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MDOCS annual Storytellers' Institute is marked not only by the fruitful conversations and creations that happen each June, but also the personal and professional connections that extend far beyond the Institute's 5-weeks. Living and working alongside practitioners, students are given the unique opportunity of being treated as peers and potential collaborators. This dynamic allows for professional relationships to flourish far past the confines of campus and has led to still more exciting professional opportunities that past Storytellers' students have become a part of. From '19 Student Fellow Sanjna Selva working with 2018 Forum Presenter Pilar Timpane in New Orleans on a feature documentary film , to '16 Student Fellow Emily Rizzo co-producing '16 Visiting Fellow Aggie Bazaz's 360Ëš VR documentary film , to Amanda Peckler, an '18 Student Fellow, apprenticing with award-winning documentary photographer and artist, Saratoga Springs native, and '17 Storytellers' Visiting Fellow, Daesha Devón Harris.

Amanda Peckler '20 ('18 Storytellers' Student Fellow) assisted Harris as her documentarian and apprentice throughout the research, production, and exhibition processes of two projects over the course of this past summer.

The first was a visual response piece for the Tang Museum as part of the , funded by the The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. For this piece, the two spent weeks sifting through the Tang's Collection of photography of Black American life from portraits, to intimate family moments, celebrations, joy, outdoor leisure, home spaces, interracial relationships, and more -- which eventually led to the recreation of a portrait in Harris’ outdoor home studio -- her garden.

The second was a site-specific sculpture, the centerpiece of her new installation now open at the in Albany, New York. This installation in particular, serves as a shrine -- one that acknowledges, remembers, and honors Black youth who were victims of racially motivated violence, specifically those taken since the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2012. Amanda documented the process of building the seventeen foot tree and the collection of offerings that filled its limbs; including objects of protection, remembrance, good luck, healing, comfort and joy from Daesha’s friends and family. 

"I feel incredibly grateful for this special opportunity to not only have been the assistant to, but to be mentored by Daesha. I gained valuable insights into how to navigate the inner workings of the  museum and visual art world as an independent artist. Even more importantly though, I learned from Daesha that as I continue my multimedia artist, storyteller, and editor path beyond ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, to never forget the importance of persistence, authenticity, and community, whether it is within my creative work or my everyday life." - Amanda Peckler

Daesha is currently completing a residency at the prestigious artist retreat, . Her installation at The Esther Massry gallery runs through December 7th, .

Amanda is a self-determined documentary studies major and continues to be invaluable in assisting her peers in storytelling work through her position in the MDOCS DOCLab.