A Shift in Perspective: Pioneer High School Students Reflect On Community and Identity

There’s a shift that happens when students engage deeply with art. And for a group of Pioneer High School sophomores who visited UMMA recently on a class field trip, you could see that shift in real-time. With guidance from their teacher Amy Frontier and UMMA’s Laramore-Josey, students spent the day in conversation, reflection, and creative exchange, exploring how images shape our understanding of identity, memory, and belonging.

“I used to think art was mostly about paintings and the artwork itself,” shared Lena H., one of the students. “Now I realize that the environment and the way the art is portrayed can add to the viewing experience.” Her observation echoed a theme that surfaced repeatedly throughout the visit: that context—space, curation, and conversation—matters just as much as the artwork on display.

Exploring the UMMA exhibition Strange You Never Knew with UMMA Curator Jennifer Friess, students encountered intimate portraits that were both familiar and disorienting — photographs that helped the students explore how images can go beyond the surface and tell meaningful stories about who we are and where we come from. “I really enjoyed being able to talk with the curator of the exhibition,” said Caroline M. “I loved hearing about her thought process, views on photography, and being able to ask questions.”

For some, the themes of the exhibition resonated on a personal level. Claire C. reflected: “The concept of learning more about your family’s history through exploring items in your house resonated with me from when we were cleaning out my Grandma’s house. I learned so many small stories about my ancestral history. It’s interesting how learning little things about your family can shape your identity.” That spark, small and personal, lit up the group conversation that followed.

It was a conversation on the exhibition’s themes that asked students to think critically about how photography shapes our understanding of community. For part of the discussion, the group was joined by students from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in a virtual exchange as part of the Smithsonian’s Democracy in Dialogue program. The program brings together students from across the United States for cross-regional conversations about local histories and culture. The conversation turned to empathy, civic engagement, and listening — not just to reply, but to understand. As part of the broader partnership with the Smithsonian, the visit will help inform a student-created short film to be shared locally and nationally.

“It was so clear from this experience that these students will hold onto this experience for years to come,” said Frontier, adding yet another level to the legacy of the stories on display.