StART Seeing

Since 2015, Statement Arts has traveled to Luang Prabang, Laos to teach photography to young aspiring artists.

Our generous supporters have donated more than 150 cameras, (DSLR and point & shoot) as well as tripods, flashes, light shapers, software, tablets, backpacks, lenses, cases and much more to Carol Kresge's revolutionary non-profit organization, @My Library.

Award-winning, Chilean photographer, Ari Espay and Liza Politi have taught camera basics, proper exposure, story-telling through images, composition and how to capture moments to about 30 participants annually.

Every participant received his/her own camera at the end of each workshop. We are planning on returning to Laos soon.

You can see the work of the young Laotian photographers here.

In 2016 and 2017, Ari, Liza and Statement Arts ran four workshops in Yangon, Myanmar. For two of these workshops, they partnered with Yu Yu Myint Than and the Myanmar Deitta Gallery, Yangon’s only gallery dedicated to the photographic arts.

One program taught social workers from the Shan States from Northern Myanmar how to document critical issues such as civil war, drug addiction, human trafficking, land/territory issues and rights for the LGBT community. They are on the front lines, often times before the media. By putting cameras in their hands and providing them with photography skills, they are better able to document what is happening in their rapidly changing country. There were 10 (7 males and 3 females) enrolled in this workshop.

In February 2017, Statement Arts ran its first 'women only' workshop in Yangon. Eight dynamic and talented young women, the THUMA Women’s Photographic Collective, joined us again at the Myanmar Deitta Gallery to learn how to create compelling images for more effective storytelling. The current political climate in Myanmar is heartbreaking and we hope to see our friends again soon.