Mario Quiroz, a freelance documentary photographer, uses art to bring awareness to social issues.

“Art can open doors that would’ve otherwise been closed,” he said.

He is sharing his approach with students in both the Upper and Middle schools this fall. Working with classes across all disciplines, Quiroz will focus on the different sides of the immigration issue and help students express their findings and opinions creatively. His visit will culminate in a show in the Nancy Lincoln Gallery featuring the work students produced with his guidance.

“The hope is that the show will be the output of that [learning] experience,” Quiroz said. “I think the show will be really powerful because it’s not only these ideas coming to you but ideas going through you.”

While the topic, immigration, is the same throughout these classes, the conversations – and thus the final products – vary greatly.

“Each age group has its own perspectives and its own experiences,” he said.

Quiroz hopes what students take from his teaching is the ability to form an opinion based on their own research – not based on what other people say.

“When they grow up, and when they are in a situation to be the decision makers, they will have this background,” he said.

Watch the full interview with Mario Quiroz above to learn more specifics about the work he is doing with Beaver students and what to expect in the show, opening November 6.