Direct Message | Teen Bubbler

Direct Message

Thas it, right there
That goin' be the name, direct message right there
Box that one, that's the name
Hashtag
Who like Direct Message? Raise yo hand!
How you goin' say it?
Black lives matter
Cuz look, we got a message, and it's gonna be direct
We sendin' a message to show how people can come together and work on a project and get it done
There we go, yeah!
It's a direct message to society of the misconception that they have on us young black minorities

Looking at teen exhibit from outside Central Library's main entrance.

Exhibition was on display at Madison's Central Library, May-August 2016. [SEE MAP]

Daytime: larger than life power pose exhibit outside of the main entrance.
Nighttime: shadow projection show on the outside of the 2nd Floor windows, above the main entrance.
Listen to Faisal Abdu'Allah discuss the project on Madison's local WORT 8 O'CLOCK BUZZ.

Direct Message was an exhibit created by teens through Madison Public Library's Bubbler program, which tapped community resources to foster this 15-week project in hands-on, peer-supported learning and digital literacy. Bubbler teens were addressing the nation's widest black/white educational opportunity gap and highest per capita black juvenile arrest and incarceration rate in Dane County, Wisconsin, with this semester-long project allowing them to explore and redefine their own public image.

Thank you FAISAL ABDU'ALLAH and the many other artists, educators and activists who have made this exhibit possible, including:

Johanna Boyle

Rob Dz

Kay DeWaide

Matt Feifarek

Institute of Museum and Library Services

Dana Johnson

Richard Jones

Just Bakery

Madison Graphics

Claire Mason

Morgridge Center for Public Service

Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment

Nazka Serrano

Meg Sill

UW-Madison School of Library & Information Studies

Manon van de Water

Albert Watson

Jeremy Wineberg

Orion Wells

Faisal's WORT Interview

BoSSz

My direct message is being like a strong young man that’s capable of doing anything. For instance, picking up a house is a hard challenge, but you can accomplish it. Basically what I’m trying to get at is if you pick the hardest thing and you can keep going and try to accomplish it, sooner or later, you will have everything where you need it to be.

The Direct Message title, I chose that. It felt good to choose something. At first when we was givin’ out titles and stuff, I was just playing around with the name Direct Message. Well, I said DM actually. And then I changed it to Direct Message, like to write it out, ‘cause that seem more presentable and more professional. Everybody look at it and be like “we need to go check on that and see what it’s about” so that’s why I chose Direct Message instead of DM, so people would know what it’s about.

Setting up a shot

Bo$$z steps behind the camera with Faisal Abdu'Allah

Shadow silhouette

Picasso

I’m unique. I can draw. I can write. I can speak. I’m a little nervous about what people will think. I want people to know that there’s different people. Teens should have a place in the library.

Tie, Picasso

Brown paper silhouette, Picasso

Choreographing silhouettes with Faisal Abdu'Allah

Catching the light