INSIGHT OUT! JC Reservoir #3 Project

“I believe photography has both a challenge and an obligation: to help us see more clearly and more deeply, and to reveal to others the grandeurs and potentials of the one and only world which we inhabit.” Ansel Adams, 1969

In the heart of the Jersey City Heights lies a hidden jewel, the Jersey City Reservoir. The Reservoir offers an exceptional opportunity for urban children, families and all residents to reconnect with the natural world in a space that is entirely unique.

Living in the heights, photojournalist Trix Rosen, discovered the Reservoir and found inspiration in its historic structure and natural flora and fauna. She proposed The INSIGHT OUT! Digital Storytelling Workshop to the Jersey City Reservoir Alliance as part of the Alliance’s arts programming and educational outreach.

Conducted throughout the month of August, the program was a tremendous success and resulted in a DVD/ video and an accompanying art exhibition.
Steven Latham, President, Jersey City Reservoir Preservation Alliance

Through an Open Gate: Jersey City Reservoir #3

View the Video -  Click here.

The images in this exhibition represent the vision of seven outstanding teenage photographers who spent many hours exploring the restored native environment, indigenous plants, wildlife and natural beauty of Reservoir #3 with cameras-in-hand.

The select group, representing the INSIGHT OUT! Digital Photography Workshop, discovered a walled-in poetic wilderness located in the center of their urban environment.  They describe the reservoir as a “beautiful, wild, secluded haven; alive with weathered foliage, wild grasses, withering leaves, muddy marshes and a lake reflecting the clouds and sky. An awesome and tranquil environment filled with rays of sunlight and the chirping sounds of birds and crickets.”

These inspiring images reflect the photographer’s creative relationships to a historic natural environment. With a visual eloquence they speak to the importance of wilderness preservation within the heart of a city.

The INSIGHT OUT! JC Reservoir #3 Project inspires local youth to become responsible stewards of the environment and empowers them to make a difference in their school, at home and in their local communities. All of these goals are achieved by teaching teenagers digital photography at the Jersey City Reservoir where they can also learn about science, conservation and positive ways to impact the planet. Trix Rosen, Project Director and Instructor, INSIGHT OUT! Digital Storytelling Workshops