She became interested in the plight of children in Rwanda, and went to the country in November to photograph victims of the genocide that took place there in 1994, when groups of ethnic Hutus, armed mostly with machetes, killed an estimated 500,000 members of the Tutsi population - an average of 5,000 people a day. The number of kids living in that situation was a story that needed to be told. During the Hutus' massive campaign of genocide, an estimated 80 percent of the nation's children saw someone murdered, often their own family members. Today, parentless children wander the streets and forage through garbage dumps for food. It's hard to contemplate.
Admission is free.
Paula Clendenin, who teaches art at State College, said a staff member saw Vick's photographs at Ohio University, where Vick is working on a master's degree in photojournalism. Art department staff decided they wanted to bring the exhibition to State College. If you see this on TV, you just look at it and channel-surf or something. Clendenin said Vick has managed to capture both the sadness and dignity of the people she photographed. Speaking by phone, Vick said that half of the prints in the show depict the plight of Rwandan children.