Pictured from left are the Rev. Amy Rohler, Community Helping Hands Director; Nick Baglia, Gateway Family Center Manager; Aaron Kase; Cole Main; Steven Gadra; Jake Moorehead; Lee Gaskin; Lisa Lynde, Community Foundation; Chad Ecklof, Chautauqua County Camera Club Submitted photo

It began as a simple request for meeting space, and no one from either the Chautauqua County Camera Club or the Gateway Family Center could have imagined that the installation of 16-by-5-foot artistic, metal-photo collage of kids on scooters, bikes and skate boards would have been the result. This creative piece that now overwhelms one of the walls of the Gateway Family Center features 30 photos of all sizes and shapes of riders in various action shots in the 9,000 square foot indoor skate/bmx park located in the formerly abandoned factory building at 31 Water St. It was funded by a grant from the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.

For a period of about a year in 2014, the Chautauqua County Camera Club met in the cafe at the Gateway Family Center. The club is unique mixture of local photographers with a passion for taking photographs, ranging from novice beginners to very experienced professionals, who enjoy sharing their photos, as well as their knowledge. Chad Ecklof, who was president at the time, saw the expansive indoor skate/bmx park and the incredible skills and feats of the young riders. He thought it would make a great workshop on action photography. Working with Family Center manager Nick Baglia, the club arranged a shoot date and the photographing began! Many found it challenging to capture the tricks of the riders doing backflips on scooters or soaring in the air above the ramps. Most agreed it was a great exercise that sharpened their skills. Several of the photographers agreed to share the photos with the Family Center and the kids themselves.

When Baglia and Community Helping Hands Executive Director Rev. Amy Rohler (who oversees the Family Center ministry) saw the photographs, they immediately saw their potential. “Many of the photos were simply spectacular,” said Rohler. Both she and Baglia felt that something creative and beautiful could be done with them that showcased the indoor park itself and what the kids were capable of. “Most kids already take photos and videos of themselves working on tricks,” said Baglia, “but there was something different about having more professional photos being taken and seeing them hanging on the wall.” The Gateway Family Center applied for a field of interest grant from the Community Foundation, receiving $1200 for what they called their “photo project.” They met with members of the club and the “models” to discuss what it could look like. For the most part, it was the Gateway Family Center staff and volunteers, along with the kids themselves, who made the decisions about which photos to use and how they would print and mount the photos. They chose a mix of scooters, bikes and skateboard shots — and made sure that every rider who had participated in the workshops got at least one photo in the collage. Printing on metal became the medium of choice, mostly for its durability and its industrial “look” that matched tone of the park itself.

It was Baglia’s idea to mount the metal prints on the same plywood used on the ramps in the skate/bmx park. “It took a lot longer than we thought to pick out the photos, and get them printed and mounted,” said Baglia. Clearly, it was worth the time and effort.

For more information about the Gateway Family Center and its mission to provide a positive and supportive space for all youth, families and teams to interact and build community, visit www.thegatewaycenter.org or call 665-7004. This non-profit facility includes laser tag, indoor batting cages, an indoor skate/bmx park, cafe/snack bar, meeting space, and game room. It is located at 31 Water St. in Jamestown.