RCC and IPAR celebrate Reston’s diversity with large-scale photo exhibit at Lake Anne harbor front

Photo submissions for We Make Reston will be accepted July 15 – August 9

2015 We Make Reston Press Release (PDF)

RESTON, VA — In September 2015, We Make Reston, an INSIDE OUT Project, will be created by the people of Reston and coordinated by Reston Community Center and the Initiative for Public Art – Reston. We Make Reston will feature large-scale photographic portraits representing the diverse faces of Reston. The outdoor exhibit will be unveiled at the Reston Multicultural Festival on Saturday, September 26 at Lake Anne Plaza. The photos will be on display for up to four weeks depending on weather impact.

RCC Executive Director Leila Gordon says that this project will contribute to a diversity dialogue that began 50 years ago when Reston was founded as one of the first racially integrated communities in Virginia. “This public art project kicks off community discussions occurring over the next months. RCC and our partners hope these dialogs will help us reconnect to and sustain our founding values and how we live them,” she said. Anne Delaney of IPAR notes, “The spirit of the INSIDE OUT projects worldwide celebrates humanity in all its diversity and affirms everyone’s value to their community.”

Reston residents and employees who want to be a part of We Make Reston are invited to submit black and white photos to be considered for inclusion. Submissions will be accepted Wednesday, July 15 (9:00 a.m. EST) through Sunday, August 9 (5:00 p.m.
EST). For submission guidelines and more information, please visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com/WeMakeReston We Make Reston is part of the INSIDE OUT project – a global initiative with 200,000 participants from more than 112 countries & territories. For more info and examples of other INSIDE OUT exhibits, visit www.insideoutproject.net

ABOUT THE INSIDE OUT PROJECT

INSIDE OUT is a large-scale participatory art project that transforms messages of personal identity into pieces of artistic work. Everyone is challenged to use black and white photographic portraits to discover, reveal and share the untold stories and images of people around the world. These digitally uploaded images are made into posters and sent back to the projectʼs co-creators, for them to exhibit in their own communities. Posters can be placed anywhere, from a solitary image in an office window, to a wall of an abandoned building, or in a full stadium. These exhibitions will be documented, archived and be made available online at http://www.insideoutproject.net/. The INSIDE OUT project is a creation of the artist JR, recipient of the 2011 TED Prize.

The TED Prize is awarded annually to an exceptional individual who receives $1,000,000 and the TED community’s resources and expertise to spark global change. The award offers support to build a project’s core infrastructure quickly – so that others can add their own collaborative action.

The first TED Prize was awarded in 2005, born out of the TED Conference and a vision by the world’s leading entrepreneurs, innovators, and entertainers to change the world – one Wish at a time. What began as an unparalleled experiment to leverage the resources of the TED Community to spur global change has evolved into one of the most prestigious prizes.

A TED Prize winner is a rare and powerful combination of someone who knows how to capture the imaginations and make a measurable impact, a visionary and a pragmatist, a dreamer and a doer. From Bono’s the ONE Campaign (’05 recipient) to Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution (’10 recipient) and JR’s INSIDE OUT Project (’11 recipient), the TED Prize has helped to combat poverty, take on religious intolerance, improve global health, tackle child obesity, advance education, and inspire art around the world.

For more information on the TED Prize, visit www.ted.com/prize.

About Initiative for Public Art – Reston

IPAR – founded in 2007 by Reston civic and community organizations and leaders – is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that seeks to inspire an ongoing commitment for public art and create a new generation of artworks in Reston. It imagines public art throughout Reston that inspires the community and engages the mind and senses. For more information about IPAR, visit www.publicartreston.org

About Reston Community Center