Home of the Free National Exhibition

July 14–August 9, 2004

Washington, DC—The Corcoran College of Art + Design continues our commitment to photojournalism with the presentation of the Washington Mutual Home of the Free Student Photojournalism Program’s National Exhibition. Under the tutelage of Pulitzer Prize-winning professional photojournalists, middle school students from the Chicago, Denver, New York and New Jersey metro regions have been competing since the beginning of the school year to capture the best photographic image of local civil servants at work. The student team from each region responsible for the best photograph overall will be invited on a professional photo shoot at the Pentagon led by award-winning photojournalist David Hume Kennerly. Sixty student images will be on view at the Corcoran from July 14 through August 9, 2004.

The Home of the Free program is led by Chair David Hume Kennerly and Co-chair Carol Guzy, two of the country’s most distinguished photojournalists. Kennerly, who won his Pulitzer Prize for photographs taken during the Vietnam War, was the official White House Photographer during the Ford Administration and is currently a contributing editor for Newsweek magazine. Guzy was one of the first female press photographers and is a three-time Pulitzer Prize-winner. Together with photographic directors from Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, People magazine and the Corcoran College of Art + Design, they formed a panel of national judges who selected the best student photographs.

“Seeing the passion and intelligence of these middle school students has really inspired everyone involved in the Home of the Free program,” commented Guzy. “The kids have taken their assignments very seriously, and they have captured some indelible images of their local communities. They should be proud of their achievements at such a tender age. Perhaps some will look back on this experience as one of life’s defining moments.”

The Home of the Free program gave seventh and eighth grade students from participating middle schools the assignment to document the daily activities of local civil servants. Each participating school received a high-quality digital camera from Canon, a nationally approved curriculum and a $500 honorarium. Participating schools were chosen based on their proximity to a Washington Mutual Financial Center and the percentage of students receiving free or subsidized lunches.

“Washington Mutual established the Home of the Free program to help give middle school students greater confidence and keener insight into their local government and the practice of journalism,” said Deanna Oppenheimer, president of Washington Mutual’s Consumer Group. “We could actually see the maturity of these students grow over the course of a single semester. The very personal involvement of all of our Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers and media mentors will clearly have a lasting impact on the lives of our participating students.”

“ The Corcoran College of Art + Design is proud to host this exhibition and honor these outstanding students,” notes Corcoran Vice Dean Denise Mullen, a Home of the Free juror. “Our college is the perfect venue for the national exhibition—the Corcoran College is committed to educating future photojournalists. We are pleased to announce that 2004 marks the graduation of the first class of Corcoran photojournalist majors in the BFA program.”

Drawing directly upon the unique media resources of the nation’s capital, the Corcoran’s Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program in Photojournalism is an ideal training ground for a new generation of newspaper and magazine photographers and videographers. The faculty includes leading members of the White House News Photographers’ Association as well as world class picture professionals working at the National Geographic Society. These practitioner-teachers are widely acclaimed not only for their technical skills but also for their special understanding of the problems and responsibilities associated with creating images of national and world events, places and people. To learn more about the program, visit www.corcoran.edu.

IMAGES
All of the photographs from the Home of the Free program can be viewed online at http://www.wamuhomeofthefree.com

SPONSORSHIP
Along with Washington Mutual, official sponsors of the Home of the Free program include Canon U.S.A., which supplied professional quality PowerShot G2 digital cameras to the student teams; and the Chicago Historical Society, the Colorado History Museum and the New-York Historical Society, which are hosting the student exhibitions in each of the three regions. The Corcoran College of Art + Design is hosting the national exhibition.

ABOUT WASHINGTON MUTUAL
Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM) is one of the nation’s leading retailers of financial services. A hallmark of the Seattle-based company's more than 100-year history is its unwavering commitment to its communities. This is reflected in the organization’s 10-year, $375 billion lending commitment announced in 2001 in support of low- and moderate-income communities, and in its charitable giving, which focuses on K-12 public education and affordable housing. Combined with its employees’ commitment to volunteerism, Washington Mutual is actively striving to make its communities better places in which to live and work. For more information about Washington Mutual, visit www.wamu.com.

ABOUT THE CORCORAN COLLEGE OF ART + DESIGN
The Corcoran College of Art + Design, founded in 1890, is the oldest and most comprehensive professional college of art and design in the greater Washington, DC area and a vital force in the nation's art education community. Part of a distinguished museum, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the accredited College offers a four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree program in Fine Art (painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics and digital art), Graphic Design, Digital Media Design, Photography and Photojournalism; a two-year Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degree program in Fine Art, Photography, Graphic Design, Interior Design and Digital Media Design, a Masters of Arts (MA) degree in Interior Design, Teaching and Education, as well as a 5 year combined BFA/MA in Teaching; and a Continuing Education program encompassing more than 250 courses and seven certificate programs aimed at meeting the needs of part-time adult students; as well as year-round classes designed especially for children and teens. More than 3,500 people participate in the Continuing Education program each year. It is the largest and most diversified program of its kind in the nation’s capital.

The Corcoran College of Art + Design is located at New York Avenue and 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC, and is open every day, except Tuesday, 10 am – 5 pm and until 9 pm on Thursday. The Corcoran is closed every Tuesday. Admission to the Corcoran is: $6.75 for adults; $4.75 for senior citizens; $3 for students with current ID and Members’ guests; and $12 for families. Free for Members and children under 12. The public information line is (202) 639-1800.

:: View images and further details from this exhibition

CONTACT:
Kristin Guiter
Manager of Media Relations
(202) 639-1867,
kguiter@corcoran.org

Media Resources:

Advance Exhibition Schedule

Archived Press Releases