Photographer Melissa Ann Pinney has spent seven years capturing the everyday moments and transformative experiences of teenagers in Chicago Public Schools through her ongoing project "Becoming Themselves." Her intimate portraits focus particularly on marginalized and underrepresented students as they navigate identity, community, and the complex journey of growing up in urban America.
Pinney's work began in 2018 when she was invited by Artists in Public Schools, an organization that pairs artists with schools across the city for residencies. Initially photographing at Bell School and Ogden International Schools, her project eventually expanded to focus primarily on two high schools: Ogden International High School and Senn High School between 2019 and 2025.
The photographer's interest in adolescence stems from her teenage years when she began documenting her own family. Her 2010 monograph "Girl Ascending" explored the social lives and coming-of-age rituals of her daughter Emma, her friends, and teammates. "The possibilities inherent in widening the scope of my work beyond these established personal connections was exciting," Pinney explained about her transition to photographing students she had never met before.
Pinney approaches photography as a process of paying close attention to the richness and mystery present in everyday life. She captures moments as they happen, allowing stories to reveal themselves through later contemplation of the work. "I never know what the students will do next – their beauty, their compassion and their conflicts are unrehearsed," she noted. "The teens collaborate in the art-making by welcoming me into their world."
The project has evolved significantly since its inception, documenting not just typical adolescent experiences but also historic events including the global pandemic, renewed focus on systemic racial and gender inequities, and the ongoing crisis of gun violence. Tragically, eight students Pinney photographed were shot and killed during the course of her project, making her work an unintended document of urban trauma and resilience.
"It is very hard to witness the grief and ongoing trauma many students experience as part of their everyday lives, especially when we hear that a student in the community has been shot and killed," Pinney reflected. Among those lost was Jakolbi Lard, whom she photographed only once at prom in 2019, drawn by the broken heart he had shaved into his hair. Lard was killed in January 2022. Another student, DeJa Rae Reaves, a 2022 graduate of Ogden International High School, was shot and killed in April 2023 during her freshman year at North Carolina A&T.
Despite the tragic losses, Pinney has witnessed numerous moments of joy and transformation. One of her favorite photographs features Lizzie Williams at Senn High School in 2021, captured wearing My Little Pony leggings and arms loaded with jewelry. While positioning Williams for the portrait in the old gym, the boys' basketball team began running laps, casting shadows on the wall. "At first I was annoyed by this unexpected disruption, but I soon realized that, far from an unwelcome distraction, the shadows suggest another level of mystery and complexity," Pinney explained.
The project has had profound impacts on the students themselves. Travion Williams, photographed at Ogden International High School in 2019, told Pinney he was shy and self-conscious when they first met. His portrait was among 84 installed in the school's front lobby in summer 2020. When he returned for cross country practice that fall, teammates recognized and admired him from the portrait, changing how he saw himself.
Another student, Sophiat Agboola, told Pinney that her portrait was inspiring because it gave her confidence to wear her natural hair after occasionally being teased about it. "As my ties to the community have deepened, I've come to understand the meaning this project holds for me and for the students themselves, who tell me they feel truly 'seen' by participating in the project," Pinney said.
Pinney's relationships with students often extend beyond school walls to include family events, parties, and baby showers. Many graduates maintain contact years after leaving school. When she brought a print to one student, the mother of Jakolbi Lard thanked her for "seeing in her son what the world did not," believing that exhibiting his portrait honors his life.
The photographer has observed significant changes in how young people express themselves compared to previous generations. "The students have a lot more agency than kids in my generation or even my daughter's generation did," she noted. "These students are free to define themselves through their chosen teams and clubs, their dress, sexual orientation, pronouns and sometimes taking on a new name."
Working in Chicago Public Schools has also deepened Pinney's understanding of the complex relationship between the city and its educational system. She began reading news more closely, following coverage of Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union. "It's clear that Chicago's past is linked to its present by a history of events affecting the city in housing, education, racial and gender equity and immigration. All of these issues flow through the permeable wall between the city and the public schools."
Pinney's work has gained recognition in the art world. The DePaul University Art Museum added seven photographs from the project to their permanent collection last spring, and a class of Senn students took a field trip to see their portraits displayed in the museum. Her first book "In Their Own Light" featured early pictures from elementary, middle, and several high schools, while "Becoming Themselves" focuses solely on the two high schools.
The project, which Pinney initially expected to last one year, continues to challenge and reward her after seven years. "I hope these pictures encourage a deeper consideration and appreciation of the radiant young people in our public schools that goes far beyond the stereotypes," she said. "I intend these portraits to honor and commemorate those who are vulnerable and often underrepresented."
Pinney's photographs serve a dual purpose as both documents of a specific time and place and works of art that reference contemporary culture, history, and ideas of representation. Through her lens, she has created what she calls "real pictures" – images that reward sustained and repeated viewings while avoiding stereotype and cliché, offering viewers an authentic glimpse into the lives of Chicago's public school students during a pivotal period in both their personal development and American history.
