19th annual edition of Exposures puts spotlight on students

Artistic talent showcased by the county's teen population will be celebrated Friday when the 19th annual edition of Exposures, the prestigious Leelanau County journal of writing and art, is unveiled.

The work of students in grades 7-12 will be spotlighted during a public reception at the Old Art Building in Leland from 5-8 p.m. Friday. Copies of Exposures 2007 for $5 will be available at the reception and at local bookstores.

A team of local writers and artists selected 150 of the nearly 1,000 submissions of poetry, short stories, essays, photographs, sketches, paintings, drawings and sculpture for inclusion in Exposures. One of the selectors was Will Case, a Suttons Bay artist who makes and repairs jewelry and does commissioned metalsmithing, weather vanes and artwork restoration. He’s been giving his time to the project for 15 years.

“Being involved in this project gives me the opportunity to get in touch with what some of the young people in my community are doing, and what they are doing is phenomenal,” said Case.

In past years Case had worked as an art teacher, so he knows the challenge of getting young people to share their creative expressions in a public way.

“Exposures allows for students to appreciate their own work. I know as a teacher that so many times, students would create work, and then after they were finished with it, they would put it in the trash bin,” he said. “Without an outlet like Exposures, student art work is often times just stuck in the schools and nobody gets to see it.”

He said he’s impressed with the amount of support that many students are getting in the Leelanau Peninsula for their artistic expressions.

“The more you appreciate what students can do, the more they shine. I think there are a lot of parents and community members who are showing kids how much they value artistic expression,” said Case.

Deb Freed is the project coordinator for Exposures, and she said it’s the favorite community project she’s involved with.

“It is so incredibly rewarding to honor the students in our community in this publication. One of the things I love so much about this project is that kids who don’t normally get their names in print are recognized in this magazine,” she said.

In her job as the publisher of county school newsletters, Freed finds herself typing the names of a lot of students over the school year.

“For many of the kids in Exposures, writing or art is their sport, but so often they go unrecognized. This project lets them be seen, and I love that.”

One of the elements of the Exposures “coming out” party is that the artists themselves don’t know before the day of the release which of their pieces of art will be published.

“There’s an element of surprise which we’ve maintained with Exposures over the years. The kids have been sent an invitation to come to the party, but no one has seen the book before the party starts,” she said.

Freed said another tradition that she includes with each issue of Exposures brings lasting memories.

“Every year, since Exposures began, I have asked each of the kids to autograph a copy of the magazine for me. I’ve told them my old autographed copies are going to go for big bucks on E-Bay someday, and maybe can fund my retirement,” she joked.

Freed said editors try to “match up” writings with artwork.

“If readers are paying attention, they’ll see the connections in the layout where the writing and the art have a strong relationship. That’s always an amazing process to see as an editor. It’s very serendipitous,” said Freed.

Although Exposures remains popular, the project, like many art programs throughout the state and country, are in jeopardy because of funding cuts.

“With all of the constraints put on school curriculums and budgets, over the years – and especially now – it has been more and more difficult to find support within the schools for this project. Exposures has increasingly had to rely on private donations, education endowments, and small community grants for its operations,” said Freed.

The late David Viskochil, owner of the Tamarack Craftsmen Gallery in Omena, was an avid supporter of the arts in the Leelanau Peninsula, and Exposures was one of his many art-related projects. Following his legacy of love of the arts, Viskochil’s widow Sally was the recipient of Genuine Leelanau’s Volunteer of the Year award for 2006.

She was given a cash prize of $1,000, which she donated to Exposures.

Freed said schools, librarians, teachers, and other community leaders from around the state have contacted her over the years to learn details of the process of publishing the magazine.

“This magazine is really a model for others, and it has been seen that way for a number of years,” said Freed.
Donations for Exposures may be directed to Freed Communications, 9737 East Solem Rd, Suttons Bay, MI 49692.

Checks should be made to “Exposures.” Freed can also be reached by email at deb@freedcommunications.com or by calling 271-6177.