ABOUT US
Mission statement:
New Lens is a youth driven social justice organization working to assist youth in making art and media about often-underrepresented perspectives. The work is used to address systemic problems, facilitate dialogue, shift perspectives and stimulate action.
Who we are:
New Lens is staffed by a team of 20 youth and several adults who are the core artists, media-makers and instructors for our projects. We serve approximately 200 public school youth throughout each year through classes and workshops.
Contact us:
rebeccayenawine@newlens.info
Phone: 410-383-7200
Mailing address:
2412 Madison Ave. Baltimore, MD 21217
Site address:
2401 Eutaw Place Baltimore, MD 21217
Fiscal Sponsor Address:
Fusion Partnerships Inc.
1601 Guilford Ave. 2 South
Baltimore, MD 21202
Staff:
Adult Leaders
Rebecca Yenawine: Executive Director
Marissa Berk-Smith: Director of Projects
Zoë Reznick Gewanter: Instructor and Community Art Researcher
Youth Leaders
Megan Sherman: Education Project Leader
Sydney Allen: Communications Director
Shawneka Freeman: Health Project Leader
Babatunde Salaam: Police Project Leader
Abeni Nazeer: Instructor
History of Project:
New Lens is an outgrowth of the Kids on the Hill arts-based after school program. As the program evolved, a group of youth leaders emerged who were ready for the next step of art and media production and activism. This entity was created informally in 2006 and officially in 2009 under the fiscal sponsorship of Fusion Partnerships. The project has allowed youth to create commissioned videos, to learn job readiness skills, proficiency in the field of video production and instruction, to create a venue for earned income for the organization and to partner with organizations that could use video to enhance or create a social justice message.