Marzena Abrahamik
& Justin Schmitz at Michele Clark High School
Marzena Abrahamik & Justin Schmitz at Michele Clark High School

Project Overview

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  • Artist — Justin Schmitz, Marzena Abrahamik

  • School — Michele Clark Magnet High School

  • Neighborhood —

Marzena Abrahamik and Justin Schmitz worked together to create images for the athletic teams and clubs at Michele Clark High School. The work was originally conceived to provide the staff images for their yearbook layouts. Working together, they created images that would elevate the standard yearbook photograph into something more dramatic and memorable. These photographs made in the context of the CPS Lives Residency take on another life when presented outside the yearbook context. Our intention is to to inspire positive social change by creating an archive of empowering portraits.

 

Meet the Artist

Justin Schmitz

Justin Schmitz Photographer

Justin Schmitz is a Chicago-based photographer. He is the recipient of the Toby Devan Lewis Fellowship, The Tierney Fellowship, City of Chicago CAAP Grant, Albert P. Weisman Scholarship, and The Union League Civic and Arts Foundation Scholarship. A collection of his work was part of the Mid-West Photographers Project at the Museum of Contemporary Photography.  He was runner-up for the Photography Book Now Prize, and a finalist for the Honickman First Book Prize.

Visit their Website

Justin Schmitz is a Chicago-based photographer. He is the recipient of the Toby Devan Lewis Fellowship, The Tierney Fellowship, City of Chicago CAAP Grant, Albert P. Weisman Scholarship, and The Union League Civic and Arts Foundation Scholarship. A collection of his work was part of the Mid-West Photographers Project at the Museum of Contemporary Photography.  He was runner-up for the Photography Book Now Prize, and a finalist for the Honickman First Book Prize.

Visit their Website
Justin Schmitz Photographer

Meet the Artist

Marzena Abrahamik

Marzena Abrahamik, Yale MFA, Johalla Projects, Photographer, SAIC,

Image Credit Marzena Abrahamik

I am an American artist, driven by photography’s ability to change our visual sensibility. I am  visually inspired by personal histories, attachments to unachievable and necessary for survival fantasies, to further investigate communal formations and transformations. I work through photographic series where images are anchored in historical and autobiographical events. My cultural heritage informs me as an artist and educator, and my biography is a motivating resource that provides insight and empathy to otherwise abstracted issues. I was born in Poland, grew up in Greece and for the past ten years, I have been working as a professional artist and educator in Chicago, IL.

http://www.marzena-abrahamik.com

Visit their Website

I am an American artist, driven by photography’s ability to change our visual sensibility. I am  visually inspired by personal histories, attachments to unachievable and necessary for survival fantasies, to further investigate communal formations and transformations. I work through photographic series where images are anchored in historical and autobiographical events. My cultural heritage informs me as an artist and educator, and my biography is a motivating resource that provides insight and empathy to otherwise abstracted issues. I was born in Poland, grew up in Greece and for the past ten years, I have been working as a professional artist and educator in Chicago, IL.

http://www.marzena-abrahamik.com

Visit their Website
Marzena Abrahamik, Yale MFA, Johalla Projects, Photographer, SAIC,

Image Credit Marzena Abrahamik

Previous Residency

Scott Fortino & Interior Spaces

Next Residency

Cyraina Johnson-Roullier & John Preus

Donate

Each donation supports our organization, our artists, and the schools we work with! All donations are greatly appreciated, no matter the amount, your contribution helps CPS Lives make a difference!