My name is Ella, and I’m a rising senior at Murray High School in Western KY. I strive to create impactful films that tackle human rights issues. My works cover an array of topics, but my signature works discuss gender and gender equality. I’ve been known to start uncomfortable conversations and then capture them with film through multiple genres. Over the last years, when the world was physically apart, the importance of film and a connection for people has only been elevated and has become a driving force behind my art. Through GSA I’ve learned the technical elements necessary to create a great film, allowing me more freedom within my work, so the discussion I intend to start isn’t muddled in poor film techniques. After GSA, I hope to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in film and media arts alongside a degree in political science with the hopes of directing in the future.

Hey ya’ll! My name is Marlowe Hanel. I am a senior at Highlands Latin School in Louisville. I fell in love with photography two years ago, when I was sitting on the beach, watching the birds run along the shore. I realized most people miss the beauty in the small details, so I wanted to create something that would let people “stop and smell the roses” for longer than a second. That’s when I found that a camera could immortalize a moment.

I could only teach myself so much, so I came to GSA to learn. I know most people say this, but GSA really did change my life. It has stretched me as an artist, as we dove into the different sides of story-telling within Photography and Film. I don’t know it all, but I am confident in what I have learned. GSA has shown me incredible fields and opportunities where I can pursue Photography as more than just a hobby.

GSA, I am so grateful for everything you’ve done for me. Thank you for teaching me to look for the moments, both big and small, and how to truly appreciate them. Your constant affirmations and daily reminders will always stick with me: I am an artist, and I am going forth to make great art.

My name is Gael Martinez-Morison, and I’m from Louisville, Kentucky. Art has always been a part of my life - I’ve constantly bumped music, read books, and admired anyone who could create something of significance with a paintbrush. But for most of my life, I enjoyed art passively. I felt myself to be too inadequate to be profound, and too insecure to be vulnerable. My journey as an artist began when the ability to express myself through art became a necessity, instead of a subdued, fleeting interest, and I went from telling myself “maybe one day,” to “today is the day.” Photography has been a part of this development, among writing, music, painting, and whatever else I can do to express myself. I think artistry is more of a state of mind, a means of perceptive thought, than an action you physically do. An idea is a work of art. I create for the primary purpose of human connection. My goal as an artist is to express intangible emotions which can’t be explored using the low-hanging fruit of everyday conversation. GSA has shown me that I am capable, and the vulnerability I’m able to express through art isn’t simply data thrown into the universe; my art can be meaningful to others, and I can help people untangle emotional knots, buried in their systems, they otherwise may never have been aware of.

My name is Kiefer Saunders, and I am from Lexington Kentucky. I am a junior at Lafayette High School. As a child, I always loved to create things in any way I could. Eventually, I found myself with a camera in my hands. Since then, my love for photography and film has grown and grown. I would always bring the camera to little trips or hikes on weekends. Photography allows me to be in the surroundings I love, and portray them in unique ways that tell a story. Being at GSA has put me in an environment full of talented and dedicated artists. Being around these kinds of people helps push me to expand my creative nature and learn more about my discipline.

My name is Lila Ungs, and I am a senior at Danville High School. I have always been drawn to cameras; I’ve always been entranced by the way they give me the power to freeze time and capture moments. My brothers and I used to pass time by making home movies on our shared camcorder, which sparked my love for film. I started using my dad’s Nikon D70 in middle school, which sparked my love for photography. My admiration for this art form has always been an important part of me. It has helped me grow and view the world in a different way.