Sixteen students from New Haven's High School in the Community spent the week of Jan. 25 at the Yale University Art Gallery learning about photography from noted photographer of African-American life Dawoud Bey. During the first part of his visit as artist-in-residence, Bey demonstrated the art of photography by making portraits of the students with his 200-pound, mahogany Polaroid camera. Each day of the week, he worked with a different small group of students, while the others explored each department of the Yale Art Gallery. Later, the students will be given their own -- much smaller -- cameras so they can go into their neighborhoods to document their surroundings in both pictures and words. At the beginning of April, the class will reassemble at the gallery, so Bey can discuss in depth the students' images and projects. "In the course of the students' making their own photographs, we will examine a range of critical issues," says Bey, "including how stereotypes are created and constructed in photographic form, as well as the kinds of images that could be made that would effectively challenge these stereotypical notions." In addition to his photographic expertise, Bey has the ability "to make young people feel comfortable with art," says Mary L. Kordak, the Jan and Frederick Mayer Curator of Education, nothing that, "an important component of this project is acquainting them with all aspects of making and exhibiting art." The project is made possible in part by a grant from Yale's Office of New Haven and State Affairs.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL MARSLAND  Photographer Dawoud Bey holds the portrait he took of New Haven student Hasan Snipes with his 200-pound Polaroid camera.