JTREE Displays Oasis Elementary Students Solar Photograms
Joshua Tree Residential Education Experience (JTREE), a formal partner of Joshua Tree National Park, is proudly displaying “Science Meets Art” at the City of 29 Palms Visitors Center and the Freedom Plaza Community Center. The artworks on display from now through late March is a collaborative Solar Printing Project led by JTREE staff and Diana Shay Diehl, artist/owner of Mojave Light Studio.
Diana explains, “What you see on the walls at the City of 29 Palms Visitor Center and Freedom Plaza Community Center is the artful culmination from a unit exploring the Impacts of the Sun. Assisted by JTREE staff and volunteers, I led the students through a solar printing exploration. Using cyanotype chemistry (developed in the mid 1800s), found objects, the power of the winter Sun, and water – the students created original sun print photograms (aka camera-less photography). The students made 2 prints each, keeping one and giving one to me for assembling an installation for each classroom. Mineral pigments, natural fiber papers, and found materials were used to create a backdrop to showcase every student’s unique interpretation and composition of the objects selected to make their photograms.”
JTREE has been providing outdoor education experiences for the students at Oasis Elementary School in 29 Palms called “Adventure is Calling Oasis Elementary” since October 2023. This program has engaged 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students in a series of lessons and explorations both in the classroom and inside Joshua Tree National Park. Adventure Calling Oasis is funded by State of California Parks & Recreation grant award. Additionally, this art project was funded by a PAAC grant award (Public Arts Advisory Committee).
Oasis students created their sun print photograms in December. “The real challenge of this exercise was using the Sun’s weakened Winter UV light to expose the prints. Long exposures were necessary to get adequate impressions which took some understanding of the position of the Earth to the Sun as well as the angle of the Sun at the time-of-day the prints were made. As you can see, the results turned out beautifully!” says Diana.
The public is invited to stop by these 29 Palms locations to view the student artworks. 29 Palms Visitors Center, located at 73484 Twentynine Palms Hwy, is open Mon-Fri 10 am to 4 pm and Sat-Sun 10 am to 3 pm. The 29 Palms Community Center is in Freedom Plaza behind JTNP Visitors Center. Their doors are open Mon-Fri 11 am to 4:30 pm.
