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Kate Trenne Engelbrecht SP '98 Starts THE GIRL PROJECT
 Teen Girls Document Themselves!
To encourage creativity, self awareness, and confidence in adolescent girls, freelance photographer and writer Kate Trenne Engelbrecht initiated "The Girl Project," where girls receive a free disposable camera, shoot photos that appeal to them, and send them back for Web posting. Trenne Engelbrecht, sociology SP '92, sees this as an opportunity for the girls to gain recognition for their artistic work while offering others the chance to study their prospectives and concerns.
 Thousands of girls across cultural, economic, and geographic segments of the United States have asked for and received their cameras in the mail and the invitation from Kate to document themselves and their views of the world around them.
The value of their photography extends beyond the images' qualities as art or documentation. "I think The Girl Project is without question a sociological project as much as a photographic project," Kate states. "The cameras are a way to gather information, and the photos are a means to understand and communicate themes derived from the images. . . .I think a lot of photography and our culture's interest in it is linked to sociology."
Kate, however, warns the young participants that though The Girl Project would like to post and exhibit all their images, that is not be feasible. "Only the most unique and creative will be selected. Should one or more of your photographs be chosen for the book and/or gallery show, you will be notified. GOOD LUCK!"
 As the images are received, Kate selects the photos to post on the web site and collect for the book and traveling exhibit. "As more and more pictures come in, a story unfolds. I need to use that story as a guide for how I edit and remain true to the story. It is also about selecting images that compell the viewers to think as well move and inspire them to do something. Certainly themes of similarity and diversity are of interest to me too and will be reflected in the selections."
Together, the web site, book, and exhibit will offer a complex, provocative, artistic, self-initiated and directed portrait of teenage American girls. Kate aims to collect images from at least 5,000 participants. She will later donate the negatives to a library or institution to preserve and make them available for additional study.
THE GIRL PROJECT IDEALS
 "The Girl Project stems from two ideals," explains Engelbrecht. "First that teenage girlhood is an important and meaningful subject for photography. Teenage girls are an ever-changing social group whose influences cross pop culture, communication, economy, and the future. Further, their voices are often muted or altered for our consumption. In order to really see teenage girls, in order to create a true and honest portrait, we need teenage girls to be the originators of the content. Photography offers girls a creative approach to think about themselves and their environment, and to communicate it visually."
 Aspects of this project flow from Engelbrecht's experiences at St. Catherine's. "I definitely feel as though my time at St. Kate's instilled a strong desire to seek and explore important ideas and questions. At St. Kate's we were encouraged to search for meaning and understanding in life, not just academics. In that way, I think I am and always will be asking questions and looking to find answers."
Kate urges each girl to use the camera's 36 photos in her own way. "Shot close-up or far away. Use the film to photograph 1 or 36 subjects. Take pictures of people, things, or landscapes. Take self portraits. Use the camera to express your feelings an dthoughts -- happy, sad, angry, or indifferent. Be thoughtful or careless, formal or informal, traditional or experimental, literal or symbolic."
KATE, NOT YOUR ORDINARY FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
 Once a pipe dream, The Girl Project is now a full-time job for founder Engelbrecht. Originally from Northern Minnesota, Kate lived for the ten years since graduation in New York City, where she first worked as an associate strategist for Fallon New York (an advertising agency). After realizing she wanted to be a photographer, she began shooting images and portraits of families and children. Her work has been published in PDN and Time Out New York. Reaching beyond photography, she has also conducted research and written articles on a freelance basis for Oxygen Network. 'Right now," says Kate, "my days are spent sending out and collecting cameras, editing pictures, and then the least fun task -- searching for funding."
Kate, herself, did not really start "shooting herself" as a photographer seriously until after college "I wish I had been inspired earlier. Obviously I had a camera in high school and college, but I wasn't using it to express myself or explore anything. I was just taking snapshots." Shifting gears into life as a photographer changed not only her professional ambitions but also the ways she perceived, gathered, and shared information about life. "Photography is a phenomenal way to express one's self and communicate but also to start looking at things, people, and environments more closely. In other words, it's a great training tool for the eye -- a tool for examining life closely."
 Engelbrecht has received a grant from the SCOPE Foundation, which supports emerging artists in key cities around the world. The Kodak Company has agreed to sell the necessary 5,000 cameras to The Girl Project at a greatly reduced rate, so the project is well on its way but it needs additional funding sources. " My goal is to have all 5,000 cameras out by mid 2009 and have a final edit ready for publishing by the end of the year (2009). I have met with several interested publishers but have yet to commit to one at this time. Once the photos are all in, I'll have a better sense of the book, its market, the scale of the distribution."
 Kate has two hopes for her fellow alumnae in terms of The Girl Project: "that readers will pass information along about The Girl Project to their teenage daughters, nieces, etc. and encourage them to participate -- and that those who are inspired by the project will spread the word among their networks of smart, influential female friends that The Girl Project is looking for corporate and strategic partners to help in the large task of funding the project."
 So if you know some adolescent American girls, send them to www.thegirlproject.org -- and explore the site yourself to learn more about these unique beings and the project itself. The blog spot is also very interesting.... http://thegirlproject.blogspot.com.
All photographs on this page, except the one of Kate Englebrecht, was taken by a teenage member of The Girl Project and is copyright by The Girl ProjectŠ 2007 |
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