A Small Taste of Freedom is an exhibition by the photographer Lindsay Morris which resulted from a collaboration between Morris and the Guild Hall Teen Arts Council (GHTAC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Composed of portraits and audio interviews of GHTAC members living under New York Stateās āstay at homeā order, the exhibition captures the everyday happenings, coping mechanisms, and escape modes of area teens living through this historic moment.
Morrisā series is a true reflection of the challenge teenagers faced as their final months of school, graduation, prom, and other rites of passage slipped away. The project began as a portrait series of high school seniors in their cars, recording the expressions and body language of young people on the cusp of adulthood, with the automobile representing a quest for autonomy and freedom. As spring began and the reality of the pandemic set-in, the adventurous and hopeful narrative of these young people changed.
A simply stated question was posed to Guild Hallās Teen Arts Council members: How is Covid-19 affecting you? Their answers regarding family hardships, concerns about academic success, fears regarding our global community, and free-floating anxiety are embedded in the visual and audio material exhibited, but even without accompanying interviews, the facial expressions in these portraits tell a story of loss and uncertainty.Ā
The car no longer represents a getaway toward an exciting future, but rather a means to escape from stressful and even claustrophobic home lives. In some scenarios, if the weather cooperates, the vehicle takesĀ teens to much-needed, albeit socially distanced, tailgate meet-ups. This new framing of the automobile (or other mode of transportation like bikes and skateboards) as an escape rather than a leap into the future,Ā tells a different story.Ā
Lindsay Morris: A Small Taste of Freedom is on view during regular museum hours, and is the first exhibition in the newly renovated Guild Hall Lounge. To experience the audio portion of this exhibit, patrons must bring their own mobile device with ability to scan a QR code, and a pair of headphones.Ā Ā
The teens pictured are members of the Guild Hall Teen Arts Council (TAC). All portraits are shot by Lindsay Morris with Kodak Portra film. All audio recorded and edited by the individual TAC Member with readily available devices.Ā Ā
Curators
Casey Dalene, Curatorial Assistant & Lewis B. Cullman Associate for Museum Education
Anthony Madonna, The Patti Kenner Fellow in Arts EducationĀ
TIMED TICKETS AND VISITOR INFORMATION
To ensure the health and safety of its visitors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Guild Hall has instituted the following measures:
- Reservations to visit the Museum are recommended. You can reserve timed tickets online or by calling 631-324-0806 Saturday-Sunday, 12-5 p.m. Drop-ins are also welcome!
- Visitors are asked to be on time for their appointment. Visits are for a maximum of one hour and no more than 50 people will be allowed in the museum galleries at a time.
- Visitors should enter through the left most front door of the building and check in with the Receptionist at the box office. A one-way footpath proceeds throughout the museum.
- Masks are required in the building for all patrons over the age of 2.
- Social distancing of at least 6 feet is encouraged in the museum galleries and lobby.
