thing or another. The theme was expression. Students at the end of middle school are beginning to find the things that make them, well, them. Often with this new found expression there are many problems, almost like riding a bike for the first time, or learning to swim. The learning curve is a bit steep and can be dangerous, but once you learn how to do these things effectively, they can literally save your life. The ability to effectively express yourself is no different, and can be used to help more than just one or two people.

I decided that each student would make a lightbox projector. These lightboxes, when illuminated, shine a super bright LED through a plexiglass etching of a collage that each student developed around a social issue of their choosing. Some students made imagery about bullying and ending violence, others questioned why we accept advertising but not graffiti, or why is there even such an idea as gender inequality.

Students’ etchings they created around social issues.

Each student crafted their own box. This included soldering a series circuit composed of a battery pack, an LED, a resistor, and a switch, which allow the light boxes to be turned on and off. They each assembled the components of the boxes together using wood glue and hot glue, making sure that the LED would project clearly through the etching in front of it. Each student also had the opportunity to manually etch a piece of real glass using acid.

Students collaborated to construct their boxes. The wood for the boxes was laser cut at the think[box] at Case Western Reserve University.

Along with the making side of things, the 7th graders also did an amazing job at grasping the concepts of image, narrative, and installation art, and how they interrelate.

Examining a finished box in class.

In the second semester, there will be a day in which all of the lighboxes will be installed and the school will have the opportunity to see these expressions of the 7th graders and raise awareness around the social issues each student addressed.

Projecting our completed light boxes onto the classroom ceiling.