It was as professional a photography exhibition as anything you would see in Buckhead, as the photographic and interviewing skills of 12 Palmetto youngsters were displayed at the Palmetto Community Center June 27 and 28. Their efforts culminated in “Our Lives, Our Land, Our Legacy,” an exhibition of the Palmetto Cultural Arts Project funded in part by the Fulton County Arts Council and the City of Palmetto.

The brainchild of project creator and coordinator Marjorie Morrow and Councilwoman Lorraine Allen, the multi-week project combined photography training with interviews of Palmetto residents and elected officials for presentation at the exhibition.

“This project was designed to engage our youth, inspire their creativity, develop community pride and encourage artistic expression,” Morrow said. “Today, we can be proud of this collaborative effort; children, families, neighbors, schools, businesses, churches, city officials and county government, all working together for a better community.”

Photos were blown up to gallery size and displayed on panels throughout the community center. The young photographers stood at their own stations in other areas of the large room for the public to view the photo albums that displayed their additional efforts. Many of the scores of people that passed through the room during the first hour stood transfixed as they noted the obvious quality of the photos taken by youngsters, some with little or no former photographic experience.

“Vision becomes reality. This historical first for Palmetto youth was set in motion through diligence, purpose and work work,” Allen said. “Thanks to Fulton County and the Arts Council, our youth were offered an opportunity to foster creativity, develop discipline, accept new challenges and increase awareness of their community.”

The 12 young Palmetto photographers participating in the arts project included Francisco Alejandre, Fredrick Brown, Kyle Dugan, David Durant, Thomas Fisher, Salina Hutchins, Ashlyn Taylor Macie, Marquez Mitchell, Quintarius Mitchell, Brittany Robinson, Aerionna Stephenson and Cameron Willingham.

Among the many guests attending the exhibition were current and former Palmetto elected officials, Fulton County Arts Council Chairman Charles Green and Fulton County Commissioner Bill Edwards.

Digital cameras and training were supplied by Wolf Camera in Newnan.

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