A 12th Grade Reason to Be
At Critical Exposure's "Through the Lens" Tonight

Photo and Essay (posted below) by Byron

Adam Levner, one of the founders of Critical Exposure, just sent me the following essay and I was so moved, I wanted to post this right away.  If you are attending the 4th annual "Through The Lens" reception, tonight, I can assure you will be impressed.  Please take lots of pictures tonight and share your thoughts with me tomorrow!

This exhibit will be open at the ARTiculate Gallery until May 15th and can be viewed tonight, of course, but also M - F from 10am - 6pm.  More info:  www.criticalexposure.com

Now, before you jump up to get ready, please take a minute to read the following small essay...

A VISION SO CLEAR WITH A SOUND SO FAINT
Byron (12th Grade)
Spingarn STAY Senior High School
 
I put a photo of my brother on the keys of an open piano and took the picture.  To me it represents what my brother stood for.  My brother graduated, so it says “Graduation Picture 2006,” and it also captures the music side of him that is also in me.  He graduated from Spingarn STAY, the same program I’m in. He graduated in 2006 before he got killed.
 
I’m going back to school because of my brother, actually.  Before he got shot he graduated from high school.  I made a promise to him that I was going to graduate so I enrolled in the same program as him in 2006.  But, later on that year, while I was in school, he got killed.  So I dropped out of school, I lost my focus, I couldn’t really concentrate. I’m just getting back in here because I know he wanted me to finish school, and I made him a promise that I would finish school and walk across that same stage that he walked across.  And I’m going to make sure that I fulfill my promise--
my word is my bond.