Eye on Houston: High School Documentary Photography at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Mackenzie Ward, Stools, 2014, inkjet print, Bellaire High School. © Mackenzie Ward

On Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, debuts Eye on Houston: High School Documentary Photography, the annual photography exhibition that offers a unique view of Houston through the eyes of its students. The exhibition will remain on view through Sunday, May 10, 2015.

Eye on Houston features photographs by students from three Houston-area high schools, including Bellaire High School. Founded in 1995 under the name Eye on Third Ward, the program was originally created to encourage Yates students to hone their skills and powers of observation by documenting their neighborhood and its residents. Now in its 20th year, the expanded program offers students the opportunity to express the diverse characteristics of Houston’s various and vibrant communities.

This year, Yates students photographed the Third Ward, Cesar E. Chavez students documented the communities of Houston’s East End, and Bellaire students documented the incorporated city of Bellaire. The students were challenged to create photographs that capture the distinctive personality of each community and its inhabitants.

Fifty-four photographs by junior and senior students were chosen for this year’s exhibition.