Getty Unshuttered: Teen Photography

In January 2018, Getty Unshuttered kicked off an eight-week photography mentorship program for 23 high school students from across Los Angeles. Over the course of the program students learned fundamental photography skills and the ability to share personal narratives through visual storytelling, specifically focusing on a social issue of personal importance. In 2019, 10 teen photographers explored a range of social justice topics from throughout their communities. Finally, in 2023, 16 teen photographers came together for Unshuttered: Taking A Moment, where they explored the innate qualities of capturing a moment that only photography allows. All the workshops over the years were facilitated by Getty staff and teaching photographers who fostered an environment of creativity and collaboration.

The Getty Unshuttered app was launched in 2018 and sunset in 2024. It offered a digital space with resources and skill trees to develop foundational photography skills, and space for free photo sharing. The app was envisioned as a positive community for teens to share their passion for photography and social justice advocacy—a place to inspire each other and grow as artists. It featured teens from the onsite workshops inviting users from around the world to participate in photography challenges to which they could respond in the app with their own images.

The first edition of Getty Unshuttered culminated in a site-wide celebration at the Getty Center in June 2018 and the opening of the exhibition Teens Reframing Life in Los Angeles which was on view through January 2019. A second showcase, LA #Unshuttered: One from Many was on view at the Getty Center from June 26, 2019–July 1, 2020.

In the fall of 2020, Getty Unshuttered released a photography open call for teens across the country on the theme In Pursuit of _ _ _ _ _. Thirty-four works were selected from over 1,500 submissions and were featured in an online gallery. The program was expanded through four partnerships—with Amplifier, Bokeh Focus, VOX ATL, and the USC School for Cinematic Arts.

In 2022, Amplifier and Getty released an open call on the theme Reconnecting with _ _ _ _ _ in response to the isolation of the Covid-19 pandemic. The 20 selected photographs were featured in an online gallery as well as an onsite exhibition at the Getty Center from June 14–October 23, 2022.

In 2023, Getty Unshuttered pivoted to offer an onsite photography study intensive which centered around the theme Taking A Moment. A cohort of 16 teen photographers explored the innate qualities of capturing a moment that photography highlights, the importance of self-expression and creativity, and the advantages of slowing down and being present. The resulting photographs were featured in an online exhibition and gallery exhibition in Los Angeles.

The final edition in 2023 and into 2024 was a statewide photography open call with the theme and prompt, A Spectrum of_ _ _ _ _. Teens from across the state submitted a diverse array of photographs and ultimately 25 winning works were selected and displayed in online as well as in onsite exhibitions at First Exposures in San Francisco, and with Outside the Lens in San Diego.

Getty Unshuttered provides free arts integration resources for high school teachers and students including lessons, activities and related materials to explore the medium of photography and its social impact in the classroom. Lessons are divided into three primary series and can be utilized as a whole or as their component parts:

• Social Justice Advocacy and Photography
• Visual Narrative and Photography
• Foundational Photography Skills