Six photographs by Dwight School student Jake Silber have taken their proud place among Dwight s extensive museum-quality art collection lining their campus walls. The works are from Jake s Sweet Series , featuring miniature figures juxtaposed against treats which appear to be lion-sized by comparison. These include a police officer who is inspecting the hole of a frosted doughnut and a hiker pondering a crowded path of Oreo cookies ahead. 
Jake began thinking about these images, which have also been showcased at the school’s Art Exhibitions, in Dwight s after-school Art Spark program under the mentorship of Justyn Ambrose, Head of Visual Arts. This series also includes an image of mini-construction workers searching for marshmallows in a giant bowl of Lucky Charms; ice skaters gliding across a lollipop; and two billboard painters, each tackling one side of a black-and-white cookie. 
Jake also created a series of miniatures on a Monopoly board shown at last spring s Art Exhibition at Dwight, and a series of night-time street scenes called Light Trails. For the latter, Jake used a long shutter speed, capturing the trail of lights from moving vehicles over 3-30 seconds, creating striking streaked effects. The visual arts captured Jake s attention at a young age and he began making his own stop-motion movies before turning to photography, learning about the art form and experimenting with different techniques. Following Dwight’s Fall Art Exhibition, enthusiastic family and friends sparked the idea for a gallery showing. It didn t take long before Jake mounted his first solo show at the Foley Gallery on the Lower East Side.” I enlarged my photos and printed them on plexiglass for the showing, Jake explains. It was so amazing to see them on the walls of the gallery and even more exciting to sell a few of my pieces! 
For over 50 years Duggal has made its mission to inspire and educate children through exposure to photography and arts at a young age. When young people are given the chance to create, it empowers them to recognize and spread beauty in their lives, in their community, and in the world at large. Duggal is proud to have worked with Jake and his family to produce his exemplary photography. It s no surprise that Jake, who also fuels his passion with classes at the International Center for Photography, plans to pursue photography as a career. Having a job where you can do something you really love is great and I hope to have that one day, he says. And as new technologies emerge, Jake is excited to embrace them: I hope to continue learning and being creative through my photos. Art influences imagination and can make anything possible. To see more of Jake s photos, visit his Instagram and website.
