In a brief recap of the interview's first half, Stephen Shames came to Milwaukee to lecture on the Black Panthers as a result of his exhibition at the Haggerty Museum of Art, "The Black Panthers: Making Sense of History." This first documentation that was photographed during Shames' years in college formed his lifetime career in photography, which guided him to document other social causes. This culminated in helping jump start LEAD: Uganda several years ago. As executive director of LEAD: Uganda (Locate Educate Achieve Dream), Shames continues to change lives through social activism, and by using photography, including up to the minute technology such as video and film, to create future art exhibitions that will inspire others to find their own individual expression to social activism.
So. photography is an art form that lends itself to social action?
Photographs are visual images of hope and a very powerful way to convey a lot of emotion. Humans are drawn to image, and visually oriented. Pictures can be quite effective to experience these things. Photography is also simple, easy to understand, like music, and people relate to it. As art, it speaks to our deepest emotions and basic human needs. The power of art is that it can take you behind the scenes, transport you, take you to places you can't go, speak to you, even bring you to ecstasy.
How does this influence your work with LEAD: UGANDA?
The photographs document the work of LEAD: UGANDA, an organization where we identify specific children and send them to the best schools so they can eventually become leaders in their own countries. We stay with the children over time, over a period of years, and then they {the children when grown up] will make changes, real changes, in their country, as well as the change it elicits in their personal lives. While food and clothing aid in Haiti is necessary and great, they still have no schools, jobs or [a means to] an education. We need to think about what could change the world? Sponsoring a child, that may be a better model [than providing only food and clothing], can change the world less expensively. In a three to four picture sequence, photography can show the transition between [a child] being destitute and objects of pity to leaders in their schools, and educated. We [LEAD: Uganda] spend about $150.00 a month, $800 to $1000 dollars for a child, which is significantly less than what is spent on food and clothing that will help, but not effect permanent change. We have 70 children in the LEAD program at present, and are looking to expand into other countries with this same model.
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What's in your future for your photography?
I'm working with videos and a feature film, which updates the still photography, and relates in a modern way. I am doing this so we can build a school [in Uganda]. I'm also working on a conceptual art exhibition that will include beautiful portraits of LEAD: Uganda children, the before and after experiences, and how they've changed over six or seven years. So, I'll combine a portrait of a child with an artifact or relics from their past. These uncovered artifacts will speak to their profile and of their life now transformed. There was a child who came from a stone quarry, that's where he used to work. Now he's in school. So, for this child I might show a stick with a stone hung on it, a symbol of his past. It's about how do you get the message across and see this other world that exists. To get society and people's attention, the art must be engaging and entertaining so they will talk about these issues. Art could be really powerful in public spaces where it's accessible to everyone. Kids in Africa know their history, often in America they don't, and it creates a cultural void. We can create that [the history and culture] through art, shared experiences and community.
Stephen Shames would invite you to investigate the work and change created by LEAD: Uganda, and eventually consider sponsoring a child: www.leaduganda.org.
