At Mount Auburn on a recent spring afternoon, about 15 local students gathered to meet with artist-in-residence Roberto Mighty.  Roberto is a new media artist and filmmaker who  is Mount Auburn’s first artist-in-residence, and for the past few years has been creating multimedia and film pieces inspired by and focusing on the Cemetery.  These include his documentary features showcasing Mount Auburn’s significant monument collection and preservation efforts, as well as more artistic endeavors such as his earth.sky film series, ) which documents the history, inspiration, and beauty that can be found throughout Mount Auburn.

The students who came to visit Mount Auburn and attend the workshop were all participants in Cambridge Community Television’s (CCTV) Youth Media Program.  Roberto led them on a tour of Halcyon Lake, sharing his creative process and approach to filming and recording at the Cemetery.  He showed the students how best to capture light and wildlife, and how to frame the many vistas of the Cemetery.  After this short tour, the students were given recording equipment and sent out on their own to film, photograph, and record sounds that can be found all over Mount Auburn.  Students focused on the many ways to frame and view the Cemetery, and how close-up, detailed shots and widely-framed panoramas can reveal different aspects of Mount Auburn’s landscape, wildlife, and monuments.

This program is funded in part by Mass Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.