Senior Rita Labib's 1st Photo Show at the Pasadena Playhouse Gallery

I'm so proud and thrilled to share that Whitney High School Art Student, senior Rita Labib, had her very first gallery showing not only in Pasadena, but mind you, at the infamous Pasadena Playhouse.  How's that for making it to the "Big Time".  

Her show will be up through the end of January.  The gallery is located off Colorado Blvd. and El Molina.  Get off the 210 at Lake St.

So all you art students needing extra credit for 1st semester grades, this is where you want to go.

Rita, her gracious and lovely mother, and her sweet little sister hosted the event.  Several Whitney students, both current and Alumni, came to support her.  It was an excellent, stunning show of the photos she had taken last summer on her mission trip to the Islands of Hawaii.  She visited the homeless children there, played games with them, talked with them, and made many friends for life.

When she returned she wanted to do something special with her work to showcase the poverty and hopeless situation of these children in our own country.  Thus the show.  She blew the pictures up and mounted them on  wood that she cut and stained, then anchored the pix down with screws and rubber washers.  The overall effect was a powerful one.  Rita was really able to capture their situation in a very poignant way.

There was a video playing of her time spent with the children, and a hands on activity to encourage her guests to decorate a postcard for one of the children.  Rita will gather them up and send them to the mission.  These children made such a huge impact on Rita that she still remains in contact with them and calls them quite often.

I enjoyed the show so much, and was thankful that I and my husband where able to get up to Pasadena to make the show on Opening Night.  I even got to make a postcard.  When one of my students saw me he said I knew you'd be at the artsy crafts table (above)  LOL

A big thanks to Alum Kelsey Chang (below) for sending me these photos so I could post the event.  I forgot my camera.  I guess that's what happens when you reach middle age  :)

Congratulations Rita on a remarkable achievement!