All are invited to a reception to meet the eight members of the 2024 Lakota YouthStay program whose works are on display this month in the Medford Public Library exhibition “New Experiences, Clarity of Vision.” Since 2017, Oglala Lakota youth from the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota have visited Eastern Massachusetts each summer as part of the Lakota YouthStay cultural exchange program, founded by Medford resident Joy Harris. In this exhibit, the youth and others tell the story of their experiences through the camera lens, creating a visual picture of what they notice, feel and care about. It is a portrait of growth and an opportunity to see the world through fresh eyes of youth.

From July 1 to 9, the exhibit will feature both Lakota youth and program photographs from 2017 through 2023. On July 10, the exhibit’s focus will change to feature new photographs, art and crafts from this year’s Lakota YouthStay participants. Also at today’s reception will be Medford photographer Susan D’Arcy Fuller, who is teaching a photography workshop to the 2024 Lakota YouthStay participants to guide them in capturing images that tell the story of their experience during their exciting week of discovery

The exhibition will be on view during regular library hours through July 30.