It’s tough to top the lunch lady action figure, but we just got news from the Westchester Arts Council that an exhibition of photographs taken by 11 students from the White Plains Youth Bureau will be on display from Aug. 6 through Aug. 13 in the council’s headquarters, located at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue.

The exhibition is the result of a six-week job-training program. Rick Falco, a professional photographer, instructed the students on all aspects of the craft, plus the mechanics of mounting their own exhibition, marketing the exhibition to the public, and maintaining a public gallery.

“Another year and another great project,” said Frank Williams Jr., the Executive Director of the White Plains Youth Bureau. “The mission of the White Plains Youth Bureau includes preparing young people to become good neighbors and good citizens. This program certainly aligns with that goal as, in preparing the exhibition, the students meet their neighbors and present an important perspective on their City to share with the public.”

An opening reception will be held on August 6 from 12-3pm. Gallery Hours are Wednesday August 6th from 12-5 pm, Thursday, August 7th from 10-5 pm, Friday and Saturday, August 8 & 9 from 12-5 pm, Monday August 11 from 10 am to 3 pm, Tuesday and Wednesday Aug 12 & 13 from 10 am to 5 pm. For more information, please call 428-4220×223.

(Photo Caption A: “A Performance at White Plains City Center,” photo by Meg Smith. Photo Caption B: “White Plains Cablevision Studio,” photo by Evelyn Franco.)

Summer City is a collaboration between the White Plains Youth Bureau and the Westchester Arts Council and received funding support from FujiFilm, MasterCard International and Sherry & Bob Wiener. The theme of Summer City reflects the comprehensive approach the students took to capturing their home city in photographs this summer. “The students chronicled all the major services that make a city tick,” says professional photographer/instructor Rick Falco. “We visited the local police and fire departments, the courts, the local businesses, the art venues, and The Journal News. In doing so they re-connected with their hometown and hopefully learned the value of journalism in society.”

ften, the students had the opportunity to photograph aspects of the city that most residents never see…such as backstage during a performance at The White Plains Performing Arts Center, training facilities for fire personnel, and piano lessons at the Music Conservatory of Westchester. “I had studied photography before but this summer Rick taught me to get really close to my subjects and it has made my photos more intimate,” says White Plains resident Meg Smith, a student at Ursuline High School. “I also liked that we were able to meet so many people.”

John Hollohan, a student at Emerson College in Boston, is studying film and noted that, in an increasingly video-saturated culture, photography poses rewarding challenges. “In film-making you have twenty-four frames per second and over a thousand frames per minute,” says Hollohan. “In photography you get one shot—so you have to make that one frame convey a lot of information.”

Westchester Arts Council Executive Director Janet T. Langsam lauded the work of the students. “The photos this year are just sensational and we hope to welcome as many residents as possible to enjoy this exhibition,” said Langsam. “We thank our partner ,The White Plains Youth Bureau, as well as the sponsors FujiFilm, Mastercard International, and Sherry & Bob Wiener for helping us to offer this positive educational outlet for local kids.”

Westchester Arts Council, founded in 1965, is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. The Arts Council provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester. Our grants help fund concerts, exhibitions and plays; we bring artists into schools and community centers; we are the premiere marketer of the arts in Westchester. In 1998, the Westchester Arts Council purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue. After acquiring Historic Landmark designation, renovation and restoration transformed the old bank into what is now known as the Arts Exchange, a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community.