Student Art Featured at Case Study Coffee

In Search of Better Days 

Digital art from Central Catholic High School on themes of social justice and self-awareness

In today’s fast-paced and increasingly digitized global culture, there seems to be a heightened awareness and unease with the level of imbalance in our world. There are numerous factors at play, but one of the root causes, (which also happens to be the hardest to change) is the human heart. This of course, is the most difficult aspect of all human problems to solve. No government policies or social initiatives can ever truly persuade a human being when they feel a gut level negativity towards a type of person(s). So what’s the solution?

The solution starts with us! We have to be the ones that change our reality by first seeing the bent tendencies and often negative attitudes we have toward others. The most accurate way to describe these broken ways of perceiving are stereotypes and biases. The two of these work together to bend and bow our perceptions of the people around us and in turn inform the decisions we make every day.

Over the last two months, Central Catholic High School students studying digital photography began exploring and reflecting on the harmful psychological patterns they saw in themselves and the surrounding world in an effort to highlight these imbalances with a visual art statement. This prompt produced varied results, yet the common thread that is apparent through all the student work featured here points towards a demand for social justice and self-awareness. It’s heartening to see these young people take on difficult topics with such intensity and clarity of vision. Hopefully after encountering the work of these high school students we can all reflect and recognize the harmful effects of bias and stereotypes.  It is now up to you to make a concerted effort to more accurately see all people as deserving of love and equal human rights.

For more information or comments, contact Todd Arnold at tarnold@centralcatholichigh.org.