Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services (GLASS) will bring its first touring, photography-based art exhibition to Athens on Sunday, June 10. “Just Kids” will be on view at the Athens-Clarke County Library through Sunday, July 8.
“Just Kids” is the brainchild of photographer Ryan Johnson, a former community support specialist at the Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) at Georgia State University. Through his work with CLD, Johnson discovered his love for telling life stories through photography, mixing a documentary and portraiture style to give viewers a front-row seat to stories of families and their loved ones who have an intellectual or developmental disability.
Among the 16 portraits included in “Just Kids” are those depicting a handful of families that are members of the Chattahoochee Valley Down Syndrome Association. The association’s board vice president, Sheetul Wall, first approached Johnson at a CLD Community Advisory Council meeting to ask if he might be interested in putting together a dozen or so photos to be displayed at the 2016 Buddy Walk event in Columbus.
For “Just Kids,” the 13 images from Johnson’s original untitled exhibition have been supplemented by three new photographs for a total of 16.
In addition to hosting the exhibit, the library will also offer a sensory storytime for families on Saturday, July 7, at 11:00 a.m. This program, designed for children from birth to age 11 with their caregivers, will combine movement, songs, books and activities in a storytime designed for all children, including those who have sensory integration challenges.
To learn more about the library, call (706) 613-3650 or visit www.athenslibrary.org/athens.