Storytelling Through Photography: Inland Empire Students Inspired by Lenard Smith
California Museum of Photography
May 3, 2026 to May 31, 2026
Photography classes from Riverside STEM High School and Vista Murrieta High School worked with artist and educator Lenard Smith this spring on a photography workshop inspired by his exhibition, Lenard Smith: Fortuitous Encounters, currently on view at the California Museum of Photography.
Smith constructs still life compositions with found objects including photographic equipment and theoretical publications, studio detritus, and signifiers of Black identity and culture.
To create these photographs, students brought objects from home and worked with Smith in a studio setting to construct their own assemblage sculptures, photographing them against the same colorful backdrops that Smith uses in his own practice. Their compositions explore ideas about the sentimental value of objects, how they can create a narrative through composition, and how their images fit within the idea of an archive.
Reception
Sunday, May 3, 1-4pm
Free and open to the public
Artists
Riverside STEM High School
Adrian Rodriguez
David Solano Guzman
Ella Bailey
Everett Harris
Gabriel Horspool
Jonathan Lopez
Katherine Barajas
Natalie Varrato
Noeh Jara
Penelope Goatcher
Vista Murrieta High School
Aimee Briote-Johnson
Alicia Poveda
Cali Chambers
Carlene Tran
Casey Woolsey
David Vo
Ellis Murray
Jalen Salas & Jaden Salas
Kaiya Giles
Leonard Arkinstall
Melody Zaragoza
Trystan Diaz
Valerie Duncan
Ximena Escobar Campos
Storytelling Through Photography is an ongoing series of workshops conceived and organized by Lindsey Hammel, Director of Learning and Engagement, and Steffanie A. Padilla, Education Programs Manager. The workshops blend artistic expression with a foundational understanding of photographic principles and techniques—like light, color, and focal length—and the industry standards that support visual storytelling. Through guided activities and examples, students reflect on how photographers use visual tools to tell powerful stories.
Student workshops and this presentation were made possible by the City of Riverside. Special thanks to our partners Lisette Bourne, Riverside STEM High School and Lindsay Ricketts, Vista Murrieta High School.
Image: Alicia Poveda, The Roots of My Identity, 2026
