(photo courtesy of the Getty)

The J. Paul Getty Museum launched the third iteration of its popular and award-winning Unshuttered program, with this year’s theme, “In Pursuit of _____.” Inspired by the Declaration of Independence, “In Pursuit of _____” asks teen artists to expand on the fundamental concept of the pursuit of happiness by prompting them to reflect on their own lives, consider the state of the world and inspire others to view this time through their unique artistic expression.

“This is an important time to talk about what matters to us most as a community and as a country. Getty Unshuttered 3.0 gives youth the opportunity to establish a national presence on the issues they care about,” said Keishia Gu, head of education at the Getty. “At first, images will be shared via the Unshuttered Instagram account, but we plan in the year ahead to find a variety of platforms to showcase the images submitted in support of this year’s theme.”

With the postponement of in-person events, this year’s program will refocus efforts on a set of inspirational challenge videos designed for social media. In the series, five L.A. artists share what they are in pursuit of – beauty, truth, community – and take viewers through aspects of their work that express their specific pursuits. These artists directly establish the connection between artistic technique and emotional intent in photography.

New this year is the Getty Unshuttered Educator Portal, a platform for educators to find lesson plans and resources inspired by the program, the Getty collection and the Unshuttered app. The portal enhances Unshuttered as a classroom or remote learning tool for teachers around the country.

The inaugural lesson plan series is focused on the intersection of social justice advocacy and photography. Through a series of eight lessons, educators are guided through analysis of photographs from the Getty collection and the work of Unshuttered teen photographers. These explorations lay the foundations for helping students understand how photography can inspire, establish and further social justice. More lesson plans will become available in the academic year ahead.

Getty has also partnered with Amplifier, a design lab that amplifies the voices of grassroots movements, to continue the conversation about what teens are “In Pursuit of ______” through a national open call for youth photographers ages 13 to 19.

For information, visit getty.edu.