Her childhood in Minneapolis was what Sarah Beckman would describe as “really unique, rather bohemian.” Her mother, who was an artist, took her to gallery openings, art shows, museums, and theater performances.
“There was always some kind of ‘making’ going on in our house,” Beckman says, with family who worked in creative fields from graphic design to toy design. In high school, there were career day visits to the marketing department at Target headquarters where she learned how to carve out a creative professional career for herself. She says that opportunity was a rare one, noting that a lot of young people today don’t get that kind of exposure before they’re expected to make some pretty big career decisions about their adult lives. In her latest role as executive director at Outside the Lens, she has an eye toward giving kids and youth real-world experiences and doing things a little differently to find success.
Outside the Lens is a local nonprofit that provides instruction in photography, video, and digital arts in the form of weekly classes, summer courses, after-school programming, workshops, and trainings for teachers. They focus on reaching underserved kids and youth throughout San Diego County. From 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 30, they’re hosting “Ignite: The Art of Reinvention” at 125 Fourteenth St., San Diego, to share the organization’s own reinvention with activities including a photo booth, tote bag screen printing, and a zine workshop. ission is free and reservations can be made at bit.ly/IgniteOTL.
“Our mission is to ignite confidence in young people to pursue creative pathways and drive social change through the transformative power of media arts,” she said. “Our impact works on three levels: First, we help young people develop socio-emotional skills, resilience, and confidence through creative expression. Second, we equip them with essential skills and provide creative pathways for financial mobility. Finally, we inspire them to use their voices to create positive change in their communities.”
Beckman, 52, has previously worked with Forever Balboa Park, UC San Diego, The New Children’s Museum, and the San Diego Museum of Art. She lives in Rancho Peñasquitos with her husband, Jarrod Schemenauer, and has 21-year-old twin sons, Beck and Max. She took some time to talk about her own introduction to photography, utilizing the arts for social change, and the compelling work their students have produced.
Q: Tell us about Outside the Lens.
A: Outside the Lens began with a simple but powerful idea: giving young people cameras to tell their stories. Founded in 2001, OTL started by providing disposable cameras to refugee and immigrant youth. Today, we transform opportunities for youth through trauma-informed media arts education, focusing on systemically marginalized youth ages 8 to 24. While photography remains our foundation, students now learn video production, animation, design, podcasting, and emerging technologies like AR/VR (augmented reality/virtual reality).
Q: Would you say that you’re someone who participates in photography or film in your free time, or that you have in the past?
A: I’m a super visual person, so naturally photography is one of the mediums I gravitate to. I received my first camera when I was around 8 years old, and in my 20s I learned to develop my own film, had a gallery show, and even got a gig shooting a print ad. For me, though, it serves as creative fulfillment and life archival. As a mother, and an artist, I’m rarely in front of the camera. Capturing moments in my daily life — a bounty of garden-grown tomatoes, unmade beds, cityscapes, family selfies, friends crowded into my kitchen — are acute reminders of how I spend my time on this earth. I share these “stories” primarily on Instagram, or with family and friends, and I use them to create a sense of place, at home or in my office.
What I love about Rancho Peñasquitos…
Living in PQ is the perfect antidote to work life in the East Village. Our neighborhood is tucked into the western hillside of Black Mountain, giving us front-door access to miles of trails and open space, ocean views, park access, and neighbors who host cookie exchange parties and share fruit over fences. We’re also home to Christmas Card Lane, the Original Sab-E-Lee Thai restaurant, and Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve.
Q: What kind of impact has photography/film/media had on your own life? For example, is there a photographer or filmmaker or other creative whose work has particularly resonated with you?
A: My artistic, visual inspiration is all over the place. Carrie Mae Weems’ “Kitchen Table” series is so powerful; I’m always blown away by how much emotion she captures in a single frame. After visiting Yellowstone National Park this summer, I was revisiting Ansel Adams’ work, which is not only stunning, but a reminder that photography is a powerful tool for activism. I love how Patti Smith approaches photography with writing—in a sort of ephemeral, documentary way. I’m obsessed with street photographers capturing people’s style. In film, I’m really drawn to the visual work of Sophia Coppola, Wes Anderson, Emerald Fennell, George Miller and Alfonso Cuarón.
Q: How would you say that your experiences with photography/film influenced the way you approach your current work with youth at OTL?
A: My foundation in journalism shapes how I view photography, film, and design — with massive curiosity and a lens on experience (impact/interpretation). Applying this framework to Outside the Lens means we emphasize conscious creation and thoughtful consumption of media, empowering young people to harness these powerful tools for positive impact. By teaching media literacy alongside creative skills, we’re preparing the next generation to be ethical creators and critical thinkers in our increasingly digital world.
Q: Since ing the organization last year, can you share a couple of examples of works students produced that struck you as getting at the core of exploring identity, or addressing a social issue?
A: At one of the Juvenile Court and Community Schools we work with, there was a young artist whose work addressed the cultural stigma of mental health issues for teens in their community. The work they produced was powerful, for sure, but even more so was their willingness to use the art as a catalyst to share their personal experience and talk about this issue in real time. They knew that this was an opportunity to make change.
During our “Voice Out” youth media arts exhibition last spring, where the theme was “place,” many teens chose to interpret this through the lens of self-identity. Rather than see a gallery full of favorite places, we witnessed the depth and breadth of young people’s complex inner worlds, addressing such issues as belonging, identity, and safety.
One young artist shared an image of a half sunlit building: “Will I stop living in the shadows of those around me, constantly comparing myself to others and forcing myself into a mold that doesn’t fit? I hope that when I die, I will have given myself the space to be authentic. I hope to live in more sunlight than shadow, to flourish more than I prune.”
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
A: Be yourself. Earlier in my career I tried hard to separate work-Sarah from personal-Sarah, but you’re only getting half the story, half the value. You have to show up as your whole self in order to build trust.
Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?
A: Despite my love of reading, I’ve never been in a book club.
Q: Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend.
A: My ideal San Diego weekend includes easy relaxation at home (cooking, gardening, reading, making), a visit to the Poway Farmers Market, some wheel time at Tao of Clay in Barrio Logan, a hike at Torrey Pines, Pizza Port Solana Beach, and coffee with a bestie at Lofty (Solana Beach or Encinitas).
