We are seeking funds to produce our exhibition at The Art Institute of Seattle May-June, 2014: “The Long Road Home: Aging Out of Foster Care.”

Rewards: We've decided to keep rewards and incentives very lean to keep our costs and man hours at a minimum and goals reachable. We'd rather focus on raising only the money we need and building the best exhibition possible. Surplus donations will go towards more exhibitions (ex., crate to ship exhibition, shipping, etc.). Thank you! SalaamGarage.

About SalaamGarage: SalaamGarage works with artists and entrepreneurs to tell stories of people’s lives that aren't always heard. We are media makers that build relationships with nonprofits and the courageous individuals they serve. From there we create and share independent media projects that raise awareness and initiate positive change engaging social communities on–and offline. Our Projects have been presented at TEDx, Ignite, Microsoft, South by Southwest, Web 2.0, SPE, The Huffington Post, and many other media outlets.

Inspiration for this project: A few years ago, we learned about the nation’s 27,000 youth who annually age-out of foster care and nearly 40% of them are homeless. We were not ok with that. We wanted to meet some of these people and hear their stories, so we collaborated with some foster care agencies in Seattle who gave us access to people who've aged out. Now we need your help to share their stories.

While presenting “The Long Road Home: Aging Out of Foster Care” at SPE Northwest 2014, members of The Art Institute of Seattle’s photography department unanimously agreed to host the project’s first exhibition. Additionally The Art Institute and ASMP Seattle has committed their PR team to produce and distribute all press releases and marketing materials to their already existing mailing lists, and these are vast audiences. This is an amazing opportunity to inspire fellow artists and institutions in Seattle to engage in social documentary work with their own communities.

We want to build our exhibition and ensure their voices are heard. With your contribution, SalaamGarage can showcase the strength and dignity of these dynamic individuals and give volume to their stories!

Exhibition: SalaamGarage Seattle, a team of about 20 volunteer media makers, has produced 8 stories of people who have aged out of foster care in Seattle. Each story consists of a unique combination of photography, video, audio, illustration and text. We will produce and install a multi-media exhibition at The Art Institute for 2 months. The exhibition is composed of roughly 24 large scale prints, text for each story, 2 illustrations by an artist, data visualizations of foster care in Seattle, and a video.

At the opening exhibition some of the courageous people who shared their stories will be present. We will give participants the opportunity to speak about their experience of aging out of foster care, life today, the future, and what it was like to work on this project.

Project’s future: Our goal is for individuals who have aged out to experience these stories and see that they are not alone, and to inspire communities to engage in social documentary projects in their own back yard.

The Art Institute of Seattle asserts that we have the opportunity to change our world with the work we do. You are cordially invited to see how personal and professional excellence motivates both our organizations to achieving great things. Guess what? You are already a part of that motivation. Come see how you can help foster community by championing this worthwhile effort. The Exhibition will run through May and June 2014 at The Art Institute of Seattle. For more information about SalaamGarage and these inspiring individuals, visit: http://www.salaamgarage.com.