Return to P.S. Art 2020: Celebrating the Creative Spirit of New York City Kids
Flying Eagle Anida Yu
Grade: PreK School: P.S. 46 Alley Pond, Queens Art Teacher: Rita Rothenburg Torn colored-paper collage
Student: I want people to think I made a little, big bird. It uses its wings to fly. When I'm home, I make art, too. I draw and use colored paper. I use red or blue or purple, and everything else. I made a flying eagle and I need to go somewhere to find more. Maybe my Daddy's phone has pictures of eagles. I want to go home and ask him to help me look for pictures of eagles.
Teacher: After creating different types of animals and experimenting with torn-paper collage, students looked at a reproduction of Frank Stella's colorful three-dimensional multimedia work, Giufà, la luna, i ladri e le guardie. We discussed Stella's rich use of color and overlapping forms. Anida was ready to create her Flying Eagle. Students chose between creating an abstract design or realistic imagery. They made their choice of colors and were encouraged to share with their peers. Anida's fine motor skills and collage techniques are evident in her use of tearing, gluing, and overlapping. Multiple colors and carefully arranged torn-paper shapes create the gesture of an eagle's soaring wings. Her talent and creativity took off as beautifully as her Flying Eagle.
Picture of Me Sarina Abdullah
Grade: PreK School: P.S. 197 The Kings Highway Academy, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Anna Alfredson Watercolor
Student: I feel happy when I make art. I want you to feel happy when you look at my work. I like to make art and I want to make it perfectly. I used black paint to make a circle for the face, then eyes and a mouth, and a body and some arms and some legs. I didn't make the eyelashes or the eyebrows.
Teacher: Students in PreK are encouraged to be independent in their art making. For this lesson, students chose their own art materials. Sarina set up her a paint station with a watercolor palette, brush, paper, and a cup of water. I am so proud of how she was able to take care of the art materials on her own. She confidently chose the color she wanted to use and began painting a picture of herself. I love how Sarina's picture boldly fills the page with her luscious black hair, true to life.
Me Isabella Chusan Grade: PreK School: P.S. 160 Walt Disney, Bronx Art Teacher: Veronica Doherty Crayon and watercolor
Student: It's me. I feel good. I am happy. I have hair and a nose and it looks like me. I have peach skin and black hair. My face is a circle, my nose is an 'L,' and my hair is in a braid. I'm pretty. I work hard and listen to my teacher. My picture is pretty. It's colorful with blue and pink. They are my favorite colors. I like crayons because I can draw better. I used black to draw. I feel happy because I make nice pictures.
Teacher: Our unit of study was called All About Me. Using observational skills, imagination, and line, shape, and color, students created self-portraits. Isabella is a hardworking, enthusiastic student, who created a true likeness of herself. She carefully observed her face and drew her features with precision. Her skin tone is accurate, her hair true to life. Isabella is a sweet girl with a spunkiness that comes across in her portrait! Her picture demonstrates a sense of proportion as well as technical skills. She created a rendering of herself that matches her personality and image. Great job, Isabella!
Lady at the Door Ayla Gabe Domingo
Grade: PreK School: P.S. 26 Jesse Owens, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Elizabeth Kinkel Collage
Student: I want people to like my art and feel happy when they see it because it's beautiful. When I am bored, making art makes me feel happy and relaxed. I like to make art because my brain tells me it's nice and beautiful to make art and that makes me like it.
This is about a lady called Rosie and she's going on a date! I used a lot of purple because it's my favorite color. And the room is dark because she turned the lights off because she's going out. Her boyfriend is waiting in the car outside.
Teacher: This work is the result of the final lesson of a collage unit. Ayla's collage began with a guided exploration as she and her peers sifted through trays of patterned and printed paper. Students looked closely, made choices, and, using descriptive language, took turns sharing their discoveries. The patterns and colors motivated Ayla. The strip of floral contact paper suggested a dress and Ayla paired it with red swirls and spatters to create a stylish outfit for her Lady at the Door. I knew she would be excited by all the shades of purple and that the patterns would appeal to her interest in fashion design. Ayla has an ability to create rhythmic, balanced compositions. It is demonstrated here through her careful placement of shapes, colors, and patterns.
The Brooklyn Town Building Maximus Umanov
Grade: PreK School: The Little Brooklyn PreK Center, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Lorna Clark Sharpie and tissue paper
Student: When people look at my artwork I want them to think it's a cool building made with a Sharpie. I want them to feel excited about it and want to go inside.
This is an emergency building that's for something bad, or for a monster. When something bad goes in, the building grows. Then the building turns the bad things into something good. I did the outside square part first, then the windows, and then the door. There is a button on the door—that's how you get in.
Teacher: Maximus began this artwork during our Where We Live unit of study. We discussed many different types of buildings and the shapes and lines needed to create them. Students then worked with collage and construction materials, arranging shapes to represent various structures. They explored a range of drawing materials, such as oil pastels, pencils, and crayons. They experimented with tempera and watercolor paint, using different brushes to mix colors.
Over several days, Maximus worked in a focused and methodical manner to complete his artwork. His drawing demonstrates his ability to organize lines and shapes within a defined space. He worked thoughtfully with tissue paper, water, and brush, enjoying the effect he achieved with the bleeding colors of the tissue paper and said, "It looks like fire!"
Cat and Girl Feyza Alkan Grade: K School: P.S. 199 Frederick Wachtel, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Elaine Greenstein Tempera paint and cardboard collage
Student: I want people to feel happy. I feel good when I make art. The girl is named Elsa, and the cat is pink. That is it.
Teacher: Students used precut shapes to create a collage that demonstrates manipulation of shapes to represent a real or imaginary subject, using imaginative placement and overlapping. Feyza's collage makes me grin each time I see it. It is so expressive and delightful.
Free-form Shapes with Fish Sara Hnani Grade: K School: P.S. 101 The Verrazano, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Cynthia Russo Tempera paint and markers
Student: I really like to draw pictures. I also love to paint and color. I enjoyed making this painting, and I want people to feel happy and enjoy my artwork.
Teacher: We used Visual Thinking Strategies to study the work of Elizabeth Murray. Over the course of three class periods, students explored geometric and free-form shapes and lines. The culminating project was a shape painting using tempera paint. Black markers were used to add the lines. Most of the students created free-form shapes with a design of lines, but Sara cleverly decided to turn her free-form shapes into a fish. Free-form Shapes with Fish demonstrates Sara's compositional ability.
Gusty Fall Day Tenzin Dolkar
Grade: K School: P.S. 171 Peter G. Van Alst, Queens Art Teacher: Michele Talarico Crayon and tempera paint
Student: Making art makes me feel proud. I want people to feel happy about fall, and I want people to know I mixed red and yellow to make orange.
Teacher: We discussed the change of seasons from summer to fall, changes in the weather, and the change in the color of the leaves from green to red, yellow, and orange. Students learned they could create a painting of fall leaves using only two colors by mixing the primary colors of red and yellow to create the secondary color, orange. They were introduced to the color wheel on display in the art room, and noted the color that lies exactly in the middle of red and yellow. Tenzin created a successful rendering of the swirling movement of leaves on a windy fall day. Looking at her artwork you can almost feel the chilly wind, smell the leaves, and hear the crackling of their dryness as they're blown off the trees.
Painting Vincent Rivera Grade: K School: P.S. 95 Sheila Mencher, Bronx Art Teacher: Stephanie Fiorino Watercolor and tempera paint on paper
Student: I like to make art because it's fun. When people look at my artwork, I want them to see how I made dots and lines and used a lot of colors like green, blue, purple, white, and yellow. I like using paint and brushes.
Teacher: Students looked at the work of artist Alma Thomas. We talked about her brushstrokes and her use of line and shapes. Students began by using watercolor paint to fill their background with cool colors. In the next class, students used tempera paint to overlay warm and neutral colored lines and shape patterns. They practiced using varying lines, strokes, and shapes, demonstrating control of the paint medium. In our professional-development series we have been encouraged to incorporate into our instruction artists who reflect our students' cultural backgrounds. This project was inspired by Alma Thomas who was the first African American female painter to have artwork hang in the White House. Vincent's use of lines and color made his painting stand out. For such a young artist, he had a very expressive response to the lesson. His painting has a great deal of movement and visual interest.
Me and My Family Buying Drums at the Store Alexander Contreras
Grade: K School: P.S. 376 Felisa Rincon de Gautier School of Technology, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Luna Velazquez Mixed media
Student: Amazing! I drew like ten drawings of the drums. I like to play the drums! I like to use paint and pencils to create artwork. It is always amazing. I went to the drum store. My daddy brought drums into the house but they made too much noise. So my daddy brought the drums down to the basement. I feel mad because I want to play the drums!
Teacher: Students explored Church Picnic by Faith Ringgold. They identified each family member. Many students imagined places they wished they could visit with their families. Students created artwork that placed family figures within a defined space. Alexander's drawing is very spontaneous. He loves to work through an idea and drew on his experiences to create this work. The lines and colors seem to produce the sound and action of the drums. Alexander's work is a perfect example of the expressiveness that must be nurtured in our students.
My Family Benjamin Lin
Grade: K School: P.S. 219 Paul Klapper, Queens Art Teacher: Samantha Craig Oil pastel and colored pencil
Student: It's my family. We have fun.
Teacher: We studied Keith Haring's simple figures of people, and Carmen Lomas Garza's attention to details. Students explored oil pastels and learned how to use them to layer clothing over their family figures. Students used colored pencils to add precise facial details and patterns in the clothing. Finally, students learned how to draw a horizon line and add color and patterns to the floor. Benjamin is a quiet student who applies what he has learned and works independently. He took his time and put forth his best effort.
Sailboat Nicholai Razack
Grade: K School: P.S. 124 Osmond A. Church, Queens Art Teacher: Han-Ching Lin Collagraph
Student: I want people to know that this is my work. I also want them to know that I made it in another color when I created a second print. I want people to think that my boat is cool. I want them to feel like it is real. I like to make art because it makes me feel happy.
Teacher: Students cut out geometric and organic shapes to create a printing plate of a sailboat at sea. Upon completion of their printing plate, they explored image transfer by creating crayon rubbings and then creating collagraph prints using a brayer and ink. Nicholai was able to cut out a nice variety of shapes, including a few shapes that are challenging for kindergarten students.
Happy Rainbow Portrait Aryah Sutriono
Grade: K School: P.S. 49 Dorothy Bonawit Kole, Queens Art Teacher: Susan Bricker Tempera paint on paper
Student: This was my first time painting a person. I like to use rainbow colors to show that even though she is not smiling she is still happy. Sometimes people do not smile on the outside, but they are still happy on the inside. If people are having a bad day or a hard time, then they can remember to be happy when they see my picture. I like to make something pretty with lots of colors to look at. When I use lots of different colors, it makes it fun to do.
Teacher: For the final project in a tempera painting unit, students practiced different brushstrokes, experimented with creating shapes, and mixed primary colors into secondary colors. They looked at expressive abstract portraits by Nicole Eisenman and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. They read My Blue is Happy by Jessica Young, and discussed the feeling different colors gave them. After drawing sketches, "feeling color" backgrounds, skin tones, and expressive features were added. Finally, students went back into their paintings with small detail brushes. Happy Rainbow Portrait is an accomplished work of art. Aryah instinctively layered different types of brushstrokes to achieve expressive and textural effects. The color palette and rendering of facial features is surprising for a kindergartener, but still so joyful and immediate. I have gotten plenty of smiles from Aryah in class, however when she is working, she is so focused and serious. But I can tell, as she would say, she is "happy on the inside."
Castle City Ava Levy
Grade: K School: P.S. 281 The River School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Yuliya Skurska Tempera paint
Student: It would be cool to live in a city full of castles. If there was a Castle City, castles would be everywhere in town. Princesses would live in the castles. People would ride in carriages. All the castles would be so colorful. I worked really hard to make secondary colors. I mixed red and blue to make purple. I mixed yellow and red to make orange. I mixed yellow and blue to make green. I hope people will be excited when they look at my work because it's so colorful. The colors are everywhere. Colors make people feel excited. Colors make me feel excited, too. Art is so fun! I like all kinds of art. I like to paint, and make collages and sculptures. I love making lots of colors.
Teacher: Artists learned about basic elements of painting by creating large-scale works of imaginary buildings. They looked at architecture from around the world and drew buildings from observation. Inspired to create their own imaginary buildings, they began by painting the outlines with black paint. After reading Mix It Up! by Hervé Tullet, they began mixing secondary colors and tints to add color to their paintings.
I was blown away by the exuberance of Ava's brushstrokes. The brushstrokes and placement of colors give this painting such a lively quality. Watching Ava paint was like seeing a dance performance. With excitement, she mixed up a color, found the "just right" place for it in her painting, and then went to mix a new color. Ava worked with purpose to create a balanced and vibrant composition.
A Girl Sharon Lin
Grade: K School: P.S. 105 The Blythebourne, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Ai Zhen Li Paper collage with tempera paint and sequin glitter
Student: I want people to feel happy. If they are happy, I am happy too. I like to make art because it is fun. I feel relaxed and zen and I can talk to my friends when I make it. I want viewers to know what I am thinking and what I am drawing.
Teacher: Students learned a variety of techniques to create a collage of an imaginary creature. They used simple geometric shapes and applied collage strategies, such as cutting, ripping, crumbling, layering, and overlapping to their artwork. Sharon experimented with cutting organic and geometric shapes in a variety of sizes. She explored and expressively used colored paper to represent a subject in an imaginative way. She showed basic understanding of overlapping. The rendering of shapes is very interesting in this artwork.
Lighthouse at Dawn Alexander Morel
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 164 Caesar Rodney, Brooklyn Art Teacher: David Chimoskey Paper collage with crayon, watercolor, acrylic paint, and pastel
Student: I hope people enjoy all of the detail in my art. There is a cargo ship, trees, mountains with snow, bushes, a lighthouse, another house, and the sun at dawn. I took a lot of time, but I worked slowly to do a good job. I used lots of different materials and colors. This is the best collage I've ever made and I am very proud of it. I like to make art at school because it inspires me to make more art at home. Art makes me feel thankful and happy.
Teacher: Students created designs on paper and used them to create a collage of an environment of their choosing. The environment landscapes, seascapes, and cityscapes were created in layers and built upon in a weekly progression. New materials and techniques were introduced throughout, and the artists incorporated them into their works in progress. Eric Carle's collages motivated and inspired their work. Alex was so excited throughout this process and clearly enjoyed making his collage. His ability to stay patient and focused, as well as his willingness to learn new ways to use materials, really helped to create a spectacular piece of art. He is a joy to work with!
Self-Portrait Miles Howard
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 139 Alexine A. Fenty, Brooklyn Art Teacher: JJ Rudisill Tempera paint
Student: It's fun to draw. I can't really explain how I feel when I'm creating art. It's just really fun, and you can make anything you want. I used orange and yellow-green because I thought they would be a good combination for the background. It's kind of colorful, and colorful is nice. I drew my nose how I thought it looked, but it wasn't very similar, so I tried a different shape the second time. I want people to feel happy when they see my portrait. I like looking at other people's art, and I hope they like mine.
Teacher: Students studied the work of Frida Kahlo to learn about facial proportions and the fundamentals of good composition. Using mirrors to guide them, they mixed red, yellow, white, and brown tempera paint to match their own skin colors. They completed their work with unique color choices. I was impressed by the quality of drawing and painterly style of Miles's work. His lines are strong and his indirect gaze is soulful. The loose freedom of his shirt and collar compliments the delicate and intentional rendering of the skin. It contrasts beautifully with the bright and bold background. The image is captivating and honest, and it inspires me to paint!
Self-Portrait Jobeth Shaw
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 164 Caesar Rodney, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Regina Lim Sharpie, crayon, and watercolor
Student: I want people to feel like they are in a spring field and they are looking at beautiful flowers. I want them to think they are smelling the beautiful flowers. I like to make art because it is fun. My artwork looks beautiful and it was easy to make.
Teacher: After exploring the difference between portraits and self-portraits, students used mirrors to observe themselves. They looked for shapes and lines to help them draw, and learned that the wax in crayons resists watercolors. We were inspired by patterns in Kehinde Wiley's portrait paintings and discussed how shapes and patterns create a more captivating background. Jobeth worked diligently to complete her work. It was a joy to watch her create her self-portrait, then build up her background.
Sea Turtle Joyce Zheng
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 205 The Clarion School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Laura Nash Watercolor and crayon
Student: The turtle wants to find his home and some food too, so his mom will be happy. The turtle is finding jellyfish in the water to eat. I want people who see this to feel happy, because drawing is fun.
Teacher: Sea Turtle was created during a unit on drawing from two-dimensional references. After drawing simple fish shapes, students added backgrounds. The unit highlighted the Second Grade Learning Indicators for drawing as outlined in the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Visual Arts. Students used watercolor—wet-on-wet for the background, and drybrush on the foreground animal. Joyce demonstrated keen observational skills. She used the paint very fluidly to represent the undersea environment. Her composition, use of materials, and quality of her drawing were expressive.
The Singing Dinosaur Nicholas Garg
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 150 Tribeca Learning Center, Manhattan Art Teacher: Branislava Duranovic Scheluchin Collage
Student: I want people to feel impressed when they look at my singing dinosaur. I like to make art because art is fun, and because there are many different tools to use. I want viewers to know that my favorite parts of this artwork are the mouth and the buttons!
Teacher: First-grade students worked from memory and imagination to create their collaged animals. Young artists developed their tearing, cutting, arranging, and gluing skills. They understood that there are different kinds of shapes, and that including details helps artists communicate their ideas. Students were introduced to the life and art of Henri Matisse, the French artist famous for his whimsical and bold cutouts. Nicky is a quiet young artist. He works independently with incredible focus. The Singing Dinosaur shows the artist's vivid imagination, and his ability to cut, arrange, and assemble an image with great variation in shape and scale.
One Cool Dude John Soto
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 79 Francis Lewis, Queens Art Teacher: Mary O'Donnell Collage
Student: I like to make art because you get to express your feelings. My artwork makes me happy. I worked really hard on my artwork, and I want people to feel happy and joyful when they see it. I want the viewers to know that the One Cool Dude is really cool!
Teacher: In first grade students explore art materials and techniques, use their imaginations, and depict their experiences. They were introduced to collage by experimenting with tearing, cutting, and gluing different organic and geometric shapes. They worked on evenly applying glue and using scissors properly. Students were given freedom when choosing which types of paper to use. They could cut any way they wished and choose the colors they wanted to use to explore and express themselves in their portraits. They had the option of creating a portrait of themselves or of someone in their family. John's portrait made me smile. He was very free in the choices he made, and developed his own style of working in collage.
Me and Theo Walking on a Snowy Winter Morning Nikolai Ushakov
Grade: 1 School: P.S.63 The STAR Academy, Manhattan Art Teacher: Risa Schneider Tempera paint
Student: Me and Theo—he's my twin—we are walking away. I want everyone to think that we are wearing red snowsuits because we are cold. The snow is white and we have a gray sky. I used a stick and pipe cleaner to make the snow. I know how to mix colors.
Teacher: Nikolai dabbed paint with a large brush to develop his background grays. He stippled blue, red, and white with a medium brush to create the snowy, slushy ground, and he used a medium brush to paint his two red figures. Nikolai chose to use more than brushes to create the falling snowflakes that effectively complete his winter scene. Nikolai is in an ICT class. He often misses art class to receive additional services, but when he is in class he participates enthusiastically. After getting feedback from his peers on a first version, he worked to make the scene more distinguishable to viewers. He made the sky gray to make the falling snow more visible, and created purple tinted snow under his base line to distinguish the sky from the ground. I just love that Nikolai made sure to include his twin brother Fyodor (Theo) walking alongside him as they hold hands, creating a small, sweet moment within the chilly composition.
Life Underwater Savan Lee
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 200 Benson School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Shakira Soderstrom Painted-paper collage
Student: I want to be an artist when I grow up, so I practice my art. I started making art when I was five. I like using bright colors and I like painting, drawing, and making collages like this. I like to make art because it makes me happy. I put in a lot of effort. I used my imagination and also looked at pictures of real fish. I want you to feel happy and think of the ocean when you see my work.
Teacher: Students made hand-painted paper for their collages. They experimented with sponges, wooden shapes, and other tools to create texture. Students learned that sprinkling salt on watercolor paint created interesting textures for the background. They looked at images of marine life and experimented with cutting and arranging the painted paper shapes to create sea creatures, seaweed, and corals. Savan is a confident, quiet, hardworking young artist who never hesitates in her artistic endeavors. She enjoyed the challenge of creating an underwater scene, worked hard to include a variety of shapes and colors, and paid close attention to composition, space, and detail.
Eating Outdoors with Flowers on the Table Ray Benjamin
Grade: 1 School: Brooklyn Arbor Elementary School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Laurie Marcus Tempera paint
Student: When we go to the ice cream place, sometimes we eat outside. In this painting, the food hasn't come yet and the friends are waiting. When people look at my painting, I want them to think I painted a magical place. Making art is very relaxing and fun.
Teacher: First graders explored color in a variety of ways. They created compositions based on value, using black and white paint. They mixed a variety of grays to create the illusion of light and shade. Next, they used black and white along with primary hues to create tonal colors. Lastly, using fluorescent colors, they saw the effect of neon brightness against a tonal palette. By using this technique of repeated color sequences, students develop a sense of mood in their paintings. Ray works with the decisiveness of a mature artist. Her unfailing focus allows her to use the limitations of the lesson as an opportunity to grow and experiment. Within the limited palette of black and white paint, she worked methodically to create an illusion of light and shadow.
My Family Armeen Rayhan
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 36 Unionport, Bronx Art Teacher: Jason Holt Paint, oil pastel, pen
Student: I think making art is a lot of fun. I drew and painted my family. I even drew my little cousin in the picture. I used a lot of colors. I hope that many people will see my happy family.
Teacher: Armeen's artwork was created as part of a family portrait unit. We talked about different types of portraits and practiced drawing realistic facial features. Students learned that adding details like hair, color, and clothing help to make our portraits resemble their subjects. They learned that borders and patterns can make our artwork more interesting. Armeen carefully drew her family members and individualized them with specific details. She used patterns and colors with great skill to convey the happiness she feels towards her family.
Untitled Francisco Mendez
Grade: 1 School: The Queens College School for Math, Science, and Technology, Queens Art Teacher: Hana Hwang Pen and watercolor
Student: My truck is so colorful and it has dirt. Making art makes me happy and I want people who see my art to feel happy.
Teacher: For this project, students learned to break down complex objects into simple shapes before adding small details. Francisco spent more time on his drawing than anyone else in the class. The details on his drawing show how much effort he put into it. His persistence inspired me.
A Family Boat Ride Quintin Chen
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 20 John Bowne, Queens Art Teacher: Yasemin Luca Oil pastel
Student: I want people to feel happy when they look at my artwork. I want people to feel like they want to take a boat ride with their family and see the city. I like to make art because it is fun. We can get messy and then clean up! I like to make art so my family can look at my work. I want the viewers to know that I worked very hard on my family portrait. It took a long time to mix and blend the oil pastels to show my family on the boat ride. I took my time and did not rush.
Teacher: To create their family portraits, students thought of a time they shared with a very special family member. Through discussions with their classmates, students helped each other to improve their artwork. The students enjoyed this project because it focused on their own lives.
Quintin portrayed a family boat ride. He used a variety of lines and shapes to convey expression and movement in his picture. He expressively blended the pastels and paid close attention to placement of the figures within a defined space. He focused on perspective in his drawing to show foreground, middle ground, and background. Quintin spent much time on his artwork. He wanted to make sure he captured the happiness and excitement of that day with his family so that viewers would feel as if they were enjoying the day with his family.
The Cat Emily Martell
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 133, Queens Art Teacher: Kaya Wielopolski Tempera paint and Sharpie
Students: I want people to just imagine that my spirit animal is alive. And I want them to feel the texture. I like to make art because I like to be creative.
Teacher: Studying the animal and dragon images of Mexican artist Lourdes Villagomez, students discussed the different elements within the figures. The students created their own spirit animals combining different types and making images that reveal somethings about themselves. The students enlarged their animals and mixed primary colors to create a varied palette. Emily is such a focused worker. I loved the combination of stripes and polka-dot patterns as well as the colors she mixed. Her spirit animal fills the page and makes the viewer smile.
Leila The Cat Sumaya Tugonova
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 238 Anne Sullivan, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Wendy Newman Collage
Student: My cat is very happy and proud. I cut all of these shapes by myself and put them together to make this collage. I was thinking about my cat at home when I made this collage. My cat Lily has stripes. I made this cat with stripes to look like Lily. I like to make art because it is fun for me.
Teacher: Students looked at collages by Eric Carle, noticing how he used big shapes and then little shapes to add details. They experimented with cutting shapes into various sizes, and learned how to make geometric and organic shapes. They picked animals they wanted to make out of their shapes. To get the students to really focus on the animal shapes, I limited paper colors and asked them to really think about the essential details. Sumaya's cat caught my eye because she chose to make it very large. With confidence she cut and put the shapes together, building the cat's body and head. She gave the cat a lot of personal character by adding smaller, unusual shapes that repeated, making a pattern. The cat looks very happy as he stands proudly smiling at the viewer.
Self-Portrait Sabrina Saquipulla
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 35 Nathaniel Woodhull, Queens Art Teacher: Silvia Huggler Mixed media
Student: Art is like a secret language; you have to look very carefully to understand it. I hope the viewer will take the time to look closely at my work. I hope the viewer appreciates my artwork and can see how hard I worked on my portrait. I planned my work carefully to show how I look. I wanted to express that I am a serious artist. Art always keeps me occupied, so I am never bored. In school art is my favorite subject. I like that I can express my feelings through art. Also, I love it when I see that my work is successful.
During art our teacher showed us many portraits by professional artists, such as Kehinde Wiley. I really like his work and hope that one day I will be able to draw as well as he does.
Teacher: The unit started with a close analysis of portraits by Kehinde Wiley. The students practiced drawing facial features. This final mixed-media artwork shows the use of observation skills to create a self-portrait that demonstrates visual perception, expressive ability, problem solving, and persistence. Sabrina is a serious art student who responds well to critique. She constantly tries to improve her artwork, and is never afraid of challenging tasks.
Cityscape Dionna Reid
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 235 Janice Marie Knight School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Kathlyn Wilson Collage
Student: When people look at my work I want them to think it is creative and that I worked really hard on it. I want them to feel impressed and feel like they want to visit my city. Making art is fun and exciting. You get to create things with paint, and can use paper to make collages. I enjoy using different kinds of materials. Art is my favorite thing to do when I have extra time. I cut out lots of shapes to make my collage. I had a hard time making the cars, but I tried my best. I really liked using the textured paper and the shiny paper. I also had fun using the paint and blending the colors of my sky together.
Teacher: To create cityscapes students looked at the work of various artists and discussed what they can see in their own city. Dionna began her work by creating hand-painted paper for her sky. She cut a variety of building shapes. To show depth and space, Dionna first placed buildings in the background and then overlapped smaller buildings as she moved towards the foreground. She added details such as windows, doors, and cars. She chose corrugated paper and tin foil to add texture. Dionna was very focused as she worked and created a sense of balance through her color and paper choices.
The Scream Junwei Zeng Yu
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 48 Mapleton, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Angela Roccasalvo Pastel and watercolor
Student: I want people to wonder what I am afraid of in the painting, and I want them to feel afraid. I tried to capture the emotion of screaming. I worked really hard on it and I tried to do a great job. The best part was blowing the ink through the straws! I had a lot of fun doing this artwork. I zone out and forget the world when I make art.
Teacher: Students based their artwork on The Scream by Edvard Munch. Looking into mirrors, they analyzed their own facial expressions and discussed what happens to their eyes, eyebrows, and mouth when they scream. Students did sketches of themselves screaming and then transferred their images onto large sheets of paper. For the final touch, watercolor paint was blown through straws to create the effect of hair standing on end. Junwei, at the young age of 7, truly captured the emotion of a person screaming. He did an excellent job transferring his sketch to a larger scale, and his choice of color palette complements his design.
Primary Colors with Geometric Shapes Nathan Mena
Grade: 2 School: P.S. M169 Robert F. Kennedy, Manhattan Art Teacher: Julia John Mixed-media collage
Student: I want people to see my shapes. I want them to see how I cut my triangles. I like to cut paper and build big, tall buildings. My work has the primary colors, red, yellow, and blue, and lots of little triangles and big rectangles. It is busy! I like making art because it calms me down.
Teacher: We had peer and whole-class discussions comparing two works by Piet Mondrian, Composition ll with Red, Blue, and Yellow and Broadway Boogie Woogie. Students connected the paintings to real life. The patterns were like sights, sounds, and movement in New York City. Nathan's artwork demonstrates appropriate placement of shapes and application of glue. He made his work stand out by layering each large shape with smaller shapes. He creatively transformed pre-cut shapes to make his own shapes. A strip of cardboard dipped in black paint was used to create lines in between the construction paper's geometric shapes. Nathan handled the media beautifully.
Fauve Self-Portrait Sonja Malka
Grade: 3 School: Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Rachelle Street Pencil, marker, and acrylic paint
Student: I want people to be interested when they see my work and ask questions about what they see. I've always liked drawing and art making because I like using my imagination. I especially like drawing people. My favorite part is the face because I like focusing on the details. I drew myself, but I also used my imagination for this self-portrait. I used colors I like, and used purple and pink for the couch. On my face I used yellow for the light and blue for the shadow.
Teacher: We studied Fauvism, with a focus on color and the artists' choice of subject. Students looked at the work of Henri Matisse. Students made various works inspired by Matisse and were encouraged to create a portrait or self-portrait using the colors of the Fauves. Sonja possesses a great deal of natural ability, and is always excited to try new ideas. She doesn't shy away from making "mistakes." Her artistic exploration and embracing of the Fauves' use of unusual colors, led me to submit this piece to P.S. Art.
My Brother Javier Silva
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 150, Manhattan Art Teacher: Branislava Duranovic Scheluchin Oil pastel drawing
Student: People will think this person likes soccer. They can probably tell that the figure I am representing, my brother, is a teenager for two reasons. Reason one is that my brother's phone is falling out of his pocket, and reason two is that the clothing looks "teenagey." The face is my favorite part of this drawing. I think it is detailed and I'm very proud of it. I make art to represent what I like and what I love, and I really enjoy it!
Teacher: This unit began with students asking themselves who they admire and why. Students listed three characteristics and three physical traits that best describe their personal heroes. We looked at Ralph Fasanella's Subway Riders and searched for different lines, patterns, and shapes. Students developed their handling of oil pastels through blending, layering, mixing, and smudging. They came to understand that artists make thoughtful choices and persevere when making art. Javi utilized oil pastel blending throughout his figure. His drawing shows a young artist's interest in representing movement. Javi carefully and meticulously rendered the details on the figure's outfit, and included carefully drafted and placed accessories.
Sunset Owl Reina Ahn
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 79 Francis Lewis, Queens Art Teacher: Mary O'Donnell Acrylic paint and watercolor
Student: I want viewers to feel shocked like the owl is coming straight at them, trying to scare them with her eyes because they are her prey. I also want them to see all of my hard work. When I sketched my owl, it didn't have that much texture. So after I finished it with the watercolor I added more texture. I didn't have the right colors to copy the owl exactly, so I used a lot of different colors. My favorite part was painting the background because I like using a lot of different colors of paint. I like drawing new things. When I finish a drawing, it looks like a masterpiece.
Teacher: This lesson was based on observations of birds and their details. Students chose the bird they wanted to study and looked closely at its shape, proportion, and texture. They practiced with acrylic paint, using different sized brushes to create a variety of textural marks. They discussed the expressive way that artists use paint and color. Using watercolor, they practiced making different skies to see what effect they liked the most. For their backgrounds they were encouraged to use the paint in an expressive way to create a mood. Reina is a very quiet, shy girl. Receiving praise and encouragement, it was beautiful to see her coming out of her shell and to work so expressively.
Rainforest Fabiha Faiaj
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 35 Nathaniel Woodhull, Queens Art Teacher: Silvia Huggler Mixed-media collage
Student: I worked so hard on my rainforest collage. I was very proud when everything came together. I carefully had to plan out everything. I hope everyone who sees my work is proud of me. Art is fun to do. I like that I can experiment with different ideas and express myself through the arts. I hope that people are aware of how important the rainforest is. I want the viewer to think about that. I always pay attention to my art teacher, Ms. Huggler. We do a lot of different things in art. Nature and animals are very important to me. I hope the viewer will be thinking about our environment when they see my work.
Teacher: In their science class, students discussed the importance of the rainforest to wildlife. In the art room, to make their own rainforests, they studied children's book illustrators Eric Carle, Lois Ehlert, and Ezra Jack Keats, and explored the collage process. They began with a sketch, created of a variety of hand-made papers, and applied detailed layering and overlapping to create a collage of an endangered animal in its natural environment. Self and peer evaluation as well as class critiques were conducted throughout the unit. When Fabiha is making art, she is fully focused. She always tries to improve, and takes advice seriously. In her collage Fabiha was able to express the mystery and beauty of nature. Fabiha created a collage that shows balance, attention to detail, and conscientious color choices.
The Wolfman Elise Kim
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 376 Felisa Rincon de Gautier School of Technology, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Luna Velazquez Clay
Student: My wolf is friendly and goes to school. He lives on a different planet that has some similarities to Earth. I like to make art because I like to design my own characters and locations. I also like to draw things that were hard for me to draw at first, to see how I improved over time.
Teacher: The students were challenged to take an imaginative two-dimensional idea and turn it into a concrete form. They looked at Assyrian statues to inspire them and saw a video on The Met's website about the lamassu. The students sketched and turned the drawings into sculptural work. Students were challenged to make a stable construction. They pinched and pulled, used additive techniques, included actual texture, and added details. Finally, the students added color. I always attend the fall P.S. Art seminar at The Met, and would like to arrange a class visit for my students, many of whom have never been to the Museum.
Outside My School Window Kyle Chiu
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 101 The Verrazano, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Cynthia Russo Colored pencil and marker
Student: I want people to feel amazed and think that I am a great artist! Well, it's fun! I just like to do it. In my artwork I included a lot of details that I saw, and added some of my own.
Teacher: The enduring understanding of this unit was that artists use observation to recreate the world around them. It included studying the art of Jacob Lawrence, Faith Ringgold, and John Wenger. Students used Visual Thinking Strategies to analyze subject, mood, Elements of Art, technique, and artist's purpose. After making drawings of part of a masterwork, they looked out of classroom windows and made observational drawings of our neighborhood. The artwork was to demonstrate use of geometric shapes, defined background and foreground, inclusion of details, and implied texture. Kyle worked very hard on this project. He created an organized, visually exciting, and accurate rendering of what he observed.
Peaceful Brianna Wong
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 124 Yung Wing, Manhattan Art Teacher: Rebecca Riley Paper collage
Student: I made a picture to remind people to be calm and happy. I don't want them to argue or be angry. People should be calm and never give up. We could achieve our goals. I like art because I can use my imagination and make it my own way. I can draw or paint free with my imagination. This came from my imagination.
Teacher: Students created self-portrait collages that showed emotions. Our collage unit related to the school-wide emphasis on social-emotional awareness. They looked at art by Yue Min Jun, Jordan Casteel, Gustav Courbet, and Alice Neel to see the many ways portraits express emotion. They used mirrors to observe how emotions change their faces.They matched colors to emotions, and, discovering there are many variations within one color, used these variations to create contrasts. Students carefully selected tints and shades of the color associated with the emotion they wanted to illustrate. Brianna's collage stood out to me because of the dreamy way she captured the feeling of peace. Her inclusion of natural elements in the hair and the background emphasized this feeling of calm.
In the City Shadab Azad
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 36 Unionport, Bronx Art Teacher: Jason Holt Watercolor, marker, and pencil
Student: I want people to be curious about how I made this artwork. I hope they are interested in what I made. It was challenging to paint all the details. When I was painting the small buildings, sometimes I would mess up and the paint would go onto another building. I like making art because I can do so many different things. I can paint and draw. I also like to use clay. I am proud that I finished this artwork.
Teacher: Shadab's artwork was created in a visual narrative unit. We noticed that both artwork and stories can have characters and settings. We discovered that proportion and poses help our figures look realistic. We learned that details such as hands, hair, clothing, and facial expressions make our characters come to life. We used depth and details in the background and practiced our watercolor techniques to complete the work. Shadab showed great skill in envisioning and creating his story scene. His use of detail is especially noteworthy, as seen in his inclusion of the hoodie, the cats, and storefront signage. He was remarkably determined and persisted in realizing his vision.
Portrait of Frida Kahlo Brune Schotsaert
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 527 East Side School for Social Action, Manhattan Art Teacher: Jessica Clark Black marker and tempera paint on paper
Student: I want people to notice how the colors go together. All the colors stand for their own ideas. My artwork gives me a calm feeling.
Teacher: Students were shown the variety of materials in the painting center in our learner-directed art studio. After exploring brush and India ink techniques, Brune decided to create a portrait of Frida Kahlo, beginning with India ink and adding watercolor. She practiced Studio Habits of Mind as she envisioned, persisted, and developed her craft. Brune's work reflects the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Visual Arts performance indicators through her observation of detail, her rendering of detail, her use of contour line to define the facial features, and her ability to create a variety of visual textures through mark making (those eyelashes!). Brune thrives in our art studio, which offers students the opportunity to make artwork based on the inspiration of the moment. Brune was quite taken by Frida Kahlo, who is included on our artist wall, and it was wonderful to see her make her own choices about her artwork and work through challenges from start to finish.
Magnificent Forest Anh Nguyen
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 102 Bayview, Queens Art Teacher: Adela Leibowitz Acrylic paint and print on canvas
Student: I want people to feel happy about my artwork. I also want people to feel wonder and to be amazed. My artwork is magical, and it makes me joyful. I like to make art to make people feel different things about my work. I also like to blend and mix colors. I liked making tints and shades. Sometimes the values are light and sometimes the values are dark. Notice how my artwork has different colors in the background than in the foreground, to make it look real. The part that I enjoyed the most was when I painted the leaves.
Teacher: In my after-school club, students explored art by Faith Ringgold, Paul Gauguin, and Tyrus Wong. The students excelled and met fifth-grade printmaking performance indicators through their creative use of lines, shapes, and textures to draw, cut out, and incise an expressive monoprint. To apply the paint, I demonstrated how a range of brushes can make a variety of marks by dabbing and using dry brush, pressure, and twirling. I also demonstrated how to use tints and shades of primary and secondary colors to organize the background and the foreground. Anh didn't have formal art training before the third grade. Her shimmering trees, expressive paint application, and the addition of the rabbit enliven the magical night scene. Anh is deeply contemplative. Her art is transcendental and stunning.
Unity in Yoga Kimberly Chen
Grade: 4 School: P.S. 2 Meyer London, Manhattan Art Teacher: Amy Lee-Tai Oil pastel
Student: I hope people can feel calm and happy like the girls in my portrait. We're grateful to be ourselves together, although we have different personalities. I like to make art because it's fun and there's no limit to it. You can make anything into art and there's no wrong or right about it as long as you're trying your best to express yourself. This is a unity portrait of my friends and me doing yoga together. Everyone is unique, because they're doing different poses. Some friends are more flexible than others, but we all do yoga together. Annie is my most flexible friend, and she inspired me to write her name on the banner. Each person is special in my portrait because of their hairstyle, skin tone, and the color of their clothes. I wanted to show unity by drawing my friends with patterns that look unique, but feel similar.
Teacher: Students explored ways to represent a cause that brings people together. While looking at paintings by Synthia Saint James and Jacob Lawrence, they discussed reasons why groups of people choose to unite at certain times and their social impact. Students reflected on personal moments of unity. For inspiration, they photographed themselves renacting a moment. Students focused on color, space, pattern, and balance to create scenes of unity and diversity within a social environment. Kimberly expressed her love for doing yoga with her friends by using a color pattern. She created a happy sense of calm movement by changing the levels of figures in space.
Sunny Alebrije Litzi Sari
Grade: 4 School: Bronx Community Charter School, Bronx Art Teacher: Kendra Sibley Papier-mâché and acrylic paint
Student: When I make art I get to think about what I imagine and then make my dreams come true. You can try new things and make stuff that you've never tried before. Some people go through hard stuff and when they look at my sculpture the bright colors will make them happy. I think a rainbow means happiness and that is what people will think. My favorite parts are the wings. I made them with yogurt tops that were cut in half and taped them together. The ears were really tricky. It was hard to get them to stay in the shape I wanted. Finally, I stuffed newspaper inside and used lots of tape. I liked painting my sculpture because it was fun to blend the colors. I made sure to use colors that went well together.
Teacher: Students looked at traditional Mexican papier-mâché alebrijes [folk sculptures of fanastical creatures] created by Pedro Linares López and studied how he combines creatures to make these sculptures. Students drew imaginary creatures representing earth, wind, fire, and water, and built their sculptures using found objects. Litzi meticulously built a strong, balanced armature, layered papier-mâché, expertly painted her creature, and added well-planned designs that highlighted different features of her fantasy animal. She combined a variety of animal features in an expressive sculpture. She made excellent color decisions ensuring that analogous colors blended together in appealing ways.
The Queens Unisphere Anahita Haque
Grade: 4 School: P.S. 161 Arthur Ashe School, Queens Art Teacher: Debbie Rich Watercolor and marker
Student: I like to make art because I like to imagine things and put them down on paper. This is a painting of the Queens Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. I chose this New York City landmark because I live in Queens and I liked the picture I used for reference. I really liked drawing and painting this picture and it makes me feel happy when I look at it.
Teacher: Students were given a choice of four different New York City landmarks to draw and paint. They used photo references and then applied watercolor using a variety of painting techniques. Paintings were outlined using a black marker. To create a successful New York City landmark, their work was to include detail and texture, and demonstrate control of the paint media. Anahita caefully observed her visual reference and created a realistic representation of the Unisphere. She added artistic touches in the background, demonstrating attention to detail and imagination. Her excellent control of the brush is evident in her artwork. I am so proud of her work ethic and can't wait to see what's next!
The Look Yuan Yuan He
Grade: 4 School: P.S. 236 Mill Basin, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Natalie Rana Construction paper and glue
Student: I want the viewer to wonder about the expression on my face and what I am looking at. I want them to question why I chose this for my self-portrait. I think a person's curiosity is interesting because it leads them to many conclusions. This shy girl does have personality and is not always quiet. Her voice is heard despite being silent. This is shown by my wide-open mouth. My teacher suggested to use a collage-style technique to create visual texture in the self-portrait and I was inspired by this idea. I wanted my hair to look like it's flowing, so I ripped jagged pieces around the hairline to create that effect. Most importantly, I wanted to leave people guessing about the look on my face. I'm very passionate about art. I don't have to speak and I can let my hands do the talking. I am inspired by beautiful things and new and different ideas. I enjoy making sure every detail is included and that the kind of artwork I make is one that I am proud of.
Teacher: Students were introduced to the world of self-portraiture. They examined the self-portraits of various artists, including Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso, and focused on facial features and expression and visual texture. Students considered proportion and balance. Torn papers were used to create the individual. Yuan Yuan is a very shy girl who comes to life through her artwork. The precise rendering of her outline, followed by the careful overlapped placement of each torn paper, demonstrates her meticulous artistic process. In her self-portrait she purposely depicts herself as looking away and not directly at the viewer.
Jungle Jocelyn Cao
Grade: 4 School: The Queens College School for Math, Science, and Technology, Queens Art Teacher: Hana Hwang Oil pastel
Student: I put a lot of effort into creating my jungle, and I want people to think about what might happen if they were inside this jungle. Art is fun and it takes my mind off of other things.
Teacher: Students explored the jungles of Henri Rousseau before they created their own. They began with observational drawings of plant still lifes and elaborated upon these by designing landscapes that were dense and full. Students created their jungles with a sense of perspective, distinguishing foreground, middleground, and background and varying the hues and sizes of the plants. Jungles are habitats that I would preferably avoid, but Jocelyn's landscape is one that I would gladly step into and explore. I know I would be fascinated by the gradations in the plants, the neon vines, and the animals that take residence in her trees.
Boroughscape Evan Konstantinidis
Grade: 5 School: P.S. 193 Alfred J. Kennedy, Queens Art Teacher: Alexandra Budnick Copic marker on paper
Student: We all have our own ways of seeing the city. It is the greatest city through the eyes of others. I want viewers to feel excited by all of the brightly colored buildings and characters, and think about all of the different people and places in New York City. I want viewers to notice the characters at the bottom of my drawing, and how they represent the people of New York. When I am drawing, I feel free and able to express my inner emotions and creativity. I want to inspire others with my art. I believe that all art can show emotion. I enjoy using new materials, trying new techniques, and learning about new artists. I like looking at other artists' work and getting inspired by them.
Teacher: Students created cityscapes of boroughs in New York City. They looked at landmarks and architecture throughout the city, learning about neighborhoods scattered throughout the boroughs. They explored the artwork of Stephen Wiltshire and Charles Fazzino. They began their sketches focusing on foreground, middle ground, and background. The foreground was to show the neighborhood that held the most memories for the student, and the middle ground and background were to depict neighborhoods they found interesting. Evan showed enthusiasm and persistence as he worked. He created several sketches and experimented with watercolor and colored pencil. He didn't feel satisfied with these media. Evan had a pencil case full of Copic markers and I suggested that he experiment with them. Evan found this project inspiring and introduced me and the rest of the class to one of his favorite artists, Vexx. I can see how Evan's cityscape was inspired by Vexx, and he whimsically incorporated the artist's style into his own.
Cat Leo Ortino
Grade: 5 School: P.S. 39 Henry Bristow, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Lynn Bernstein Charcoal and pencil
Student: I hope you feel lazy and dreamy when you look at this. This took a lot of time and perseverance and I made some mistakes. It was hard to find the values, especially with the whiskers. Still, making art is fun; you think of an idea and put it down on paper.
Teacher: I equated working with charcoal to sculpting. I explained to my students that the charcoal is like a chisel, the paper like marble, and the darker the shadow, the harder you needed to press the charcoal. They looked at Michelangelo's sculptures of captives and saw how they could look at marble sculptures through the lens of value. His statues inspired them to carefully work the charcoal. Students explored vine charcoal and kneaded erasers, learning how to develop values. They chose from a wide variety of black and white images that would make interesting value studies. After reading eighteenth-century artists' texts describing the process, they scaled up their reference images using a grid. Leo's drawing demonstrates close and careful observation and the ability to capture the essence of his subject. He trusted what he saw, not what he thought should be there. Leo has a nuanced feel for charcoal, and understood how to keep it on the surface of the paper rather than rubbing it into the grain of the fiber. He used his kneaded eraser as a drawing tool to describe volume and infer line. The work exudes ease and confidence.
Celebration Brianna Ponce
Grade: 5 School: P.S. 76 The Bennington School, Bronx Art Teacher: Lawrence Dobens Watercolor and marker on paper
Student: I like the way the paint feels and how you can add layers of colors to make your work look and feel different. I love to use the materials and supplies. I am always asking myself what I need to do to make my work come out right. I feel safe when I am with my family because they support me. When I was making this painting, I was thinking about all the fun we had at a big New Year's celebration at my aunt and uncle's house. All the people in my picture are my family and friends. We had lots of food and a DJ and everything. I wanted my work to show how it feels to be with family. I worked hard to recreate the scene. I had to do practice drawing to get the pose right, and then I outlined it. I feel proud and happy with how it turned out.
Teacher: Students worked on figures in motion. They drew skeletons doing ordinary things, emphasizing the movement of the elbows and knees. These were painted with watercolor using black paint only. They studied works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, including The Blind Leading the Blind and The Peasant Wedding. Students created final compositions considering how the movement of figures could be determined by what they were doing or thinking. I was struck by the sophistication of Brianna's work. Each figure is individualized in the space, and the motivation behind their movement is clear. I am charmed by the young girl looking after the child in the picture. Brianna explained that this figure is she looking after her cousin. Notice the trio of dogs lined up in perfect perspective. The picture is a deeply remembered experience, and by Brianna bringing it to life, I remember and experience time spent with my own family.
A Surprise Heart for Me Shayera Lawson
Grade: 5 School: P.S. M811 Mickey Mantle School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Danielle Aronson Oil pastel and tempera paint
Student: I want people to know about my secret heart and feel happy. I want to be a famous artist. I want people to think about hearts and love. Painting makes me feel relaxed. When I make art, I feel good.
Teacher: The lesson, part of a warm and cool color unit, was inspired by Jim Dine's heart paintings and sculptures. Students used art vocabulary, looked at and discussed masterworks, and engaged in student-to-student feedback techniques to develop their artwork. They made sketches to plan out their ideas and gave each other feedback before using oil pastel and tempera paint for their final artwork. Shayera works hard to produce quality work with a definite style. I always know when a piece of art is hers without even seeing the name. This work is colorful with interesting layers and textures. Shayera is always willing to provide helpful feedback to her peers. Whether in the classroom or during a class trip to The Met, she gravitates toward abstract artists. Although Shayera can be shy, she loves getting attention for her artwork. She feels very confident as an artist. I hope that confidence and the skills she is learning in the art room will lend themselves to her other classes and other aspects of her life.
In Memory of My Uncle Kevin Flores
Grade: 5 School: P.S. 178 The Professor Juan Bosch School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Carmen Gomez Colored pencil and drawing
Student: My uncle, who passed away, knew how to draw and it inspired me to make art. This is a picture of my uncle, who I was really close to. If you lose someone special do not be sad because they are in a better place and they will be taking care of you from wherever they are. I would like people to think about the meaning of my artwork, and that it took me a long time to create. It is one of my favorite works of art. I used colored pencils and a drawing pencil. The first thing I did was the face and then continued doing the eyes, nose, and mouth. Then I thought of the colors I would use.
Teacher: This work was the result of a unit on self-portraits. The objectives were to draw from observation and to learn about value and shading. Students learned how to create visual textures using techniques such as hatching, crosshatching, stippling, and smudging. Instead of using a mirror to make his self-portrait, Kevin wanted to work from a photograph because he wanted to draw his uncle. Art became a vehicle for him to honor his uncle. Given that Kevin decided to work on a portrait of his uncle instead of a self-portrait, I felt he was expressing his artist's voice. He chose his own subject matter and made the work based on his own interest. It is important that students take the lessons we teach beyond the concepts and techniques. By adding personal choices to his artwork, and drawing about something important to him, he found this assignment meaningful.
The Giraffe Harlow Rich
Grade: 5 School: Brooklyn Arbor Elementary School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Laurie Marcus Collage
Student: When people look at my artwork, I would like them to feel joyful and curious about what animal they might use to represent themselves. In this piece, I am the person in the middle. The dots around the giraffe and me are meant to represent stars. The stars give a sense of imagination. I chose a giraffe because we have a lot in common; we are both tall, social, and fond of the color yellow. When I get stressed out with homework, I like to pull out a notebook and start to write words in special fonts, or just doodle. I love working on a piece of art for a long time and when I finish it, it makes me feel accomplished.
Teacher: Our self-portrait unit requires students to create two versions of themselves—one observed and another imagined. Interweaving these two versions into a single composition is conceptually challenging. Tearing shapes requires students to incorporate an element of unpredictability into their work. Harlow started by intensely focusing on her face in the mirror, capturing its details though close observation. Small scraps of recycled paper were used to create her magnificent shirt. Ordinary hole-punched circles were used to transform the background into a magical space. In order to incorporate an imagined version of herself, Harlow created a giraffe-like creature growing out of her head. It is literally springing from her imagination.
Pulled Away Melaku Beaulieu
Student: In the beginning, you start out with a blank piece of paper and after you finish whatever you're making you end up with a piece of art that you can keep and love. I made this collage of a ghost pulling me away from everything. It represents how I feel sometimes—overwhelmed, confused, scared, and not knowing what to do. I hope you like this piece of art. I want you to think and feel however you want to think and feel. I hope people who see it will challenge themselves to make a collage about how they feel.
Teacher: For our self-portrait unit students created one observed and one imagined portrait. Melaku started with an intense focus in the mirror, capturing the details of his face through close observation. He spent a lot of time thinking about his imaginary self and his setting. He worked through several ideas and his final work is a product of an extended process of introspection. It takes great courage and imagination to create a self-portrait that embodies both inner and outer states with such concise imagery.
Moonlit Birch Trees Jun Chao Lin
Grade: 5 School: P.S. 105 The Blythebourne, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Dino Deascentiis Digital art using the Procreate App
Student: I want viewers to imagine that they are in the painting. If you practice something you love to do, you will one day be successful at it. I like to make art because it makes me and other people happy.
Teacher: We began this lesson by looking at images of snow-covered birch trees. The reaction from my students was priceless: living in the big city prompted interesting reactions because they had never seen a birch tree. Jun's work was amazing and he gave it his all. It was an honor for me to choose his artwork among many students' work. He is so thrilled to have his artwork displayed in a museum. It is a dream of his.
The Burning Ship Ilan Contreras-Glass
Grade: 5 School: P.S. 32 Samuel Mills Sprole, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Ava Cotlowitz Charcoal on paper
Student: I've been interested in disasters for a long time, and I like making art about them. I like expressing my ideas through art and trying out most techniques! Some of you might mistake this for the Titanic because the way the ship is sinking forward is the same way the Titanic sank. However, this artwork is not about a specific event. I want you to think about the power of the ocean, but also to feel bad for the people who are on the ship that is sinking, and wonder about the people who are escaping. It might interest people to know that I used charcoal instead of regular colored pencil or marker. I chose charcoal so I could distinguish between what was light and dark.
Teacher: After an extensive exploration of drawing tools, students looked at eight artists whose work demonstrated unusual uses of material and unique styles. Students were asked to choose an artwork that inspired them and create an imaginative interpretation of what they observed. Ilan was inspired by Jim Dine's Glyptotek Drawing 12, a charcoal rendering of a hunting hound. Ilan described his interest in how Dine used charcoal to create contrast and visual texture. Motivated by these properties of charcoal, Ilan set out to create a drawing in a subject area he has immense interest in—disasters. Ilan dedicates much of his artistry to interpreting disasters—natural , technological, and man-made—through the lens of the media and techniques we study in the art room. I am proud of Ilan for combining his adept understanding of the elements of art, mastery of material, and clear artistic voice in The Burning Ship.
My Future Julian Cuevas
Grade: 5 School: P.S. 536, Bronx Art Teacher: Keshma Benjamin Watercolor
Student: Whenever I finish sketching or making a work of art I say, "Wow, I can't believe I just made a good masterpiece." I will have a bright future and a beautiful family. I like to make art because it makes me happy and lets me be creative. I want people to feel happy when they look at my work, and be inspired to create their own art.
Teacher: Throughout the year we were working on the theme A Closer Look at Self, in preparation for our end-of-the-year art show. We discussed why artists create self-portraits and what we can learn about an artist from their work. Students created selfies that became the inspirations for their paintings. They decided what they wanted the portraits to tell viewers about them. Using the medium of their choice, they experimented with mixing and layering colors to create skin tones. They created meaning in their work through color choices and the depiction of themselves with accompanying backgrounds. Students wrote artist's statements to explain their artistic process. My Future is a true reflection of Julian's personality. The lines in his portrait reflect his train of thought, and the colors embody his calm, reserved personality as an artist. The title of his work shows that Julian's future can take him anywhere. He owns each project with his creative interpretation.
The Dance of the Sunflower Nikol Hoxha
Grade: 6 School: Urban Institute of Mathematics, Bronx Art Teacher: Michelle Ocasio Watercolor
Student: I think that feedback is what shaped my piece. Ms. Ocasio, my art teacher, has helped from start to finish this year. She gave me the idea to spread the sunflower's leaves to make them look like they are on fire or alive. She is always pushing me and expanding what I know and think about art. Being an artist makes me feel capable of doing anything. Art relaxes me and makes me unique. The one challenge I faced creating The Dance of the Sunflower was being afraid that it wouldn't look natural. I told myself, if I'm going to do this piece the way I think of it in my mind, the only way to make it look realistic and free-looking is to let my heart and soul take over when I'm coloring it.
Teacher: The lesson was titled Georgia O'Keeffe–Inspired Watercolor Flowers. Students were encouraged to draw big, bright, up-close, and simple. They had to choose one of the color schemes we explored in class as part of the unit on color theory. They also had to demonstrate effective use of watercolor. Nikol's composition incorporated all of the specifics of the assignment. In addition, her piece seemed to freely flow from the depths of her imagination. The simplicity of the sunflower draws you in. I can almost feel the sunflower dancing, inspired by the title it was given by the artist.
Preventing Climate Change Shaina Jacob
Grade: 6 School: Irwin Altman Middle School 172, Queens Art Teacher: Harriet Sohn Digital photograph
Student: Being an artist taught me to be more observant and to fully appreciate the small things in life. As a child, I had a speech delay which resulted in a lack of self-confidence. Being an artist has helped me to be more vocal and to have greater confidence in myself. Art injects beauty into a world that otherwise would be mundane. A blend of imagination and reality can influence the way people think and live. My photography teacher always has a positive attitude and that has influenced the ideas I have for my artwork. I found beauty in this tree with a chain wrapped around it. The work is titled Preventing Climate Change because I wanted to convey a bold message.
Teacher: Working in our after-school Digital Photography program, students come to understand that by applying their imagination, photography is a way to interpret the world in a distinctive manner. Students were asked to take photographs of nature in their surrounding neighborhoods. Shania captured a powerful photograph and, using software, enhanced the look of the tree to represent her theme. Climate change will impact students like Shania and her fellow students as they become adults.
Working Around the Clock Sarah Zhang
Grade: 6 School: J.H.S. 74 Nathaniel Hawthorne, Queens Art Teacher: Andrew Zaben India ink
Student: Often there is a deeper meaning of a work of art to the artist than what meets the eye. I always try to have a unique perspective on things. Mr. Zaben has taught me techniques using different types of media. He also taught me that artists fight against tunnel vision and helped me grow as an artist. At first, it was difficult to control the flow of the ink. The ink pen often splattered ink at random moments. After trial and error, I realized it's best to be patient and work slowly, as Mr. Zaben taught us.
Teacher: Students had learned to draw human proportions from real life. For this project they learned to draw clothing realistically. School staff posed as students drew in their sketchbooks. One sketch was chosen and depth, perspective, and background were added. Using tracing paper, the students transferred their images onto heavier paper. They created mirror images, and used ink to outline and create solid black areas to balance the composition. Sarah mastered the technique, creating a very relatable subject matter: losing track of time while involved with a task. I look at it and think of this poor guy working day and night, having no time for anything until the job is completed.
Tree of Dreams Viktoriia Iugai
Grade: 6 School: P.S. 49 Dorothy Bonawit Kole, Queens Art Teacher: Magali Ortiz Acrylic paint and India ink
Student: When I first started drawing, I learned I could express myself. I drew the emotions that I felt and let my stress out on paper. I wasn't sure if my art was good enough and wasn't sure if it looked good. I didn't like it at first, but my teacher helped me to fix it the way I wanted it. She showed me my mistakes and how I could fix them. I think I did my best, and next time I will try even harder.
Teacher: Students created monochromatic winter paintings. They were provided with only blue, black, and white acrylic paint. Prior to painting, the students created value scales of tints, shades, and tones. They learned to create the sense of space, clearly defining background, middle ground, and foreground, and considering scale and overlapping. Although all students had the same instruction and materials, each winter landscape was unique. I was inspired by Viktoriia's layering technique and her ability to create so many different values of blue. The addition of the lanterns, which Viktoriia referred to as dreams, added a fairytale quality to her work.
Wondering Woman Astrid Held
Grade: 6 School: J.H.S. 104 Simon Baruch, Manhattan Art Teacher: Sarah Rosenblum Terracotta
Student: I really struggled with making the shape of the mouth correctly. I also struggled with the texture of the hair. But my art teacher made a difference in my creative development by helping me learn how to work in this new medium, and I got good at it!
Teacher: To create a three-dimensional portrait, students first learned the basic proportions of the human face and head. Using photographs as visual references, students examined the unique proportions and features of a particular person. Students looked carefully and continuously compared their sculpture to the photographs to capture in clay the details that make an individual unique. Astrid's portrait demonstrates her observational skills and understanding of the medium. She captured the expression of the face and the volume and texture of the hair in a way that is truly captivating.
Feeling Sleepy Ayla Ikezawa
Grade: 7 School: Middle School Arts Audition Boot Camp Art Teacher: Katherine Huala and Jamie Powell Oil pastel and colored pencil on paper
Student: I view sunsets as nature, but also as art. As an artist, I see things in interesting and creative ways. I appreciate the different colors in nature flawlessly blending together. This gives me ideas for my artwork. My art teachers played a role in my creative development by introducing me to new materials, such as Micron pens, sumi ink, and charcoal. They taught me how to complete a piece so I can present my work at its best. A challenge I faced making this artwork was the way I used my materials. I combined colored pencils and oil pastels which was challenging because I never did this before. Colored pencils were used for the little details and it blended nicely with the oil pastels.
Teacher: In the Middle School Arts Audition Boot Camp students learned oil pastel skills and techniques to create varied line quality and visual textures. Close observation and sustained investigation were essential components of rendering the subject. Ayla's drawing is a fine example of representing a subject in a novel way, and using art materials with purpose and invention. Midway through the drawing Ayla realized that oil pastels would not be enough for the detail she wanted. Independently, she began rendering the chameleon's tail with colored pencils and was able to achieve the nuances she was after.
Ayla is an exceptional thinker and artist. Her ability to transform the everyday through her artist's eyes is quite remarkable. Her imagination takes the mundane to the magical. It is evident from the pulsating quality of her work that Ayla thrives in the process of making pictures. "Surprise," "joy," and "vision" are all ways that we would describe this young artist and her work.
Violet Vera Annabella McHale
Grade: 7 School: J.H.S. 67 Louis Pasteur, Queens Art Teacher: Georgia Daskarolis Mixed-media collage
Student: I am proud of my artistic accomplishments and of the recognition that I have received. Through art making, I learn and explore new things. When I embrace a theme and interpret, it I genuinely feel excited. My art teacher, Ms. Daskarolis, has guided me, offered support, and encouraged my independent approach to art projects. While assembling my mixed-media collage, the process was tedious and exhausting, but I persevered and I was really pleased with the end result!
Teacher: Students used photographs for inspiration and custom-mixed and painted adhesive paper. They assembled the painted paper into impressionistic collages and created unity through color. It was inspiring for me to watch Annabella patiently assemble her landscape collage. To create her violet-toned interpretation of her natural environment, she painted a variety of colors for her collage, and cut the papers piece by piece with great attention to detail. She created a balanced composition and created atmospheric depth in her work.
Milky Way Raiyan Inan
Grade: 7 School: M.S. 51 William Alexander, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Amy Flatow Digital C-Print
Student: Being an artist gives me a real direction, and in the future I may focus on art as a career. Without the art teacher I have, I don't think I would've had so much of an interest in photography. It really helps when there are great teachers in these subjects. They make the classes fun. I faced many challenges trying to get the shots I like. Photoshop is a bit hard to learn when it gets to very specific aspects and per-pixel accuracy during editing. Getting correct exposures in dark places was also difficult, but my photography classes really helped with this.
Teacher: When students first learn photography, they learn analog photography only. First, they are given strict technical constraints, such as keeping shutter speeds above 1/60th of a second, so that they learn to control manual settings. Students were asked to break with these constraints and explore the technical fringes of photographic possibilities. They were given the prompt to explore photography above 1/250th of a second to achieve stop action, and anything under 1/4 of a second to achieve blur and/or reciprocity failure. Students delved into light drawings, action photography, and photographing landscapes and the stars. Raiyan draws science and technical elements into his photography. When he faces technical problems, he asks questions to push the challenge further. Raiyan went out to the Hamptons just to explore the stars and long exposures. His commitment to photographic and astrological exploration makes his general work, and this photograph in particular, stand out.
Portrait of My Friend Marc Sidonie Burtinovic-Letman
Grade: 7 School: P.S. 370 Jim Thorpe, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Lisa Pines Watercolor and marker on paper
Student: Everyone at school likes looking at my pictures. I usually draw from my imagination, but in Art Group we focus on observational drawing. I chose to draw Marc because he is Student Government President of my school. I learned to look closely, then drew what I saw. Miss Lisa and I looked at many different things to draw before I decided on my subject. She shows me how to use watercolors and teaches me different drawing and painting techniques.
Teacher: The focus in our Art Enrichment Group has been on developing a drawing skill tool box and learning to work effectively with watercolor. In her portrait of Marc, Sidonie chose to draw a classmate who she has drawn several times as they serve on Student Government together. Her sustained observation inspired by her interest in drawing her schoolmate has opened up a whole new world for this very engaged art student who had always drawn from her imagination. In Portrait of My Friend Marc, Sidonie has created an uncanny likeness of her classmate that effectively communicates his personality.
Tranquil at Sunrise Rachel Zhang
Grade: 7 School: J.H.S. 194 William Carr, Queens Art Teacher: Lauren Sabatini-Cabrera Watercolor
Student: Art is a way I can express myself freely without fear of failure. It has helped me grow as a student and a person. In Mrs. Cabrera's class we learn new skills and can be creative. She teaches us about new artists and new techniques, keeping us inspired and always ready to learn. I love that we have the freedom to choose our subjects, and often our materials. While painting Tranquil at Sunrise I found that it was hard to control the watery path of the paint. I struggled with the perspective and rendering of the pier to make it look old. Eventually I succeeded. I especially like the natural mixing of the watercolors in the sky and water.
Teacher: Exploration began with looking at paintings done in watercolor and discussing the creation of different effects. Students practiced watercolor techniques and created a smaller painting while I modeled each step. After choosing their subjects they wrote out their plans for painting. Rachel is a wonderful student who always strives to overcome each struggle. With each painting her skills improved as she worked to figure out the complexity of working in watercolors.
Chained Down Addison Saji
Grade: 7 School: M.S. 255 Salk School of Science, Manhattan Art Teacher: Heather Drayzen Pen and ink wash
Student: The same old hummus place, or the weird clothing store that had been there forever, never struck me as interesting. I would pass them every day without even glancing at them. Then I started to dive deep into art. Now, everything from the logo of the barber shop to the colors of the flowers at the little bodega spark inspiration. I realize that if you look at the world in a certain way, everything is art. My art teacher cultivated my passion for art. I never dreamed that I would start to take art seriously until the day I found an email from my art teacher encouraging me to join an after-school art program. I wanted to convey the different lights and darks of the piece using just black ink and water. Adding washes and highlights to a piece of art is not always easy, but it adds another layer of complexity and depth to the painting, which is super cool! I had to remind myself it is not possible for anything to be done in one try. To keep improving, you have to keep working hard and you have to be patient.
Teacher: Addison's drawing is from a lesson on contour line, mark-making techniques, and composition. Students focused on line variation and the creation of value through stippling, cross-hatching, and hatching. Addison created a wide range of values. She took a risk by applying the wash in the background. She handles all her work with enthusiasm and confident energy. This work showcases Addison's fearless approach to making art. She is a dedicated and talented young artist.
Kitty Cat Frinee Guevara
Grade: 7 School: Bronx Community Charter School Art Teacher: Kendra Sibley Scratchboard
Student: Art is an expression, a way of being. I draw because the saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and that inspires me. Kendra challenges me with new works of art and new techniques. The biggest challenge is knowing that with scratchboard, you can't make a mistake and erase it. That made me nervous! I was most comfortable with one scratch art tool that I learned how to use really well. Starting with the lightest values helped, because if I made a mistake it didn't matter as much. From there I was able to get comfortable making darker values.
Teacher: Students in elective art class completed a drawing inspired by the drawings of Georges Seurat. They created shapes using value, but no outlines or hard edges. They completed the same exercise using a variety of lines to create shapes without outlines and edges. Finally, they explored the challenges of working with reverse value and used a variety of new tools on the scratchboard. Frinee used an extensive range of values to communicate volume and form. She created visual textures with a variety of lines and showed an impressive command of reverse value and scratchboard techniques.
Art Legend Jose Velasquez
Grade: 7 School: P.S. 77, District 75, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Amie Robinson Marker
Student: I am an art legend because making art makes me feel proud. This is a portrait of me painting. It has a palette with all of the colors of the rainbow on it. I love to create rainbows because I love all of the colors. Drawing makes me happy and I like to have free time to work in my sketchbook. I am going to paint a giant rainbow on the wall of our school. My mural will be beautiful.
Teacher: Jose created this drawing as part of our unit on how artists portray themselves in the creative process. Jose was immediately drawn to a self-portrait by the artist Jacob Lawrence in which the artist, holding paintbrushes and surrounded by colorful paintings, seems to invite the viewer into his studio with a smile. Jose learned more about the artist; he was inspired by Lawrence's color palette and carefully chose the colors that he wanted to use by meticulously laying out each marker on a color wheel. We were just about to start a large mural before schools closed [due to the pandemic]. In his self-portrait Jose proudly holds paintbrushes in his hand and poses in front of a brick wall, ready to paint his rainbow design.
I am American Sayma Ahmed Maya Murdakhayev
Grade: 8 School: P.S./I.S. 178 Holliswood, Queens Art Teacher: Marisa Guglietta Acrylic paint
Students: Being artists has made a difference in our lives because it gives us a way to express ourselves. Art helps us channel our creativity. We love experimenting with different media; it gives us another way to represent ourselves. Our art teacher, Ms. G, guides us through the process of creating an art piece. She gives us critiques, and praises us for the things we did well. Ms. G assigns tasks that challenge us and make us better artists. While creating this artwork, a few of the facial features were difficult to render. However, with a lot of practice, trial and error, and feedback, we were able to create the face just as we wanted it to be.
Teacher: Students studied proportion, the creation of shadows, and color combinations to create their portraits. They discussed the diversity of the American identity. Shayma and Maya worked in unison and complimented each other's strengths. They created a work that celebrates American identity and demonstrates working in harmony to achieve a common goal.
Fierce Ian O'Hara
Grade: 8 School: J.H.S. 194 William Carr, Queens Art Teacher: Lauren Sabatini-Cabrera Acrylic paint
Student: Being an artist allows me to showcase my talent, express myself through art, and impact people. I can create tangible objects that are a representation of my uniqueness. My art teacher taught me different techniques and showed me new media. There were challenges that intimidated me, and my art teacher modeled and explained how I could tackle an unfamiliar task with confidence.
It was a challenge to render the American bald eagle using tiny dots. Depth and perception were important parts of an accurate portrayal. Learning optical mixing (putting colors together that when seen from a distance look like another color) was also a challenge.
Teacher: We studied Georges Seurat and then experimented with the idea of optical mixing. We also researched Georgia O'Keeffe and her paintings of the beauty in nature. Each student chose an image from the natural world that inspired them. Students were encouraged to create tints and shades, using dots to create the depth and value needed. Over the three years Ian has been in my art class he has developed his skills and grown tremendously. He is currently applying for art high schools and considering what areas of art he would like to pursue for his career.
Solitary Isabel Bruce
Grade: 8 School: M.S. 51 William Alexander, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Amy Flatow Digital C-Print
Student: Being an artist taught me to put all my anxieties and stresses into the back of my head. It's made a difference in my life because now I'm able to bring that element of calm into other aspects of life.
Ms. Flatow has been an influential role in my creative development. She always wants us to push ourselves and to do work that means something to us. This photo was shot in Portland, Oregon, in my grandparents' kitchen. I struggled with finding time alone in a very busy house, filled with my loving family. The kitchen is always lively and a very happy place for me. It's a communal place, filled with strangers, friends, and family.
Teacher: Selfies, expressions of self-portraiture, are overused in social media and pop culture. Students departed from this superficial version of themselves to delve deeper. They turned cameras on themselves to represent their interiority as artists and young adults. Students explored photographers Deanna Lawson, Francesca Woodman, Vivian Maier, Liu Bolin, William Wegman, Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, Nikki S. Lee, and others. We were inspired by a statement from Deanna Lawson: "It's an occasion for the artist to construct her representation through her own medium, be it a camera or a paintbrush or what have you. It's an opportunity to declare who you are visually and who you aspire to be. A selfie is a smaller branch of self-portraiture—quick and less considered. A self-portrait considers the interiority of the artist; it's a moment for self-reflection, to pause, and to look at yourself."
The Land Victoria Kaczmarek
Grade: 8 School: I.S. 119 The Glendale, Queens Art Teacher: Laura Klein Book paper and glue
Student: Being an artist allows me to express myself and be creative in ways I could not do otherwise. It has also helped me to view the world from a different perspective and escape into a world of art. My art teacher suggested I use the lighter and darker pages of my book to create tonal differences in the sculptural objects, and to secure the pages together in the back of the book using glue. Some challenges included making the trees and the house on such a small scale. Another problem I experienced was cutting the paper at the base of the book to create the look of hills or a landscape.
Teacher: Students chose a book whose contents could be used to create a literary sculpture. They were challenged to use various ripping, folding, cutting, and curling techniques to create form with this unconventional art medium. Artists used any part of the book to inspire their creation: the title, one word, or an excerpt from a chapter. Book art is used in contemporary settings today, including store fronts, musical theater, and museums. This project allows students to think outside the box. The amount of detail that Victoria included in her artwork is incredible. She works independently, with purpose, and creates artwork beyond the level of a middle school student.
Focus Norma Pace
Grade: 8 School: Lower Manhattan Community Middle School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Donna Tran Graphite
Student: With the pressures of expectations and standards, it's hard to find simple pleasure in drawing like I used to. But I must free myself and find what I love to draw, and what I love about drawing.
Ms. Tran plays a large role in my creative development. She gives us challenging art projects, inspiring me to think and work outside of my boundaries. This is a drawing of the artist Billie Eilish. I draw her a lot, trying to capture the look perfectly. This project was my first drawing done on a grid. It was a new experience for many of us, and was a bit difficult. Now that time has passed since I drew this, I see flaws in the drawing, but it is pretty good for a first try.
Teacher: Students recreated portraits of their favorite idols. They used graphite pencils, blending stubs, erasers, rulers, and a viewerfinder created as a drawing guide. Students learned how to grid up their drawing. They demonstrated their understanding of applying a range of values to describe volume and form. Norma's drawing reflects a great level of mastery attained through her appplication of the Principles of Design and her use of materials. She expertly used blending techniques to achieve a range of light to dark shadows and a range of highlights. Focus demonstrates Norma's deep attention to detail, expression and ambiance.
My Neighborhood Claudine Sopchak
Grade: 8 School: M.S. 51 William Alexander, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Andrew Hornberger Drawing pencil on paper
Student: I love to draw on my own time, so I try to make art assignments and projects as much fun as possible. My art teacher has helped me with the basics of art, like learning how to shade properly and getting proportions correct. He encouraged me to be more creative. I really improved both my technique and my ability to use my imagination. Most of the challenges I faced were with accuracy and proportions. I used a technique that my art camp teacher taught me—measuring the angles and matching it up to a point. After that, the outcome was more accurate and precise.
Teacher: I invited my students to pay close attention to the neighborhood, how it looks and who lives there. They were introduced to American Regionalists, who explored the community in which they lived. In this large, ambitious work, Claudine explored her neighborhood from the sidewalk looking down the street. She did an amazing job rendering each building in a wide range of tones and in great detail. I have worked with Claudine for three years. Her progress and dedication have been extraordinary. I appreciate her inclusion of two individuals on the sidewalk who lead our eye through the picture, but also add a storyline. Take note of the various building levels indicating the complexity of the space.
Paddington Station Hussein Namer
Grade: 8 School: P.S. 370, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Lisa Pines Ink on paper
Student: Although I enjoyed drawing this picture, the level of detail took hard work and lots of focused concentration.
Teacher: Hussein has always been interested in drawing complicated patterns. He has an uncanny ability to use multiple patterns to create a coherent picture. After sifting through many photographs of train stations Hussein chose to work from a photograph of London's Paddington Station. He spent may weeks carefully drawing the lines and patterns that make up the image. This amazing drawing of Paddington Station invites the viewer to carefully study the picture and pick out specific images. For example, there are two trains on either side of the picture which Hussein chose to depict as if they were flat. Talk about your amazing details—it's just a brilliant drawing.
Colorblock Gloria Miller
Grade: 8 School: I.S. 2 George L. Egbert, Staten Island Art Teacher: Suzanne Berkovitz Acrylic paint
Student: I love art. It is something that I plan on as my profession. It is not just a hobby. My family supports me in this and makes sure I have the supplies that I need to paint and draw. Mrs. Berkovitz is always honest with me about how to improve, and she tells me when she is really impressed with my work. I had some difficulty blending the colors to get the right skin tone. I just worked until I was happy with the results.
Teacher: This is part of a portfolio-building project. Students created three pieces that best represented some aspect of themselves. They used the same medium and theme in all the pieces. Each student needed to have a plan mapped out with preliminary sketches before beginning their art portfolios. They conferenced with me to discuss which direction they wanted to go. Gloria achieved so much this year, constantly working on sketches or planning out her next piece. She is always thinking ahead about what she would like to accomplish. She truly loves to create and I feel that her artwork shows evidence of that.
Self-Portrait: R Lin Wang
Grade: 9 School: Stuyvesant High School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Karen Leo Graphite on paper
Student: Because art is subjective as a form of self-expression, every line, stroke, and shape can take on a unique purpose and meaning. As an artist, I find myself analyzing my surroundings and situations in detail. I have become more open to different ideas and perspectives from the people around me. Ms. Leo has awakened my artistic interest through her engaging lessons and kind encouragement. She exposes us to a wide range of artistic expression. Ms. Leo provided honest feedback that aided in the completion of Self-Portrait: R. I felt overwhelmed by the vast emptiness of the paper and I was concerned about achieving perfection with every grid. With feedback from Ms. Leo and my friends, I focused and completed the piece to the best of my ability.
Teacher: Our class is a combination of art history and studio art. The portrait unit included studying both traditional and contemporary art and art movements in a variety of cultures. Students identified strategies artists expressively use to communicate ideas about identity and power. Students produced their own self-portraits by starting with a staged "selfie" that served as a reference for the drawing. We used the grid method, studied facial proportions, and practiced a variety of shading and mark-making skills while preparing for the final piece. Lin's portrait is striking due to her remarkable drawing skills and the intimate mood of her composition. She is alone in a subway station, deep in thought. The dancing tile mosaic, her body language, and far-off gaze create a portrait of a girl rooted in reality but alive with imagination.
My Expression of Music Joshua Fletcher
Grade: 9 School: Clara Barton High School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Annamarie Morgera Prismacolor pencil and Sharpie
Student: As an artist, I am able to express myself and to inspire others to express their individualism. Ms. Morgera encourages me to continue exploring my artistic ability. I did a series of tests before I applied the final colors so I could be confident with my choices, and it seemed to work out.
Teacher: Students worked on creating personal narratives through art. Joshua's artwork takes the viewer deep into his imagination to show how music inspires him daily. The trumpet's music notes joyfully dance around the composition, allowing the viewer to almost hear music! Joshua used a primary color scheme to unify the piece. He carefully applied colored pencil, creating a solid burnishing technique. The most awe-inspiring area of Josh's artwork is, without question, the transformation of piano keys into a bionic hand of musical power! I am fascinated with Joshua's originality, natural sense of scale, and application of colored pencil.
Lower Manhattan Daniel Niclas
Grade: 9 School: Clara Barton High School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Annamarie Morgera Drawing pencil
Student: I first began creating artwork when I was very young. Ms. Morgera helped me see what details needed more attention and helped me think through areas I was stuck on. She taught me what to do to make my artwork more complete. It was a challenge connecting the left side of the artwork to the middle, but I created bridges to solve that. I was unsure how to fill the blank areas, but then added in the boats. I struggled with the idea of adding color, and felt, in the end, it was successful without it.
Teacher: Daniel began by creating the Empire State Building in one-point perspective. Then Daniel's technical skills and sense of scale really began to soar! He was able to solve design problems such as how to make roads, bridges, streets, and tops of buildings look realistic. His finishing touches included adding in boats and most recognizable of all, the Statue of Liberty! Daniel captured amazing detail. I watched him create this artwork with ease, solving design problems. The big question we all had was whether or not Daniel would add color. He felt the work was successful just as we see it now!
Steel Eyes Kamal Dockery
Grade: 9 School: Passages Academy Art Teacher: Nelli Bespalova-Carter Acrylic paint on paper
Student: Life is unpredictable and we cannot always control what happens. With art, I have control over what I draw and what I share with the world around me. Art has allowed me to deal with trauma that I have experienced. Art has helped heal wounds and make me whole again. My art teacher has helped me a lot in this process. She has helped me get past "artist block" when I feel stuck and can't create. I was having trouble figuring out how to make all the colors come together in this piece. To get through this, I learned to become patient and act with intention.
Teacher: This lesson followed a unit on mask making. Students learned to reduce human facial features into simplified forms. Students observed the human face and used acrylic paint to create a spontaneous portrait from observation. Kamal demonstrated a proficient command of the brush and acrylic medium as he painted an imaginary portrait. Perhaps it was a self-portrait. I was inspired to submit this artwork because, although Kamal is gifted, he needs encouragement.
Bubbles Musricul Anwar
Grade: 9 School: Summer Arts Institute Art Teacher: Laura Blau Oil on canvas
Student: As an artist, I am curious about peoples, their culture, and world history in general. Making art connects me to others. It enables me to talk to them. I'm so lucky to have an amazing art teacher. Ms. Blau inspires me to create new work and pushes me when I struggle. Learning about artists and art making has helped me fine-tune my art skills. The most challenging moments for me in making this painting were mixing just the right colors with the oil paint, especially for the skin on the face and throat. I practiced on scrap paper and asked classmates for advice in order to make my final choices.
Teacher: For our Surrealism unit, students were challenged to create imagery that, although believable, was comprised of impossible or improbable combinations, dualities, or juxtapositions. The class explored and discussed two- and three-dimensional works by twentieth-century Surrealists in the classroom and at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. They shared their ironic or fantastical sketches with one another, eliciting peer feedback. They revised and then selected the best medium with which to bring their works to fruition. Musricul spent significant time studying visual references, emboldening the image's latent realism. This is particularly apparent in its refined, hyper-realistic elements. The strong light source, well-mixed color palette, superb blending of oils, and blurred "outdoorsy" background, together create a well-balanced composition.
To the Ground We Return Afra Mahmud
Grade: 9 School: Summer Arts Institute Art Teacher: Laura Blau Watercolor on paper
Student: I don't think I ever had any other choice but to fall in love with painting and the feeling of using pencil on paper. Being an artist has always just felt like a natural part of my life. I used to be afraid of creating large pieces.
Ms. Blau taught me to fearlessly experiment and to realize my full potential. I don't think I would be the artist I am now without her. Creating this artwork was a wild ride. Drawing it using the correct proportions was an issue, so I taped it on a wall and frequently stood back to check the proportions. I chose watercolor in order to challenge myself, and I had to be patient using the medium.
Teacher: Summer Arts Institute students were challenged to derive inspiration from popular culture. They viewed artwork in class, at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and at the Museum of Modern Art, both in New York City. Students considered the impact of, and relationships between, scale, color, composition, and materials. There was peer feedback throughout the art-making process, with revisions encouraged. Afra was inspired by a quote from one of her favorite books, which was repeated at funerals throughout the story. She created this work to convey the idea that human existence is never truly erased, as plants reuse decomposed bodies, here represented by the vines appearing to swallow the figure. Throughout the composition, her masterful use of watercolor highlights the delicate nature of life. Afra's bold risk-taking, executing an image taller than herself, resulted in a work of great impact.
Guarded Jissie Lin
Grade: 10 School: Summer Arts Institute Art Teacher: Jane Kahn Colored pencil
Student: My life has always been heavily centered on art because I enjoy turning my ideas into a tangible creation. I have found something I am passionate about, bringing joy to me and others. At Summer Arts Institute, Dr. Kahn and my fellow students encouraged me to explore art in a new way. I've learned that it takes much more than a pen and paper to create. It requires creative and analytical thinking. The process of drafting this piece was difficult, but I kept an open mind and a willingness to persevere.
Teacher: Self-portraiture is always an option on the Summer Arts Institute syllabus. There are three grade levels in one high school studio classroom, with a range of art-learning experiences. Students are guided to work with different materials that will help them to develop their art skills in a manner that is developmentally appropriate. Coming into the program having just completed her freshman year, Jissie's experience with materials was limited. She has a strong work ethic and found this medium to be very responsive to her realistic style. She was able to produce this remarkable work of art. It closely resembles Jissie, and was an artistic breakout work for her.
Utter Black Jasmine Si
Grade: 10 School: Townsend Harris High School, Queens Art Teacher: Margherita Wischerth Charcoal
Student: With making art comes uncertainty. But engaged in art's creative process, I discovered "flow." In this remarkable space, everything disappears, the background noise mutes, the room's humidity dissipates. It's just my art and me. It's wonderful, really. As has been said, the journey is more important than the destination. My teacher encouraged me to make mistakes, experiment, and find alternate routes. Introducing various media, some I've never used before, my teacher taught me that it's okay to struggle, but you must think of ways to overcome your difficulties. For example, it was difficult to control the value of charcoal. Its darkness can be unpredictable, rough, and messy. Hence, I drew from the middle out.
Teacher: Drawing from the popularity of selfies, students discussed how one's personality also may be conveyed through an artistic medium. Using proportion and scale, students created full, half, or three-quarter profile poses. Students chose their own medium. Jasmine's use of charcoal conveyed mood and personality. She was completely absorbed with the application and layering of charcoal. The portrait's power is due to Jasmine's delicate application of tonal value and sense of mood.
Veronica Amanda Dimaio
Grade: 10 School: Susan E. Wagner High School, Staten Island Art Teacher: Alishia Neckin Digital photograph
Student: As a photographer, I like creating and finding new possibilities. I get excited to see what I can create that is different. Mrs. Neckin motivates me and and makes me want to learn through her own love for photography. I faced the challenge of getting my sister to cooperate. It is difficult getting kids to listen, so I tried not to dictate too much, saw what she would do, and captured an interesting image of her.
Teacher: Students explored studio set up and the use of light as a tool to improve the aesthetics of a portrait, create mood, and project a particular feeling. Editing on the computer completed the process. In Amanda's photograph there is a single light source highlighting this engaging little girl, yet she is largely surrounded by darkness. It's as if she is hiding and coming out into the light. She has the spirit and the innocence of the young.
Untitled Shanoya Lettman
Grade: 10 School: Brooklyn High School of the Arts, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Allison Keller Acrylic paint on Bristol board
Student: As an artist, I am open to closely observing my world. For example, I'm able to better see and appreciate someone due to my understanding of what they wear and what they look like. My art teacher shows us videos or demos before we get into a project and encourages us to get creative and try new things. I had never painted fish before, and her encouragement helped me. The challenges I faced were how to achieve the right proportions and how to make a cohesive work. Eventually, I laid out everything correctly and things fell together.
Teacher: Students researched the history of iconic portrait painting from iconic fourteeth-, fifteenth-, and sixteenth-century artists to contemporary artist, Kehinde Wiley. Each student chose a personal icon and integrated their icon into their self-portraits. Like Wiley, the students placed designs and pattern in their backgrounds to add meaning to their subjects. They learned that portraits can teach us about culture, and that contemporary elements can give further meaning to their icons. The painterly quality of Shanoya's work is wonderful. She took inspiration from Mary Magdalene as Melancholy by Artemisia Gentileschi. She captured the mood of that painting and incorporated a great design for her background.
Untitled Michelle Gutierrez
Grade: 10 School: P.S. 721 Stephen McSweeney School, Bronx Art Teacher: Nicole Boggi Watercolor and glue
Student: Being an artist makes me feel good because it helps me to concentrate. Ms. Boggi always pushes me to do my best and finish my work no matter how much I want to hang out instead. It was hard for me to draw with the glue, but I got it eventually. This painting took a lot of time and work, but I kept going.
Teacher: This lesson was an introduction to line using the work of Joan Miró. Students were given the criteria by which their work would be assessed. This included their use of medium, the ability to create a balanced composition, and their ability to look at and interpret a work of art. To build discussion and evaluation skills, inquiry is part of every project in our classroom. The inquiry process also creates deeper connections to the student's work and to those of their classmates. This work is quite an achievement for Michelle. Creating the work helped her build her artistic skills, and is a testament to what can be achieved through the teaching of the arts.
Fate, Regret, and Scar Crystal Zhou
Grade: 10 School: Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Manhattan Art Teacher: Ingrid Butterer Ceramic
Student: Fate, Regret, and Scar was inspired by one of my favorite dramas. The two flowers stand for the male leads. One lead is depicted by the spider lily, representing death in Chinese culture; he committed suicide because he was blamed for his family’s death. The other lead is represented by the lotus, symbolizing purity, grace, and caring for family. He was bound by the rules of his family and became a bystander, unable to save his friend. The guilt and regret the lotus feels leaves a scar on his heart. As I was finishing this piece, I realized that using the slab technique, rather than the coiling technique, would have made the piece easier to carve, and would have given it a smoother appearance.
Teacher: We began with a lengthy period exploring the possibilities and limitations of clay. Students discussed what constitutes a vessel form across world cultures. They developed designs for vessel constructions and worked through possible challenges. They constructed and fired their work and explored glaze qualities to fully realize their vessel. This unit embraced aesthetics, knowledge of the medium, and a global view of ceramics. Its culmination was a school-wide exhibit. Crystal was deeply committed to the process, and met her expectations with this great ceramic design. Creating ceramics is a prolonged process. Crystal worked methodically on the construction and glazing of her vessel to realize her vision.
Musical Sky Daria Drzewucka
Grade: 10 School: High School for Arts and Business, Queens Art Teacher: Michael Zographos Cardboard, paint, wood, and string
Student: Being an artist has allowed me to express myself in ways that are new and exciting. Exploring different concepts and techniques has helped me with my creative expression. I have found that art is something I love to do. My art teacher was helpful during my creative development with his interesting suggestions and ideas. It was challenging to find a single, cohesive concept. I overcame this struggle by thinking of all my ideas and then taking certain aspects of each one and combining them into one artwork.
Teacher: As a teacher, I have found that some students are haptic learners and some are visual learners. This lesson incorporates a little bit of everything: painting, mixed-media, and tactile work. The students learned about violin making and different types of sculpture. Students created designs that were special to them. Daria's violin is a clean and well-executed piece of art. I was impressed with the precision and detail of her work. It shows a personal style and a unified composition. It was her talent, but also her dedication to the project that made Musical Sky so successful.
Self-Portrait Jaryne Paulino
Grade: 10 School: Theatre Arts Production Company School, Bronx Art Teacher: Jeffrey Fleisig Digital photograph
Student: As an artist, I feel empowered, like I'm unstoppable. Mr. Fleisig helps me figure out new ideas, new places to take photos, strategies for camera placement, perspectives, and how to creatively edit and enhance my photos. Creating my self-portrait, I had to find where to rest the camera, be able to start the self-timer, and not have my phone fall while doing so. After experimenting with several options, the problem was resolved because there was a crack in the bars where my phone fit perfectly.
Teacher: Students explored portrait and self-portrait photography and gained an understanding of how various but simple lighting techniques generating ambient and artificial light sources help create mood. They experimented with different perspectives and angles to produce interesting and dynamic compositions. As a multitalented student in the arts, Jaryne excels in dance and incorporated it very creatively into her work.
Dariatou-1 Lynda Spencer
Student: Inspired by my dad, who was an artist, I have loved to draw ever since I was little girl. I always wanted to be creative and sometimes couldn't help myself, drawing all over the walls. Being an artist has helped me look at the world with a different perspective. Mr. Fleisig showed me that I had a real gift for art and helped me to unleash the talents I didn't know I had. In this portrait photography assignment, I experimented by working with many people at one time. I wanted all the pictures to be great, but it was a struggle working with multiple people needing my help. I met these challenges by trying to stay calm and slow the process down, remaining focused, and being present in the moment, working with one model at a time.
Teacher: Students analyzed famous portraits to understand how simple lighting techniques generating ambient and artificial light sources help create mood. They experimented with different perspectives and angles to produce interesting and dynamic compositions. Lynda is an art dynamo! She is always looking to be a part of a photo shoot in class and at school events. Her enthusiasm shows in every project she undertakes. Always experimenting with lighting and post-production editing techniques, she constantly reaches for her personal best. In her process, Lynda confidently takes chances and enjoys exploring.
Through Darkness Redwana Choudhury
Grade: 11 School: Young Women's Leadership School, Queens Art Teacher: Erica Norwood Acrylic paint and watercolor on paper
Student: As an artist, I have a sense of individuality. I learned that art making requires skill, but also patience. My art teacher is open-minded to different forms of art and has given me lots of creative freedom. She encouraged my two-year experimentation in visual arts. Drawing the human face is a challenge. My art is traditionally cartoonlike, and depicting human facial features and expressions is quite new to me. I aimed for simplicity as well as creativity.
Teacher: In this self-portraiture unit students drew from observation using mirrors but were challenged to bring their own style into their work. Redwana is one hard-working student whose work just continues to grow. She has a unique style and voice that deserve to be recognized.
Keys Norbu Tsegyal
Grade: 11 School: Newtown High School, Queens Art Teacher: Nicole Raneri Pencil, charcoal, and Sharpie
Student: My artwork helps me escape from reality and forget about things I have on my mind. My art teacher shows me new ways of creating artwork, such as using a variety of different materials in one piece, and she gives me feedback on how to improve my artwork. One of the challenges I faced while creating this artwork was the arrangement of the keys. I arranged them in many different ways to judge what looked best, and had to erase many times. After a while, I found the best way to arrange the keys was to not arrange them at all, but instead lay them on the table and draw them exactly how they were placed there.
Teacher: Students developed their observational drawing skills by choosing an object to draw from multiple viewpoints. Students were challenged with creating an interesting composition using the same object, and playing with positive and negative space. Their understanding of the Principles of Design influenced their work. Norbu's attention to detail and dynamic composition created a successful composition.
Self-Portrait Jervin De Luna
Grade: 11 School: Bronx International High School, Bronx Art Teacher: Rachel Levine Collage
Student: Art is my medicine. When I'm sad, I am able to draw whenever I want. Expressing my emotions and opinions through drawing sometimes makes me feel euphoric. Through art, I am able to better understand my own emotions, which helps me to heal and grow. Our teacher introduces each new topic through an artist and that gives me creative ideas. Ms. Levine inspires and encourages me. She is my mentor. Her feedback helps me improve my project. Moreover, she taught me how to live to my fullest potential and see the best in myself. I wanted to create a color palette that would fit my collage portrait, and I learned to negotiate with my classmates to get the magazine images I needed. I had to find slightly alternative skin colors for my palette, so it would be easier to integrate into my piece. If colors were close to what I wanted, I used them in my final piece.
Teacher: Students were introduced to Derek Gores's collage pieces and identified elements of his work they could relate to and use. Students chose between a realistic or monochromatic palette for their skin. They started with practice collages, and then created their final masterpieces. Jervin recently immigrated to the United States and has progressed in leaps and bounds since his arrival. He is a spectacular student, who at times is unsure of himself and his work. I encourage Jervin to pursue his love for art and to develop his ideas. I have been able to learn a lot about Jervin through his artwork and he has really blossomed in my class. He works very hard and he is incredibly driven. Having his work displayed in a museum gallery will boost his confidence and help him develop a sense of pride in himself and in his work. I believe this project helped him find his voice.
Indomitable Aurelio Baldeschi-Balleani
Grade: 11 School: Millennium Brooklyn High School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Mark Robinson Photograph
Student: My mother is a professional photographer, and being interested in photography myself as well has given me an even stronger connection to her. Being an artist is an escape for me. Whenever I feel the need to de-stress, I pick up my camera and let it take me places. My art teacher, Mr. Robinson, has been an integral part of my photography career for three years. He did his utmost to reach out and work with me even when we did not have a class together. I am very grateful for all he has done for me in my high school years. In this artwork, the main challenge was exposing the photograph correctly. In order to get it the way I wanted it, I had to be facing the shed from a certain angle, which meant that I was also facing the brightest part of the sky. It was a very gray and gloomy day. I took over fifteen photos of the shed until I got the right one, where the dynamic range was perfect.
Teacher: Photography students met with me to discuss their best work in specific themes. Based on the conferencing, students analyze their work and determine which of their images they would like to enter into a variety of exhibits and competitions. Each student composes an artist statement to accompany their work. Aurelio has demonstrated great acumen in photography over the years I have known him. He is a gifted artist and deserves recognition for the work he has put into his art. This piece is a culmination of lessons that focused on technical use of a camera, composition, basic editing, and use of light.
Hear My Voice Rehnuma Haque
Grade: 11 School: John Bowne High School, Queens Art Teacher: Melissa Alvarez Collage, charcoal, and paint on board
Student: As an artist, I understand that visual messages play an important role in everyone's life. In the future, I would like to create artwork to make a difference in people's lives. Ms. Alvarez supports me and has given me the chance to explore different media to understand where my strengths are and where I need to improve. She has opened doors to different opportunities, including art programs outside of school. This has allowed me to challenge myself to do better. At first, I was not sure how I wanted the artwork to look. I let my imagination take over the planning. I made necessary changes throughout the whole process while retaining the main message of the artwork.
Teacher: This lesson's objectives were for students to explore mixed media, and create a dynamic composition that activates negative space while interpreting the concept of emergence. Hear My Voice exceeded my expectations. When Rehnuma began developing ideas for this work, the composition and concept were ordinary. The sketches were good, but not exceptional. Once she started working, the concept began to evolve and I was quite surprised at how flexible and resourceful she was, not only with the materials but also with how she allowed the idea to evolve. The layering of textures and the movement of the composition really blew me away. The gentle but fluid pop of red color drawing the viewer's eye from element to element, is the perfect touch.
Locks Sharelyn Fernandez
Grade: 11 School: Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Manhattan Art Teacher: David Driggers Oil on canvas
Student: When I compare my artwork from years ago to now, it confirms that practice is the key to improving your art skills. As an artist, I explore who I am. My teacher leaves me to interpret an assignment on my own terms, which is what art is all about. The course is Advanced Painting, but my teacher lets the students go beyond just a paintbrush and a canvas. Personally, I stick to the brush and canvas. I added so many details in my face and hair that I lost my motivation when I got to the background. Then I realized that complexity looks good with simplicity, so I left the background as it is, brown. One thing that I truly admire about my piece is the solemn look of my eyes. It's mysterious. My hair embodies who I am as a person of the African diaspora. The jewelry in my hair highlights a culture that is rich in color, struggle, and resilience.
Teacher: In the advanced painting class students are expected to create a body of work that reflects their individual artistic voice. They have the freedom to explore and discover various subjects and styles of their choosing in their search for their individual vocabulary. In Sharelyn's self-portrait she demonstrated her imagination, creativity, and highly developed painting skills in a uniquely personal manner.
Brainwork Baoer Deng
Grade: 11 School: Robert F. Kennedy Community High School, Queens Art Teacher: Stacy Heller Budnick Mixed media
Student: Being an artist allows me to express my innermost thoughts. Making art is more fulfilling to me than almost anything else. My art teacher encourages me to be creative and express myself. She has given me many sketchbooks and materials to work with, and is able to communicate with me despite a language barrier. My artwork is about the hidden facets of the human condition. I did not want to draw just an illustration of a brain. I wanted to show the mechanics of how ideas are created in my brain, and how the gears turn to create art. As I drew, I felt like my hand was recording what my brain was thinking.
Teacher: Baoer is in the AP (Advanced Placement) Drawing class. Over the course of the year he is required to create a portfolio of work that demonstrates inquiry through art and design, and development of processes and ideas. In this mixed-media piece, Baoer incorporates watercolor, ink, and colored pencil to convey a variety of line, value, and understated color. In contrast to his emerging ability to express his ideas in English, Baoer's visual language is adept in communicating the eloquence of his thoughts. His innate talent indicates a wisdom and perception that belies the average high schooler. Baoer is always willing to experiment and revise his work. As a result, each artwork shows personal growth.
Crystalline RayAndrea St. Valle
Grade: 11 School: Scholars' Academy, Queens Art Teacher: Kelly Trpic-Rukavina Acrylic paint
Student: As an artist, I have self-confidence. I tried to find answers to my world around me, but it was always hard to see through the fog. As my art developed, I realized the world is not static or unchanging, and neither am I. Ms. Trpic is a guide that I didn't know I needed. It's as if we have been going on a tour together. Going back into the world after learning something new in her class is like realizing you can see a color you have never seen before. The hardest part of this process was deciding what to paint. I took so many pictures that I finished the photo shoot with over sixty. Decisions take time, but my biggest strength is my limitless patience and it stops me from being impulsive and making poor choices. The decision I finally made was absolutely the right one.
Teacher: This painting was completed over the course of six weeks. Lessons included rendering a glass in different media, creating complex compositions using photography, and learning color theory and painting techniques. The students analyzed and discussed works by Janet Fish, Paul C. Jackson, and Carrie Walker. RayAndrea is a talented artist with high expectations for herself. Her skills, confidence, and unique voice are revealed in this extraordinary work.
Me, Myself, and I Jasmine Ravix
Grade: 11 School: Energy Tech High School, Queens Art Teacher: Samantha Barratt Photograph
Student: Being in Ms. Barratt's class, I have learned that the world around you can be as much a tool for art as a pencil and paper. I've yearned to do well in art throughout my life. I saw it as a way to connect with my family because many of them are accomplished in art. I've never worked with photography in a creative way. Even though I knew it would work well in the artwork, taking random pictures with different classmates posed a challenge for me. I don't like pictures taken of me, so thankfully this project helped me break with some of those restrictions and fears.
Teacher: Students took photographs with intention and control and then manipulated the images using editing software. They investigated the work of Ari Mahardhika and were inspired. They planned the background, thought of additional images needed, planned poses, and decided on lighting requirements. Students used Adobe Photoshop to craft a surreal image. Jasmine is a highly skilled and creative artist. One of her strengths is her attention to detail, which is evident in this photograph. She reviewed the photographs as she took them and adjusted her pose as necessary. When digitally altering the image, she carefully manipulated each component, adding shadows and adjusting positions. This care and attention resulted in a highly successful work of art.
Self-Portrait Pearl Lu
Grade: 11 School: Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Manhattan Art Teacher: Evangelos Viglis Pen and ink, and graphite [No student statement provided]
Teacher: Our unit was entitled Self-Portrait as an Allegory. Students examined artwork that depicted figures as symbols of complex themes. Students chose a complex theme to explore and created self-portraits as a symbol of that theme. Pearl captured her self-portrait in ink, leaving only the background in pencil. She has created depth but also meaning. As the pencil drawing may be considered more fragile than the ink drawing, questions of permanence and significance of place come to mind.
True Me Jadyn George
Grade: 11 School: New Explorations into Science, Technology, and Math High School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Hilary Svihla Conté crayon on paper
Student: Art allows me to experience life through a different, but creative lens. Being an artist encourages me to express myself with brushstrokes laying thick, rich, acrylic paint on a canvas, or the scratching sound of charcoal on the legal-size paper I borrowed from my printer. "Patient," "enthusiastic," and "motivational" all describe my art teacher, Ms. Svihla. The challenge was using conté, a material I soon learned breaks and smudges easily. I felt the frustration of choosing the right colors to express my mood, but I overcame these challenges in my artwork by telling myself that I am learning and that I cannot succeed without failure.
Teacher: Students created conté crayon self-portrait drawings emphasizing their identity. We discussed how various aspects of one's identity could be portrayed in a work of art through choice of color palette, facial expression, composition, and range of value. The project began with warm-up exercises in conté crayon, and the development of thumbnail sketches that would serve as a blueprint for the final compositions. A range of value was applied to the outlines to develop the illusion of form. Students kept journals of their experiences that included reflections, thumbnail sketches, analysis of artworks, and peer critiques. Jadyn's captivating expression, strong color palette, and cropping help convey her true identity. Her artwork is visually engaging and exhibits her strong technical skills using conté crayon. I am so proud of the work she has done this year!
Hear Me Victoria Agoha
Grade: 11 School: Millennium Art Academy, Bronx Art Teacher: Laura Blau Watercolor on paper
Student: I explore different routes as I paint and draw, which allows my different sides to be expressed. I have learned to acknowledge my flaws, reflect on them, and develop solutions. As I worked on this art piece, Ms. Blau pointed out areas I could improve upon, and also advised me about editing and reworking all areas in order to truly show my voice. My challenge was to express my message to viewers. I had to step back and learn new techniques and skills at each stage of the process. I found that making studies and practicing allowed me to get to the completed phase of this piece. I also sought advice from peers to improve along the way.
Teacher: In Advanced Placement Studio Art, students create works of art showcasing personal identity, and justify decisions about medium, surface, and scale. Students were invited to incorporate self-portraiture, figure studies, and symbolism in a work of art. They were pushed to intensively explore, experiment, and practice with their chosen medium. Our class visited the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. There, Victoria became inspired by the work of Wangechi Mutu. Victoria's work exemplifies her newfound mastery of watercolor and color mixing. Her intentionality throughout the creative process can be seen in her painting. She had classmates take reference photos of her in specific poses, and then utilized the grid method in different proportions and scales throughout the composition. Her work embodies common themes from her portfolio: lions, the landscape of Nigeria, her homeland, and the empowerment of African American women.
Self-Portrait Triptych: Me Takumi Natsume
Grade: 12 School: Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School, Queens Art Teacher: Jane Kahn Oil paint; this work is one of three panels
Student: I have been drawing since I was three. It is a fundamental part of my life. My love for art has encouraged me to study at an arts high school and apply to an arts college. The people around me have supported me in every way possible, especially my teachers. Dr. Kahn has provided an environment where I am able to explore the arts without any restrictions. She gave me suggestions and respected my decisions by letting me dive into what I am passionate about. The position I placed myself in and the placement of the Japanese calligraphy had to be balanced to form a dynamic composition. The ink droplets had to be placed in positions that didn't disturb the composition. This piece may seem chaotic, but each brushstroke was placed thoughtfully.
Teacher: One requirement for the Senior Portfolio class is a large, full-figure self-portrait. Emphasis is on investing work with sophisticated conceptual ideas. This work—one panel of a triptych—revisits identity, a common theme of adolescence. Takumi constructed a complicated, asymmetrical composition that demonstrates his ability to show a complicated viewpoint of his figure in a Western representational style. The calligraphy on the ground, symbolic of traditional art forms of his Japanese heritage, is placed centrally and framed by his legs, thus imbuing it with compositional emphasis. Takumi's work shows his ability to meet the tasks' requirements yet bend them to his will. He has produced a portfolio of work that is reflective of his unique aesthetic, and showcases his exceptional technical skill as exemplified in this work.
Cherry Still Life Svetlana Khanin
Grade: 12 School: Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Nicole Buccellato Acrylic paint on canvas
Student: Cherry Still Life represents new beginnings and commemorates the good and bad I experienced throughout the year. It was a period of reconciliation, self-growth, and love, represented by the vibrant red of the cherries. It was a time when I was dependent on a lot of people, so I wanted to paint this as a way to celebrate how far I've come, but also to honor those who assisted me along the way. The cherries symbolize coming full circle through a period of growth. The motifs in the tile and the bowl represent tradition and how being subjected to a homogenous Slavic culture all my life pushed me to pursue and discover other perspectives and values.
Teacher: Svetlana is in my sculpture class and made this painting not as part of her class work, but for herself, as art therapy. I was impressed by its thoughtful, personal nature and by Svetlana's skill as an artist.
Golden Girl Sevah Darbouze
Grade: 12 School: Brooklyn High School of the Arts, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Lara Hill Acrylic paint and gold leaf on canvas
Student: As a shy and quiet person, it's always been hard to tell people how I feel or share my ideas. Being an artist has allowed me to share my thoughts through my art and has made me a more open and confident person. I learned many techniques from Ms. Hill. She helped me get closer to my goals as an artist. I wouldn't have gotten as far as I have without the knowledge she's given me throughout the last four years. The background in this work was the greatest challenge. I've never done anything this abstract before. At first, I was making the flowers neatly, trying to space them apart in an aesthetically pleasing way. It ended up not looking the way I imagined. I realized that I just have to have fun with it, and not worry about how neat everything is. It would still turn out beautifully.
Teacher: Golden Girl was created in a portfolio preparation class where students develop a theme and personal style. In this lesson, students were asked to pick an artist and incorporate aspects of the artist's style into their own pieces. Sevah has been exploring realism, painting dramatic oversized portraits. Here, she chose to explore the paintings of Gustav Klimt. To contrast with her rendered figure, she added playful patterns, shapes, and textures along with Klimt's signature gold elements, creating a stunning and expressive image.
Unveiling Her Disguise Madina Reece
Grade: 12 School: Brooklyn High School of the Arts, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Lara Hill Acrylic paint on canvas board
Student: Henry Ward Beecher [1813–1887, American minister and abolitionist] said, "Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures." As an artist, I express my feelings and join the conversations I am often excluded from as a young person. Art allows me to be brave about expressing my voice through imagery. Ms. Hill encourages me to explore art opportunities in New York. Her art inspires me to pursue my passion to create paintings about global issues. My goal is to create artwork that promotes awareness and inspires people the way Ms. Hill inspires me. In this piece, I struggled with developing imagery that addressed social issues, expectations, and racism within a single artwork. By finding symbols with emotional meanings, my piece shows the power in pushing away expectations and being your true self.
Teacher: Portfolio preparation class students developed a body of work exploring theme and personal style. Madina focused on social justice issues in a series of paintings. She began her project by photographing herself and her peers in dramatic scenes often reflecting events depicted in the mass media. The photographs served as references for her emotionally charged paintings. Unveiling Her Disguise is a self-portrait about the struggle to retain one's cultural identity when society pushes individuals to conform to prescribed ideals of beauty. As Madina's skills as a painter grew, her work acquired a bold, inspiring, and powerful voice.
Giraffe Boot Sanai Ali
Grade: 12 School: Kingsbridge International High School, Bronx Art Teacher: Robert Hechler Mixed media
Student: As an artist, I know that there is more than one solution to every problem. Art making makes me slow down and think. Mr. Hechler wants us to make our own decisions. He never tells us what to do and sometimes that is frustrating. But when I know what I want to do, he suggests techniques and materials. The hardest part for me was the paint. I wanted the giraffe part to look real, so I worked really hard to get the color and pattern right. Teacher: Students created artwork using recycled materials and any media they chose. The only catch was that they also had to incorporate an animal into their design. I am impressed by Sanai's perfectionism. She experimented with various materials and chose the ones that best solved the design problem.
Munch! Lucia Martell
Grade: 12 School: Edward R. Murrow High School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Sarah Grace Holcomb Oil on canvas
Student: New York is a city with so many different ethnicities and traditions. As a visual artist, I connect with other artists, learning more about the culture within various communities. I have new friends in the art world who support me through my creative art-making process. I visit museums and galleries with them. The visual arts are a big part of who I am today. Ms. Holcomb gives me advice and resources, and has helped me develop my concepts, pushing me to address global current events. With Ms. Holcomb and Mr. Rosado as my teachers, I have learned so much about other artists, skills, and techniques. Working on a painting of this size was a challenge. My portfolio is a celebration of agriculture, addressing the impact of climate change on our consumption of natural resources. I decided to focus less on the literal aspect of the image. Instead, I tell a story of beauty within nature, and who and what climate change could be affecting.
Teacher: This painting is the result of a student-driven thesis assignment. Each senior student chose a theme or concept to address in a series of works. Portfolios for college applications were developed. I provided resources, critiques, and encouragement. Lucia's mastery of painting demonstrates her progress throughout her high school career. Lucia is one of my hardest working students. She dedicates all of her time to our art program and I could not be more proud of her.
A Long Walk from Home Cerena Parkinson
Grade: 12 School: Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing & Visual Arts, Manhattan Art Teacher: Ronald Jabradally Acrylic paint, oil pastel, photos, and marker on canvas
Student: I grew up ashamed of who I was, searching for acceptability in white society, but my place was on my block. It is where gold chained hustlas take their baby girls to school on Monday mornings and return with bright smiles in the afternoon. Where basslines and hooded brothas affectionately hug the block while the cops roll by. The place where sweet girls limp into women traversing through dense train cars, calling me sista. Their faces emaciated from the heat of crack pipes that kept them warm on 30-below nights. My place, where Daddy and I scoop soul food onto Thanksgiving plates at the House of Justice on 145th street. Art is how I tell the beautiful stories of my black experience through every brushstroke and etching pouring from my heart. Art is my pride in the messianic black stories I will forever tell. Forever praise. Forever love.
Mr. Jabradally is more than a teacher. He has played a role in my creative expression and growth throughout these four amazing years. His classroom is my home, an oasis in the heart of Harlem, blossoming with some of the most creative minds in the world. He believed in me when I couldn't believe in myself. I will give that same passion to help other young people soar.
Gentrification is the institution that looks at Black Brooklyn and tears at the fabric of who we are. Gentrification is the evil that tells my people that we will never belong. Imagine if I criticized this holy land I call home. Would I have been any better than the system that is suffocating us? I loved and embraced every color and corner. Love is always so much stronger than adversity.
Teacher: While working on her area of sustained investigation for AP [Advanced Placement] Art, Cerena's explorations of gentrification in her Brooklyn neighborhood has taking her down different paths. Cerena has the innate ability to focus on a problem and to solve it on multiple levels. Her confidence as an artist emerges with each new art piece she creates. A Long Walk from Home is evidence of her developing visual aesthetics that are evolving into a clear vision of her artistic identity.
Eunecis Zoe West
Grade: 12 School: Art and Design High School, Manhattan Art Teacher: James Harrington Paint chip collage on foamcore
Student: I don't know how I got into art, but my dad has had some influence. I have been able to use art as a way to connect with him since we spend such a limited amount of time together. Mr. Harrington is the best art teacher I've ever had. He is an inspiration for my art and a role model in life. I now appreciate the art historical evolution of painting, and aspire to paint like the greats. In the painters' club, students get to see Mr. Harrington paint in real time using techniques he teaches us. Eunecis was an exciting, but frustrating piece. The technique took lots of patience. The final work appears as a mosaic. I would add to it and be proud of myself. But when I showed classmates my progress, they would tell me it looked exactly the same. That was the most deflating time. It seemed that my hard work wasn't paying off. When I did finish, it was a big relief. Perseverance pays off.
Teacher: The mosaic collage project, a modern take on the traditional mosaic technique, is designed as an exploration of a new medium and a sharpening of existing skills. Using paint chips instead of paint forces students to be aware of each piece's color, shape, and value as they develop the forms. The medium requires an abundance of patience. Zoe managed to create a piece that is fresh and visually active. What especially struck me about her work was the inclusion of the background and the gesture she captured of Eunecis taking off her glasses. Her use of rich and varied colors creates a vibrant surface that would make Georges Seurat proud. I was also impressed with her keeping the background less active so it didn't compete with the foreground. It's a perfectly balanced piece.
The Jhon Jhon Boconzaca
Grade: 12 School: High School for Arts and Business, Queens Art Teacher: Gina Mann White and black charcoal and colored pencil on black paper
Student: Creating art helps me escape from reality and go into my imagination. Now, in my senior year, I'm taking three art classes. I'm improving my art skills and at the same time expressing myself. My art teacher has always pushed me to do my best and never allowed me to do something below my skill level. She also was supportive, and I could trust her and ask her for advice. I'm very appreciative of her guidance throughout my four years in her classes. A challenge I faced was shading or adding value with white charcoal. I met this challenge by using a tonal shading technique. It helped me create texture to my hoodie to make it look like clothing material. Whenever I create a portrait or a self-portrait, I have difficulties with the face. I looked very closely at the features of my face, drew a sketch, and then made a grid on my face. This helped me get everything in proportion and made it look like me.
Teacher: For seniors, portfolios should include a variety of media that address a particular concept, while highlighting personal artistic styles. Students in my advanced studio class explored the work of artists such as Jean Michel-Basquiat, Jordan Casteel, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, and Alice Neel with a focus on their individual personal styles. Using this exploration of artistic work, students created self-portraits using their choice of media. Jhon has emerged artistically with a dynamic focus, and creates highly detailed pieces. I appreciate the way he used a variety of media to capture such beautiful tones and textures.
Childhood Memory Bridgette Geronimo
Grade: 12 School: Robert F. Kennedy Community High School, Queens Art Teacher: Stacy Heller Budnick Acrylic paint
Student: Art has been part of my life as far back as I remember. Despite painting being my favorite, I love all types of media. My interest in art has grown with me, as I have achieved heights that I never thought possible. I have had two art teachers in my life. The first is my incredibly creative and wonderful mother, who taught me the ways of life early on, and also helped my art skills grow and develop into something admired by my peers. My second teacher is Ms. Stacy Heller Budnick who guided me through my high school life for the last three years and has helped me grow in artistic abilities. In this piece I wanted to create a painting that contributed to my AP [Advanced Placement] investigation concerning memories and light. I wanted something that shows who I am and where I came from, so I tried to replicate one of the first and only scenes I remember from when I came to America as an immigrant. However, no one's memory is good enough to remember that far back, so I physically traveled to where I first landed and began by sketching.
Teacher: Bridgette is a senior in the AP (Advanced Placement) Drawing Portfolio class. The AP student is required to create a portfolio of work that demonstrates inquiry through art and design along with the development of materials, processes, and ideas. Bridgette's painting investigates her childhood memory and perception of light. "I remember experiences as a child based on the way light made me feel," Bridgette explained. This painting shows her comprehension of value, form, and color. It evokes the feeling of quiet twilight—is it dawn or evening? Bridgette's AP portfolio conveys an understanding of how light can dictate perceptions of aloneness, joy, and personal transitions.
The Beauty of Being Muslim: Concealed Maisha Basith
Grade: 12 School: Community Health Academy of the Heights, Manhattan Art Teacher: Tiffany Macknight Photograph
Student: Ms. Macknight takes our art class on trips. One trip to The Metropolitan Museum of Art helped me to decide on the concentration for my AP [Advanced Placement] Art portfolio. I saw objects related to the Torah and to Jewish beliefs, which inspired me to create work related to my religion, Islam. My concentration topic is about what it means to be Muslim. I experimented with different art media. I especially enjoy photography and digital editing. The woman in this photograph is my grandma. I was debating on whether I wanted her inside a mosque or not. The answer was right in front of me. I placed my grandma in front of a solid background, my wall. I felt that if I used something simple, it would make my picture bold. Many Muslim women wear black burqas, and that fit perfectly with my ideas for a light and dark contrast.
Teacher: Seniors are working on creating a portfolio of twenty works, demonstrating exploration, investigation through practice, experimentation, and revision. Every two weeks we visit a museum or gallery to explore the connections between the visual arts and other disciplines, applying the skills and knowledge learned in visual arts to interpreting the world. These connections emerge through art making. Maisha is exploring her theme through the synthesis of observation, imagination, and the creative use of Elements of Art and Principles of Design. Students first learned she was Muslim on a field trip when she translated Islamic writing on an art object. I'm happy to see Maisha making art in response to her identity, opening up a dialogue with her peers.They are impressed with her work as am I.
Quiet Brooklyn Katsiaryna Budryk
Grade: 12 School: Rachel Carson High School for Coastal Studies, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Caryn Kreitzer Watercolor
Student: Art gives my life a richness and fullness that is hard to describe. I feel happy and blessed to have the ability to create works of art. Ms. Kreitzer provides one-on-one critiques. We review our work and reflect on how to improve. She gave me a chance to explore many media and techniques. I have enjoyed learning ceramics, printmaking, and the use of ink. I take photos of the evening and morning skies. The challenge was to find this "magic-looking" gradient. The pinkish clouds and indescribable skies change their colors literally every second, but so gradually without our noticing, it's already deep dark twilight or almost night. I wanted to create a work that included the architecture of Brooklyn and showed a quiet silence instead of a loud city.
Teacher: For our unit on watercolor landscapes, Kate used her own neighborhood as the subject. She demonstrated an amazing ability to control the medium. Kate has a personal style and great technical skills in drawing and painting. She continues to inspire the other students in the class and me as well.
Fighters Sam Orange
Grade: 12 School: Art and Design High School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Matt Lassen Polymer clay
Student: Art is deeply woven into my identity and teaches me the value of practice and patience, and the rewards of a diligent work ethic. I learned to synthesize ideas, and to look beneath what I see on the surface. Mr. Lassen's instruction is invaluable. However, it is the environment of creative freedom that he fosters that makes the class so worthwhile. With his support and guidance, I've grown technically and personally as an artist. This was the largest, most complex sculpture I'd ever done. Its figures had to be anatomically correct and proportional. I studied images of martial artists to learn about weight distribution. I paid attention to balance. To understand facial anatomy, I learned how human muscle groups link under the skin.
Teacher: During a sculpture maquette unit my students sculpt original characters. This is what animation studios do to understand their character's design, and this connects to the CTE (Career and Technical Education) program at the school. I encouraged Sam to do two characters interacting in an action pose. Sam takes and teaches karate classes afterschool. He wanted to show the proper technique and form of a karate kick. He is driven, talented, and smart. Whether making a comic book, sculpting, or making stop-motion or live-action films, Sam is constantly planning and devising new methods and challenging himself. He will be studying at the School of Visual Arts this fall with the highest scholarship they offer. He deserves to be celebrated and recognized.
Architect of the City Alexander Trinidad
Grade: 12 School: P.S. 77, District 75, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Amie Robinson Pen and ink
Student: Creating art makes me joyful. I especially love drawing and learning about architecture. I love looking at the shapes, patterns, and sizes of buildings from around the world. This is a portrait of me as an architect, designing buildings for the future. I started this work in the art room, working on drawings of cities and maps. I would bring my art teacher drawings from my sketchbook of my favorite skyscrapers. I had so many sketches that my teacher suggested I create a collage. I planned the work so it looks like I am drawing the blueprints. It was challenging to put it all together to look real. I added some fantasy elements like putting Saturn in the background.
Teacher: Alex's dedication to exploring art and architecture is truly impressive. He shared his work with me every week before class. During a unit on self-portraiture, students looked at paintings that portrayed the artist at work. They discussed how they saw themselves as artists and what elements they would include in their own self-portraits. The final work truly reflects Alex's personality and sense of humor. His decision to incorporate details such as Saturn, a banana, spilled ink, and pointy fingernails, encourages us to smile along with the architect at work.
All the Things I Thought I Wasn't Katherine Gerakaris
Grade: 12 School: The Brooklyn Latin School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Sarah Halbert Acrylic paint
Student: I will be pursuing art in college and for the rest of my life. I have always loved portraiture and capturing all I can about a person's likeness. Ms. Halbert guided me towards the one thing I was missing—discovering my own unique qualities. This self-portrait is painted over a messy discarded sketch. I am usually very methodical and afraid of color. Ms. Halbert inspired me to push past the rules of art I created for myself. I surprised myself by letting loose and painting how I felt. This painting is a physical reflection, but also a window into the creativity and individuality I was holding back.
Teacher: This painting is one of the works in Katherine's IB (International Baccalaureate) portfolio, a self-directed, individual exhibition of eight to eleven works of art. Students choose themes and then plan, curate, write wall text, and mount an exhibition based on that theme. They wrote curatorial rationales justifying the selection and arrangement of work and describing the conceptual connections among the pieces. Katherine's portfolio was focused on portraiture in a variety of media. This work reflects her breaking out of her shell and experimenting with color and mark making. To inspire her growth, she painted over an older work that no longer pleased her.
P.S. Art is an annual celebration of achievement in the arts in New York City public schools, featuring the work of more than 120 talented young student artists from all five boroughs.