Return to P.S. Art 2021: Celebrating the Creative Spirit of New York City Kids
My First Day of PreK! Christian Morales Villa
Grade: PreK School: P.S. 1 The Bergen, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Angela Pontecorvo Pencil and watercolor
Student: I want people to say, “Wow; how did he create that?!” It makes me feel happy to draw shapes and lines and to mix colors to create what I am feeling and share my art with my family and classmates. It was my first week in PreK, and I was excited but did not know what to expect...so I drew and painted what I felt and was thinking.
Teacher: How exciting for a four-year-old to look into a mirror observing their facial features. Students saw faces as made up of different shapes and lines. Using watercolor paints, Christian conveys his pure expression of excitement of being in school for the very first time! The artwork immediately speaks to me. Christian’s eyes reveal what his heart and mind must have been thinking. I was drawn to the artwork, and I could see that a lot of thought went into the work. The color of the eyes, the details of the eyelashes, the precise placement of the facial features all amazed me. This self-portrait was Christian’s very first artwork done in my class.
My Train Estefania Cruz
Grade: PreK School: P.S. 238 The Anne Sullivan School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Wendy Newman Collage
Student: I made my own train car by using different shapes and putting them together. I like trains. I like to glue pieces of paper together. I like to make art because we get to use glue and cut paper. It is fun.
Teacher: My Train, created by four-year-old Estefania, is the result of a collage lesson that focused on the use of precut shapes to make transportation vehicles. Students explored with various sized and colored paper shapes. They practiced overlapping smaller shapes on top of larger ones. They learned how to carefully glue pieces to the paper. Estefania worked painstakingly and showed both control and imagination in how she put together her pieces to create a playful train car.
This collage demonstrates the happy spirit and the child’s joy of making art!
Airplane Asa MacPhee
Grade: PreK School: The Little Brooklyn PreK Center, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Lorna Clark Markers
Student: Airplanes are transportation and are very cool. I want people to feel happy and think about how my drawing is beautiful like a rainbow. I like to make art because it makes me feel happy.
Teacher: Asa created this drawing during our PreK unit of study on transportation. In-class students looked at toy vehicles. Students like Asa, who learned remotely, watched a video I prepared in which I demonstrated drawing from observation using toy vehicles. Remote students drew vehicles they saw outside their windows or used photographs as a visual reference. In either scenario, students first noticed all of the parts. Then they identified shapes and lines they might use to represent those parts. Students then added imaginative elements to their drawings.
Asa used a variety of expressive lines and shapes, making sure to include all the important parts. The components of the drawing—lines, shapes, colors, and text— were skillfully balanced in the composition. Asa is a fully remote student and during our Zoom meeting Asa was excited to share that “the white shapes between the blue lines are clouds!”
Delicate Flowers Come to Life Fatiha Alvina
Grade: PreK School: P.S. 214, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Nat Solomon Mixed media
Student: I want the children to feel the excitement of flowers as they grow in nature. I am grateful for the beauty of flowers. When I make art, I feel like I am with nature, and I feel on the top of the world. I create my beautiful pieces to look at. I can create a fantastic basket for my delicate flowers, and I can take loving care of them.
Teacher: The students had to think about what things in life are beautiful. They each had different thoughts about the world of beauty around them. I modelled the different ways to draw flowers and directed students to pay attention to the shapes. Fatiha’s mastery of line and pattern shows her understanding of nature and the beautiful repetition of nature’s shapes. Her command of line is quite advanced considering her age.
Nayoon Nayoon Seo
Grade: PreK School: P.S. 59 Beekman Hill International, Manhattan Art Teacher: Judy Londa Colored paper, oil pastel, tempera paint, and marker
Student: There are birds in my portrait because I like birds and butterflies. I like to make art because it’s always fun, like play. I can make anything, like a building or a flower.
When I draw I am happy. If I am happy, people will be happy.
Teacher: For this self-portrait lesson, students thought about who they were, the things they love, and how we are all unique. They observed self-portraits by Frida Kahlo and noticed how Kahlo painted herself surrounded by the animals, plants, and flowers that brought her joy. We also read the book The Colors of Us by Karen Katz, which taught us the brilliance of loving diversity. PreK students combined drawing, painting, and collage to celebrate themselves in portraits.
Nayoon brings her joy of art to all of her creations. It is wonderful to watch her (on Zoom) cut, rip, arrange, glue, draw, and paint with thoughtfulness, skill, and creativity. Her love of life is evident in her wide smile and bright eyes shining through in this portrait. I particularly love her attention to details, like the cut strands of hair, and the drawing of her teeth and eyelashes.
Me with a Hula-Hoop Dress Nico Hyon-Lin
Grade: PreK School: The Little Brooklyn PreK Center, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Lorna Clark Charcoal and pencil
Student: This is me. The long white line is my body. This big circle is my dress and the spiral line is part of my dress. I am wearing lipstick and I have a crown. Do you see the shooting stars? I have seen a shooting star in a movie but not a real one. I like to make art because I like art! I love to draw. I draw at home and at school. It’s fun! When people look at my artwork, I want them to feel happy.
Teacher: Nico made this drawing during an exploratory lesson using black and white charcoal sticks and pencils. The lesson was an introduction as part of the PreK unit of study about light. We discussed possible ways of using the materials to make various lines, marks, and shades. Students had experimented with a range of drawing tools, but this was the first time they used charcoal. Through exploration and discovery, children created designs or representative drawings that were meaningful to them. Nico attends school in person each day. She worked on this drawing over the course of an entire art period. She added a variety of expressive lines and details to capture her ideas. She worked skillfully to place the elements of her drawing within a defined space, integrating lines and shapes to create repetition and symmetry.
A House Knusniyabo Saidoba
Grade: K School: P.S. 238 The Anne Sullivan School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Wendy Newman Collage
Student: I like to make art because it is a lot fun. I made a house with colored paper, and it has a very tall chimney. I want people to see all the shapes I put together, and I want them to like my house.
Teacher: Students learned about basic collage techniques. They explored putting together simple shapes to create a collage. They looked at the art of Ezra Jack Keats and Eric Carle for inspiration. After some experimentation, they created their own house collage. They selected precut shapes, arranged them, and glued them to the paper. I liked Knusniyabo’s collage because it goes beyond what I expected for a kindergarten collage. She carefully arranged the paper and glued her shapes in a very organized and personal way. I particularly like the way she overlapped many pieces of paper together to create the very tall, exaggerated chimney extending from the roof of her house.
My Self-Portrait Julissa Perez
Grade: K School: P.S. 377, Queens Art Teacher: KellyAnne Thompson Mixed media
Student: I feel like this looks like a concert and people are throwing flowers at me. I want anyone that looks at my artwork to see what I look like. I made it look just like me. When people look at my artwork, I want them to think that it is very nice. I made a rainbow shirt with flowers in the background. I like to create art because it makes me happy when people like my art. They might want to paint the same way that I paint.
Teacher: Kindergarten students are focusing on using shapes to represent the world around them. In this unit they used this drawing technique to create self-portraits. Artists looked at the portraits of Kehinde Wiley and learned about his life. Together they read The Colors of Us by Karen Katz, and that inspired each of them to mix the perfect color to represent their complexion. Although Kehinde Wiley is best known for his portraits of other people, the kindergarten artists emulated his style by choosing a floral background to glue behind their self-portraits. Julissa’s self-portrait demonstrates her creative use of shapes to represent the features of her face.
Charles Maya Martinez-Stock
Grade: K School: P.S. 63 The STAR Academy, Manhattan Art Teacher: Risa Schneider Paper and glue
Student: This is Charles. He is from Boston. He is feeling curious because everyone is sick, and no one is at school. He is feeling well and is at the school. No one has told him about COVID. I want people to feel happy to see Charles, and I want them to know I like to rip paper to make artwork. I love art so much because I make stuff, and I like making stuff!
Teacher: This artwork was elicited from asynchronous lessons for kindergarten students who worked remotely. The unit was about ripping and transforming paper, and composing and overlapping. Students used the transformed paper to create a self-portrait, a portrait of a real person the artist knows, or an imaginary character. I was especially taken with Maya’s expressive portrait of Charles and the very specific narrative details she sent along with it, telling of her character, his situation, and how he was processing his school experience during the COVID pandemic. This piece reflects the overarching second-grade benchmark as noted in the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Visual Arts, as Maya clearly constructed meaning based on her own experience and knowledge of the pandemic, which she then imaginatively—and empathetically—conveyed through her work. Although fully remote, Maya was thoroughly engaged in every lesson. This is evident in her artwork and in her thinking around her creative process. Maya regularly sent comments, reflections, or reactions when she submitted her weekly work.
Bluebird Penelope Cheung
Grade: K School: P.S. 49 The Dorothy Bonawit Kole School, Queens Art Teacher: Susan Bricker Oil pastels
Student: I want people to think my artwork is cool! I want people to be proud because I worked hard. I made it and worked hard on it. I looked at a picture of a blue jay and drew shapes like a circle and a triangle. I noticed the bird had feathers, so I drew them. I like to make art because it’s fun and you get to make pretty stuff. When I make art, I feel happy. I like to make flowers and animals.
Teacher: This oil pastel drawing is the final project in a series of drawing and oil pastel lessons. Using a variety of drawing tools, students began by exploring mark making, lines, shapes, patterns, and texture. They were then introduced to oil pastels and spent time experimenting with color mixing and various other techniques. Students looked at artwork by Franz Marc, Henri Rousseau, and Albrecht Dürer and observed how different artists represent animals. They used observation and imagination for their animals and settings, first drawing from imagination by putting shapes together, and then drawing from observation, using toy figurines. They used reference photographs, made underdrawings, and built layers. Penelope asked to draw a blue jay, because she wanted to mix white into blue to get the perfect tint. I was impressed with her use of pastels to build layers, the imaginative background, and her sense of composition. This drawing is quite sophisticated for a kindergarten artist. It is a joy for me to see her take the concepts we learn in class and work so hard to make them her own.
I Lost My Tooth Francis Kiwak
Grade: K School: P.S. 49 The Dorothy Bonawit Kole School, Queens Art Teacher: Susan Bricker Collage
Student: I want people to feel happy when they look at my art. I want people to laugh at my tooth falling out! I like making art because you can use lots of stuff like pom poms, pipe cleaners, cardboard, scissors, glue, and paper. I also like to draw. When I make art I am happy and proud. My tooth was falling out. I used two upside-down triangles and then I used a rectangle to make my tooth. My tongue is sticking out because I was trying to catch my tooth and bring it back into my mouth! I worked on my collage for a long time.
Teacher: This self-portrait is the final project in a collage unit. Students learned that artists rip, cut, arrange, and overlap to create collages. We began with precut shapes, moved into tearing, and then practiced cutting geometric and organic shapes. We looked at collage work by Henri Matisse, Ezra Jack Keats, and Daniel Gordon. Students observed the self-portraits of Frida Kahlo, discussed the shapes she used for her facial features, and then drew themselves from observation, paying close attention to shapes. They chose their skin color and used many layers for each facial feature. They had to decide if they should show themselves wearing masks or cut shapes for their noses and mouths. Francis often shows me artwork he makes at home. He sits in the back of the room, excitedly going into his own world when he works, as if he has his own studio in the classroom! Once Francis understood the concept of collage, he really made it his own. He layered different colors to make his hair, and put a few small shapes together to create the fallen tooth. This work is very expressive.
Polar Bear Alejandra Flores
Grade: K School: P.S. 249 The Caton School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Yaffa Rasowsky Print on paper
Student: I want you to think you’re in a polar bear book and feel happy to look at pictures that are nice. I want you to know how to make a print. You roll out some color. You put a paper on top and then you make a polar bear. You could see the ears really well. I carved and used the color white. For me, it’s fun to think of something like animals, flowers, or some people and make art all day each week.
Teacher: Kindergarten artists eagerly found inspiration in wintry wildlife as they discovered the printmaking process. Artists experimented with the use of varied lines and shapes to create implied texture and an image transfer of an animal in a snowy environment. At a time when kindergarteners are just learning how to be in school and who they are as learners, it is crucial for the arts to play a part in this development. While synchronous learning time, physical space, and diverse materials have been limited, the opportunity for young artists to physically touch, play with, explore, make, and engage fully with the artmaking process continues to be essential. Alejandra is a great classmate, sister, and friend. When Alejandra grows up she wants to be an artist. In fact, she says she could paint the entire school in just one minute!
Enough Already!!! Analis Serrano Galarza
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 160 The Walt Disney Magnet STEAM School, Bronx Art Teacher: Veronica Doherty Pencil and crayon
Student: The picture is about a girl screaming because she thought she saw blood in the sky when she saw the sunset. At that moment when she screamed, she was horrified. I want people to feel her fear at that moment when she was screaming. I like to draw because it’s entertaining to me when I’m bored. Art is fun, I like to do it.
Teacher: Inspired by The Scream by Edvard Munch, first-grade students considered what would make them scream and why. They discussed their feelings and how their emotions could best be described in art. Analis’s project is very expressive and conveys a powerful sense of emotion. I feel the anxiety emanating from her work. What is making her scream, I wonder? Analis has a hurried approach to her work. Her coloring goes in many directions, resulting in a sense of urgency. The bold outline of the face distinguishes it from the warm-toned background. Analis worked with a limited supply of art materials and created this artwork while on a study lunch with me. She did a wonderful job with this expressive work of art and is deservedly proud of it!
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Shriya Dastidar
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 133, Queens Art Teacher: Kaya Wielopolski Torn-paper collage with crayon and marker
Student: Art makes me happy. It gives wings to my imagination. That is why I like to make art. When people look at my artwork, I want them to feel the power of the tiger. I want viewers to understand the imagination portrayed in my artwork.
Teacher: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood was from a unit on drawing and collage. Students began with an observational drawing of two different animals. They used either drawing as a reference to create their collage. The students practiced ripping and tearing paper to create different shapes of varying sizes. They found additional paper sources at home. Through only tearing or ripping and overlapping, they created their animal collage. Drawing was incorporated to create a background and any small details they felt were needed for the animal. Shriya has been working remotely all year, and her work has been very focused and innovative. Her observational drawings have shown attention to detail. Her choice of contrasting colored papers and the control she showed as she tore them represents the innovation and engagement she shows in all her art work. I think this work of art is just beautiful.
Kandinsky Symphony Michiru Watanabe
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 150, Sunnyside, Queens Art Teacher: Ellen Anne Wine Watercolor and black crayon
Student: I painted this picture to music just like the artist Kandinsky. I want people to enjoy my work and to think it is magnificent and amazing. I like to make art because it is fun and fascinating. Making art makes me feel happy.
Teacher: Michiru was inspired by the book The Noisy Paintbox by Barb Rosenstock. First-grade students learned about the life of Vasily Kandinsky. Over Zoom, they practiced creating small sketches to different types of music to explore how artists can represent sounds abstractly with line, shape, and color. They began their final piece inspired symphonic pieces composed by Richard Wagner. Michiru did an excellent job filling his page with a variety of black lines to represent the rhythm and sounds in the music. Notice how he was able to create glazed areas of watercolor in a very expressive way. I was astounded to have a student like Michiru embrace art while working on a remote platform.
Action Printing Kemya Reid
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 235 Janice Marie Knight School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Kathlyn Wilson Print
Student: I want all the bright colors to make people stop, look, and feel excited. I want people to feel happy when they see my artwork. I used a lot of different tools to make my picture. I printed with a fork, cotton ball, pompoms, roller, and stamps to make my artwork. Spacing out where I used the tools helped to make it look more beautiful. I like to make art because it is fun and I like to create new things. Creating makes me feel happy and proud. When I am making art, I feel relaxed and peaceful.
Teacher: My first-grade artists created work inspired by other artists as they learned the different ways of making art. Kemya’s class learned about Jackson Pollock. They were very excited to find out that he was an action painter, and for our printmaking unit, they decided to become action printers. Kemya used a variety of tools as she learned how paint transfers from the object onto her paper. She used many colors and actions to create layers of printed textures. Kemya explored the materials with great excitement and allowed herself to be expressive in her mark-making. I am impressed by her ability to make clear prints with her tools and to create a balanced composition with her color choices.
Fireman Sharifjon Ulmasov
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 194 Raoul Wallenberg, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Lauren Malone Collage
Student: It took me a couple of weeks to make this work. I worked hard on creating the perfect fireman. I love art. You can make a lot of different kinds of things in art.
Teacher: Students imagined their dream job and the tools used at that job. They created a person using different shapes and learned how to layer paper to create details. Sharifjon’s careful planning and attention to detail drew me to this work.
Untitled Anas Jaouani
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 231, District 75, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Terrill Becker Markers, water and salt, poster paint, and white pencil on paper
Student: I want people to think about nature. I like trees and snow. I made a quiet place. I want people to be happy because they like my colors and my trees and snow. I painted the trees purple. I drew the snow with a white pencil. I like to make art because it makes me feel happy. I like to paint. I used markers, paint, and salt. When I put the salt on my painting, it made my painting feel rough. I can still feel the salt there.
Teacher: This work drew its inspiration from nature and the work of artists George Hallowell and David Langevin. Students built images with layers, textures, and lines. They were working remotely, and they looked out of their windows to find trees in snow. They compared their observations to the artists’ paintings. Students explored the contrast of light and dark, noting shadows created by the sun on snow and trees. They also noticed the way snow stuck to the branches and the trunk. Limited access to art supplies led to creative artistic choices and unexpected mixes of media. Anas was excited by the snow this winter and by his walks outside with his dad. He did not have access to watercolors and improvised with markers and a watercolor brush. He happily drew his sky with varied lines and colors, brushed water over his work, then sprinkled salt for texture. Anas enjoyed each step, building his image layer by layer. He enjoys the process of making art and creates engaging images marked by expressive lines and splashes of color. In this work, Anas invites the viewer to observe a shadowy forest and the silence of the falling snow.
Realistic Art Self-Portrait: My First Spiderman with Primary Colors Mahin Amin
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 172 Beacon School of Excellence, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Elle Sauer Tempera paint, oil pastel, Sharpie, and collage paper
Student: You don’t need all the colors, just red, blue, and yellow, because you can mix them to get any color you want. It might seem easier to get all the colors, but you can be more proud that you mixed your own colors. When I mixed my skin color, I had to roll up my sweatshirt sleeves for two reasons: one to not get paint on my sweatshirt, and two to match the paint to my skin color. I used primary colors red, blue, and yellow to make secondary colors green, purple, and orange. I used a sponge as a paintbrush and rolled a cap in paint to make bumpy textured lines and shapes in my unique background. I am very happy with my first Spiderman drawing on my T-shirt. Art is full of surprises. I am not sure if I can succeed, but then I try, and when I am done, I like my artwork!
Teacher: Students celebrated their individuality and honored their differences. They experimented with tempera paint to mix their skin color. Using brushes and nontraditional tools like forks and caps, they painted expressive lines and shapes, creating textured backgrounds. Students cut organic and geometric shapes for their facial features. They discussed The Humanae Project by Angélica Dass, whose aim was to start a dialogue about how we view race, ethnicity, and diversity, and that’s exactly what happened. Mahin encouraged other artists in the class to keep mixing colors until they matched their exact skin color. Mahin loves to mix colors, and he requested the primary colors. He was very proud of himself and used his Spiderman sneakers and sweatshirt for reference. I love the facial expression with its unique placement of eyebrows, irises, and pupils. Mahin’s attention to detail and ability to capture his true essence through painting and collage is remarkable.
Self-Portrait with My Friend Lucy Julia Dolegiewicz
Grade: 1 School: P.S. 63 Old South School, Queens Art Teacher: Maria Panotopoulou Paper collage
Student: Art is very important to me. I worked very hard to tear a lot of papers and glue them together to make my self-portrait. My artwork is very special to me because it tells my story. When people look at my collage, they will know that I love my parrot Lucy, and maybe they will think, “This is a girl who loves cockatoos.” I want people to feel happy when they look at my bright colors and at Lucy. I want people to have fun. I imagine something, and then I make it important in my artwork. I turn it into something real. My favorite subjects are birds, but I also love to make clothes and toys out of papers and other materials. My mom doesn’t have to buy toys because I make toys myself.
Teacher: Students experimented with realistic and abstract self-portraiture. They considered the contrast, space, balance, and texture that could be created through tearing. They layered papers starting with the background and worked their way forward. Julia is fascinated with birds. Her parrot, Lucy, on her shoulder, the faraway look in her eyes, and the flower in her hair place us in Frida Kahlo’s world. On occasions when we had to transfer to a remote learning mode, Julia’s pet parrot was present during our Google Meets A truly inspiring artist, Julia always transforms her inspiration into unique art. At the age of six, she already has developed a very personal art-making style.
Penguins Clara Grignafini
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 234 Independence School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Madeleine Arthurs Collage
Student: I would love people to know that there are two penguins. One is a mom and the other is a son. In the picture there is a huge and cold blizzard. The mom and baby don’t care about the snow because they live there. They just like being outside. I also want them to feel that it took me a long time to make my picture. I like to make art because I like the colors and the designs. I loved making it and looking at it because it is so beautiful.
Teacher: This is a collage exploration lesson that challenges students by limiting them to ripping only black and white paper. This causes students to really think about the shapes they are creating and their placement on the base paper. The lesson addresses the second-grade learning indicators for collage in the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Visual Arts: the ability to rip, overlap, imaginatively place, and evenly glue paper to create a real or made-up subject. Clara is a very creative student who works playfully with art materials while focusing seriously on the task at hand.
Super Meaghan: A Self-Portrait Meaghan Kelly
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 207 Elizabeth G. Leary, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Michele Kelly Acrylic paint on canvas
Student: I am brave like a superhero and my art can help save the world. I want people to feel they are safe and happy when looking at my artwork, because they will know that Super Meaghan is there to protect the world! When I make art, it’s like talking to a good friend who makes you feel happy. When I’m painting, I focus on just my painting and all my worries melt away. I enjoy drawing and painting, and I would like to be an artist just like my mom, dad, and sisters. The background is a celebration of confetti showing that I’ve done a good deed with my Super Art Powers. The background was inspired by the lesson on Impressionism. The world is safer with Super Meaghan’s art superpowers. My art will keep you safe.
Teacher: Using mirrors, Meaghan observed muscle movements, linking movements of facial features to her chosen emotion. Meaghan showed mastery of media by using clean brush strokes, a variety of lines, and vibrant paint hues. She experimented with tints and shades of primary and secondary colors to create her skin tone and hair color, displaying a clear understanding of color theory. Portraying herself as a smiling superhero was imaginative. She identifies as Super Meaghan. Her creative point of view reflects how she sees herself and how she wants others to see her. The confetti behind her places the figure within a well-defined space.
Mr. Bald Eagle Casper Yohai
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 150 Tribeca Learning Center, Manhattan Art Teacher: Branislava Duranovic Scheluchin Oil pastel
Student: There are twirls around Mr. Bald Eagle. He is in a tornado. I want people to feel a bit dizzy when they look at him. I worked on this drawing for two classes. I spent lot of time drawing my animal. I like to make art because it is fun, cool, and interesting. I especially like to make clay art.
Teacher: In this drawing unit, second-grade students experimented with oil pastels. They explored the pastels’ characteristics through blending, layering, and color mixing. Students used photographs as visual references and relied on their observational skills to represent shapes, textures, and colors in their animal portraits. Casper is a dynamic and excited art maker. He often narrates his thinking process as he is working. Mr. Eagle is a sharp and elegant dresser whose presence exudes authority. Casper’s expressive representation is obvious in the stern eyes and enlarged, curved beak of Mr. Bald Eagle. I am impressed by how Casper confidently blended and layered shades on the bottom of the head.
Gabriella’s Self-Portrait Gabriella Christian
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 223 Lyndon B. Johnson, Queens Art Teacher: Eric Lang Pencil and crayon
Student: This is my first self-portrait, but they will be seeing more art from me in the future. I put a lot of emotion into my artwork. When people look at my artwork, I want them to see the details that I put in and the colors that I used. I want them to feel emotion. I love to make art because it puts me in my comfort zone and helps me to feel relaxed. I also love art because it inspires me to express myself.
Teacher: This lesson began with students observing and describing portraits and self-portraits painted by a variety of artists including Amrita Sher-Gil, Frida Kahlo, and Kehinde Wiley. They also looked at a portrait in bronze by Augusta Savage. Students learned that a portrait can represent what a person looks like, but it also can reveal something about that person through details that the artist includes. Gabriella’s self-portrait is full of carefully chosen details that describe her appearance and demeanor and the space around her.
The World Ray Benjamin
Grade: 2 School: Brooklyn Arbor Elementary School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Laurie Marcus Mixed media
Student: I want people to wonder what kind of world this is. Who lives in the underground homes? I want people to feel magic and to know that nothing is impossible and that they can visit my magical world when they look at my art. Making art is fun, and there are so many different things to use. This piece has collage and painting.
Teacher: The World is Ray’s opus. It encompasses three lessons built on a sequential exploration of materials, themes, and skills. We began with an animal collage assignment that focused on overlapping shapes; then the creation of the animal’s habitat focusing on horizon line, texture, and color; and finally a content lesson on juxtaposing media imagery to create a new image. Ray juxtaposed qualities of the real world (with an element of fantasy) with the visual surrealism of her imagination. She flattened the space underground but created an illusion of depth above ground, demonstrating a sophisticated and surprising handling of space. She unified many small and poignant details into a whole. The World demonstrates the extraordinary capability a second grader has to be deeply engaged with their artwork. Her world is thoroughly envisioned, and it is both a delight and surprise to view! It is the work of a serious artist, and it is a serious and intentional work of art.
My Community Worker Yassine Nzala
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 200 The Benson School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Shakira Soderstrom Oil pastel and colored pencil
Student: I worked very hard on this artwork. There are a lot of people in the community who help us every day. I want people to see my garbage man and like him. I want them to notice his outfit. I want people to see the bright colors I used and feel happy and proud of their community workers who help them live in a clean and safe place. I like to experiment with different art materials and play around with bright colors. Art is fun and makes me happy. I can show my creativity.
Teacher: Students were discussing community workers who help their local community and those whom they notice every day. Students learned to draw a person in proportion with accurate body parts and how to visually represent important members of their community. Yassine did a great job on this project and successfully represented a sanitation worker. He commented that he always saw them cleaning up the streets and that he appreciated their hard work. He was dedicated to learning how to draw a person accurately and enjoyed using oil pastel to bring his idea to life.
Dream Valley and Forest Yvonne Chen
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 79 Francis Lewis School, Queens Art Teacher: Mary O’Donnell Marker
Student: The world will be peaceful and colorful, with no more virus and hatred. I want my viewer to look more into my artwork. I want my artwork to be catchy and resonate with my viewer. I like to do art because it makes me happy and matches my heart and my personality!
Teacher: This artwork came from a remote yet comprehensive unit on imaginary creatures. Students learned about landscapes and perspective. We began with observational drawings of animals, focusing on proportions, shapes, patterns, and textures. After creating imaginary creatures, students invented backgrounds. The unit integrated formative assessment as a tool for improvement. This lesson was a piece of a larger unit that included lessons on establishing a horizon line and creating depth. I also taught Yvonne when she was in first grade, and I know she is a quiet, sweet girl who is talented and hardworking. Although she was isolated from her peers and from in-person instruction, Yvonne did a beautiful job.
Long-Necked Creature Zoe Xu
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 79 Francis Lewis School, Queens Art Teacher: Mary O’Donnell Watercolor on paper
Student: I want people to know how much I love animals. I hope people can be more loving to animals, also show them care and protect them, and keep them in their own environment. I want them to know that it’s OK to be creative. When looking at my artwork, I would like people to ask maybe, “What is this animal? What kinds of food does it like to eat?” I hope they can feel a bit of curiosity. I like that drawing allows me to express the things that come up in my head.
Teacher: The unit was comprehensive, even though it was taught remotely. Students began with sketching their observations of animals, focusing on proportion, shape, pattern, and texture. They used their creativity to make imaginary creatures set in a background. Students provided feedback for each other before creating their final artwork. Zoe is a student who consistently hands in her work even though she is a working remotely. She genuinely has a love for art, and it shows in the care and time she spends on her work.
Self-Portrait Annabel Pichardo Batres
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 164 Caesar Rodney, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Regina Lim Sharpie, crayons, and watercolor
Student: The painting made me feel like I was with my friend, and I am happy that it looks like me. When people look at my work, I want them to think that the shading is cool and that it looks like the sunset. I want the viewers to think that it is really pretty. I like to make art because it is fun!
Teacher: Students began the self-portrait unit by observing and discussing the works of Kehinde Wiley. We were inspired by patterns in Kehinde Wiley’s portrait paintings and discussed how adding shapes and lines created depth. Annabel worked enthusiastically to add details and texture to her self-portrait. It was a pleasure to see Annabel having fun and enjoying the process.
I’m Brielle Brielle Graham
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 160 The Walt Disney Magnet STEAM School, Bronx Art Teacher: Veronica Doherty Tempera paint and black marker
Student: You can have confidence in your artwork no matter what it looks like. I want people to feel inspired to create artwork when they look at my work. I like experimenting with different colors and ideas.
Teacher: Brielle created this expressive self-portrait after studying Kehinde Wiley’s portraits. Wiley’s naturalistic imagery and strong use of line, shape, and color and his background patterns clearly influenced Brielle’s composition. Brielle’s face is filled with a sense of wonder and surprise, which she achieved by combining both realistic and cartoon-type features, some outlined for emphasis and some not. Brielle’s eyes are rounded and wide open, hence the surprised look. She mixed a variety of tones to create a sense of three-dimensionality in her face and in her hair piled on top of her head. Her color scheme unites the composition, as the pink shade is repeated in her lips, her shirt, and her patterned background. Brielle successfully created this expressive work while studying remotely.
Printed Fish Rebecca O’Reilly
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 19 Judith K. Weiss, Bronx Art Teacher: Michelle Quinn Printmaking ink on gel plate and foam plate
Student: I love to make art because it is fun. I can use lots of colors, tools, and designs. I like trying different types of art. It inspires me. I want the viewer to feel inspired and think that they can do this kind of art, too. I used printing ink, a foam plate, a gel plate, and a brayer. After I drew my fish on paper, I put the paper on a foam plate and carved my design in. Then I chose my ink and added ink to my plate to make a print of my work. I enjoyed it so much I went back to the art room and made printed paper using ink and scratch tools on a gel plate so I could make another print of my fish.
Teacher: Students explored paintings by Sharon Cummings. They used many types of lines to create implied texture and movement. The students discovered that using certain colors together can create interesting effects, and they were able to choose a color of ink and paper they thought would look well together. Using printing ink, they printed their design onto colored paper. They also experimented making printed paper using gel plates and scratch tools. Some students chose to cut out their fish and stamp their image onto one of their printed papers. I love the enthusiasm Rebecca shows during art, especially when we are printing. She spoke about different colors and how they would look on her paper. Rebecca worked to improve her pencil grip and was able to make detailed marks. She thought about each step, making sure that in the end, her fish was big enough to make a stamp.
Coral Reef Edward Sanchez
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 161 Pedro Albizu Campos, Manhattan Art Teacher: Lara Tyson Model Magic and mixed media
Student: Quiero que la gente piense en los pescados y la contaminación. Quiero que dejan de contaminar porque está lastimando los pescados. (I want people to think about fish and pollution. I want them to stop pollution because it is hurting our fish.) Me gusta hacer arte porque me gusta aprender como dibujar y mejorar mis dibujos. Es mi tema favorito. Me gustaba hacer el proyecto del pescado porque me gusta cortar las formas para la cola. Me hace ser feliz y calmado. (I like making art because I like to learn how to draw and improve my drawing skills. It is my favorite subject. I liked the fish project because I liked cutting and collaging shapes for the fish tail. Art makes me happy and calm.) Quiero que la gente sepa que fue difícil usar la masilla. Fue raro usar mucho de los materiales, normalmente uso papel, ahora sé que puedo usar otros materiales. (I want people to know that it was difficult to use Model Magic. It was strange using a lot of the mixed-media materials; normally I use paper, but now I know you can use other materials too.)
Teacher: Students made coral reefs using traditional and nontraditional art materials such as bottle caps, straws, and plastic to highlight the pollution in our oceans. They created work that demonstrated additive techniques and manipulation of materials. They learned to make slabs and to roll and pinch clay using tools to cut and add texture. They imaginatively stacked, grouped, and balanced materials, organizing the parts into a cohesive whole. This project was interrupted twice due to COVID closures, and students couldn’t wait to get back in the building so they could finish their sculpture. They were excited to get to use so many different art materials, but they also learned they could find art materials in their trash or in their kitchen cupboards.
Silly Day Keira Sin
Grade: 2 School: P.S. 99, Kew Gardens, Queens Art Teacher: Victoria Calabro Collage
Student: I am excited to share my silly-mood self-portrait. I call it Silly Day. I made this at home, but I like making art at school better because I have more room at school in the art studio. I liked using the textured paper and the colorful paper to make the earrings. Making the earrings was the most fun! I worked hard on this collage to make this picture look silly and happy. I added a flower in the hair. To get the petals, I folded the paper and cut it to get a few shapes at a time. I worked hard to make the petals!
Teacher: Students explored a range of collage methods by tearing and cutting various types of paper. They each created a life-size collage self-portrait. This lesson was modified for remote and blended synchronous instruction. Students learned through both Google Meet and in-person instruction in their classrooms. Ideally, the instruction would be in person in the art room. Keira has been fully remote since March 2020. I find it incredible that at age seven, Keira logs herself onto Google Meet and is always the first student to arrive ready to make art! Keira can be very reserved. She excelled in this unit and solved problems independently.
A Bird in the Nest Freya Sanko
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 234 Independence School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Madeleine Arthurs Collage
Student: Nature is important. And a lot of people don’t think about it very much anymore. I hope that this collage helps us all realize that nature is so precious. We couldn’t live without it. I like creating art for many reasons. For reason number one, it helps people realize important things like how nature is so important! For another reason, I have a gift for making it, and I love doing it. I think I am a slow drawer because I like to spend a lot of time doing it. I want people to know that art is something that can come easily to you. All you really need is a pencil and some paper. The bird in my collage is made from the white background paper. The black is actually the only paper I used in this collage. It did not take a very long time to make it because there aren’t many things in the picture, but I definitely did still put time and thought into it.
Teacher: In this lesson students must think carefully about the shapes they are creating and the placement of the shapes, as they are limited to using only black and white paper. We reviewed the second-grade skills needed for collage: the ability to rip, overlap, imaginatively place, and evenly glue paper to create real or made-up subjects. I also introduced a fifth-grade–level collage skill, using positive and negative space in creative ways. Freya is passionate and serious about creating artwork.
Mythical Creatures Henry Cousin
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 234 Independence School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Madeleine Arthurs Ink
Student: What I want people to feel about my artwork is kind of scared, but also kind of curious, because my picture is creepy but also has a story in it. For example, it has a vampire who is standing with all his scary friends, and he is squeezing an apple because he hates human food. My dad is a good artist. Almost my whole family makes art. I have done it since I was little. I’ve always liked making art because I can make up anything I want to and put it on paper. My artwork is about Franklynstein’s palace, which I made up. It is a dark, spooky place with mythical creatures in it. It takes place in the 1800s, and there is a guy who lives in the castle. He is a man mixed with a bat. His friends are a bat and a rat. A wolf mixed with an alligator is his pet. There’s a creature with a troll head, turtle neck and shell, eagle feet, bat wings, and a rat tail who is the guy’s butler. Something like a little snapping worm lives in a hole in his garden.
Teacher: In this drawing sequence we explored mark making and mythical creatures. We compared and contrasted the mythical creatures in Greece! Rome! Monsters! written by John Harris and illustrated by Calef Brown with photographs of the Assyrian Sculpture Court at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Students explored ways to use lines to create different textures and to organize the picture plane into foreground and background. Henry passionately loves to draw. He creates these mythical creatures and stories about them in art class and at home. His parents have told me that he loves to stay up late at night drawing and writing.
Bloom from the Inside Si Ying Li
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 2 Meyer London, Manhattan Art Teacher: Amy Tai Oil pastel on paper
Student: Be your own self. You don’t need to listen to people who don’t have nice things to say about you because you are different—just be you! You have to be proud of yourself and who you are. Be confident in yourself because everyone is unique. I’m proud of my drawings because I have a special drawing style. I chose the word “bloom” in the title because I am like a flower that grows when I learn new things. Even though we have masks on to keep us safe, it doesn’t mean we can’t express ourselves and bloom even more. We bloom from our brains and hearts, on the inside. We can express ourselves by creating art. You can feel relaxed when you sit by yourself alone, thinking about your life. This is how I felt because I was imagining the things I love in the world like flowers, birds, and bunnies. Creating art teaches us that mistakes can help us learn new things, like changing a mistake into something more creative.
Teacher: Students observed portrait paintings by Frida Kahlo, Kehinde Wiley, and Zhang Xiao Gang. The artists’ diverse backgrounds enabled students to identify with one of the artists. Using mirrors, students examined facial features and created observational drawings. They used pastels to blend skin tones that matched their own, and rendered the value, lines, and shapes of their faces. We discussed the importance of expression, and how our masks hide parts of our faces. Students decided to use the design of their masks as the focus of their expressions, along with personal elements in the background. Si Ying’s artwork expresses her continuous pursuit of growth.
Springtime Elizabeth Garcia Dorado
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 164 Caesar Rodney, Brooklyn Art Teacher: David Chimoskey Torn paper collage with watercolor
Student: My art is important to me. I like to make art because I would like to become an artist. I want the viewer to know that making art makes me happy, and I want them to feel happy. I want them to feel like spring is coming.
Teacher: Students learned to make collages composed of a foreground, middle ground, and background by ripping, tearing, and layering papers. Attention was paid to the contrast of light and dark and color relationships. Most students were used to working with scissors, but they learned to accept and appreciate the irregularities of torn paper. Spring was the theme of this third collage in a series entitled The Four Seasons. Students developed their collage technique as we advanced through the series. Elizabeth’s composition is very dynamic. She wanted to make a springtime picture that was filled with life, and she did just that. Her use of light and dark colors helped to give her art a sense of depth. She is very quiet in class, but her artwork shows that she has much to say!
A New York Cityscape Madison Thomas
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 223 Lyndon B. Johnson, Queens Art Teacher: Eric Lang Marker
Student: When people look at my artwork, they don’t have to wonder what it is. I want them to see what my artwork is with one look. I want them to feel like they are in the art piece. I want the art to become a real-life feeling. Also, I want them to think that they can create artwork if they try their best. I like to make art because it makes me happy. It’s what I do if I’m bored or have nothing else to do.
Teacher: Students explored cityscapes by observing architectural landmarks in New York City. They observed how the elements of art were used by different architects. Building on their knowledge of patterns from a previous lesson, students created cityscapes that included patterns suggesting the details and features found in city architecture. Madison developed this drawing and followed it through to completion. She created strong architectural forms filled with a variety of colorful patterns and showed great control over the medium.
Figure Marco Romero
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 36 Unionport, Bronx Art Teacher: Jason Holt Model Magic and watercolor paint
Student: I want people to think about technology and how we might have too much technology. I like using clay, and I was imagining this as a famous statue. I liked doing the painting. Making the skin tone was a hard part, but I think the statue looks like me. I like to make art when I’m bored, because it makes me feel happy. I like to imagine different things.
Teacher: Students applied what they had learned from a series of figure drawing lessons to their three-dimensional work. Considering proportion, they built up figures using Model Magic. They composed the figure into a lifelike stance to communicate a mood or an action. The addition of watercolor paint brought their characters to life. Marco worked diligently at every stage of this project. He carefully modeled the figure’s gesture and worked hard to create an even surface with the clay. He painted the sculpture with careful precision.
Lego Soundsuit Indira Clarke
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 26 The Jesse Owens School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Elizabeth Kinkel Pencil and marker
Student: I drew a suit made of Lego pieces inspired by the soundsuits of the artist Nick Cave. I created Lego Soundsuit because I think playing with Legos is a fun activity. I thought about the Lego pieces I own, and I incorporated them as I drew the body of the suit. The soundsuit can make poses, and each time it moves it makes a “click” sound. I drew tridents on the head of the soundsuit that can zap someone if they touch it. I drew the “zaps” with zigzag lines and I also drew a cat on one of the Lego bricks. When people look at my drawing, I want them to feel inspired to make art based on what they like. Art is what I enjoy doing because it is my time to create something exactly the way I want it to be.
Teacher: During this past year of remote learning, I focused on developing my students’ observational and expressive skills as they created artwork from what was available to them at home. For inspiration, I guided them towards artists who use found objects in their work. After investigating the Soundsuits of Nick Cave, my third graders designed suits that are able to create sound through dance and movement. Indira imagined how the Lego pieces in her room could be constructed into a suit. She applied what she learned through observational figure drawing to envision how the wearer would move inside the suit. Indira rendered all the individual Lego pieces adding inventive details that gave the drawing an otherworldly feel. Indira impresses me with her ability to find intriguing new ways to express her ideas.
A Colorful Bird Jaslin Alvarez
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 1 The Bergen, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Shevon Gant Colored pencil on paper
Student: Birds are special and need to be protected. This is a colorful, wonderful bird. I want people to feel like a bird is sitting right in front of them. Making art runs in my family. My mom also makes animals, and my brother draws characters.
Teacher: In their remote learning art class, students explored how to use alphabet letters to create real or imaginary animals. They observed No One’s Home by contemporary artist Brian Donnelly, known professionally as KAWS. The also looked at Bird (Sejen), a nineteenth- to mid-twentieth–century sculpture made by the Senufo Peoples of the Ivory Coast, in The Met collection. Students choose a letter and then created sketches transforming the letters into animals. Students considered how color choices would impact their work. They completed their drawings using art materials that they had at home. Students combined two styles of artwork and used their imaginations to generate innovative ideas for art making. Although working remotely, Jaslin had access to paper and colored pencils. Jaslin loves art and has a special affinity towards birds. I was particularly proud of the work she could create at home!
My Alebrije Matthew Mera
Grade: 3 School: P.S. 333 The Longwood Academy of Discovery, Bronx Art Teacher: Ashley Cox Papier-mâché and tempera paint
Student: I was inspired by the alebrijes (brightly colored Mexican folk-art fantasy sculptures). I wanted my alebrije to have a lot of colors and patterns. Some alebrijes look scary and they have sharp teeth. My alebrije looks happy and is friendly. Making art is fun and I get to be creative. It’s fun to make things from my ideas. That’s creative too. Sometimes it doesn’t come out perfect but sometimes it really looks good! I liked building my sculpture. You can try making a creature too! I really liked making all of the patterns. I liked adding details from different animals. I was able to make a new animal from my imagination.
Teacher: Students learned about the history of alebrijes and that they are imagined creatures defined by their colors and patterns. Before working in three dimensions, students created sketches of their own alebrije-style creatures by combining unique elements of different animals. Art classes are taught remotely, and students were given options for the ways they could create their sculptures, but the sculptures had to be made using paper. Students demonstrated their ability to create stable construction of three-dimensional forms. I was impressed by Matthew’s aptitude in creating his papier-mâché sculpture while learning from home. It showed his capacity to work independently, which is a sign of his dedication to creating work with care.
Self-Portrait Santos Leoni
Grade: 4 School: P. S. 267 East Side Elementary School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Emma Niwa Mixed media
Student: I hope people feel as relaxed as I felt while drawing my portrait. I was proud of how it came out, and I really liked doing it. I used pencil and oil pastels. Art makes me feel happy, and I like to show the work that I do. I hope my art makes others happy too.
Teacher: Students received remote, synchronous instruction as this self-portraiture unit was taught on Zoom. There was an emphasis on looking closely at ourselves through our webcams. When people wear masks, oftentimes all we can really see are their eyes, so we began by introducing students to the anatomy of the eye. Using oil pastels, students drew their eyes as they saw them. We spent time looking at ourselves in our webcams and learned about facial proportions. Students then made sketches of themselves at various angles and expressions before settling on their final pose. We studied the works of Nigerian artist Toyin Ojih Odutola and compared them to the works of American artist Byron Kim. We focused on mixing colors, especially the darks and lights of our skin and hair. I have taught Santos since he was in kindergarten, and he is an intense and thoughtful artist. The pandemic has been tough on him because of his physical isolation from peers. I am impressed with Santos’s commitment to attending Zoom classes with a smile and the way he challenges himself to create art away from a physical school.
This Is 2020 Daniella Behar
Grade: 4 School: P.S. 281 The River School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Yuliya Skurska Mixed media
Student: I want my artwork to remind people of the pain they felt in 2020, but also to give them hope. Sirens blared all day and night during the COVID lockdown, and police brutality scarred the African American community. Despite the sadness and struggle, we must continue to fight for what we believe in. From the pain of “I can’t breathe” came the hope of Black Lives Matter. Art is in my blood. It helps me understand myself and shows how I feel. Art is essential to me. I used powerful words and harsh, limited colors that represent 2020 to me. The colors are full of contrast and conflict like our society, but the gold is hopeful. If you look closely, you will see the whole face drawn out of scribbles of the number “2020.” The mask is protection from the virus, but it also represents being silenced, not having a voice.
Teacher: Daniella created this artwork as a response to the final assignment of our drawing unit: using words and images to communicate an important message. We studied a variety of protest posters and discussed strategies artists used to show their ideas using imagery and text. Students considered contrast, composition, and the elements of design as they made their work. This artwork started as a sketch of a face in a mask, with the entire image woven out of tiny 2020s. The unity of form and content was astounding for such a young artist. The repetition of 2020 and the figure’s gaze are haunting, and as heartbreaking as the events of the past year. The depth and sincerity of Daniella’s drawing left me speechless.
The Stormy Day Alice Song
Grade: 4 School: P.S. 79 The Francis Lewis School, Queens Art Teacher: Mary O’Donnell Watercolor
Student: I am very emotional about my work. I make art because it calms me down. If I’m sad or angry, I will feel calm and happy again. I like making people happy. Even though this picture is sad it made me happy to paint it.
Teacher: Students created monochromatic portraits focusing on line, color, proportion, and facial expression. Students submitted a first draft, and after teacher, peer, and self-assessment, they created a second drawing. The unit began with instruction on technical skills and developed into discussions about artists’ expressions. Students chose line and color that best conveyed what they were feeling. Alice is an extraordinarily talented artist whom I have had the pleasure of teaching for several years. She is a diligent worker and mature beyond her years.
Kimmy Cantrell Inspired Mask Julian Sanon
Grade: 4 School: P.S. 11 The Purvis J. Behan Elementary School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Niaren Desilva Cardboard, collage, and tempera paint
Student: Notice how I used different colors and shapes in many places so the pieces can stand out from the background of the mask. Also, notice the nose because I love the gold, silver, and copper colors in the spiral pattern. I want people to think and feel however they want to feel about my mask and my choices about the colors and designs. I want people to enjoy my artwork. Art is fun for me because I get bored easily and art makes me feel inspired. It is my favorite subject! I really enjoy making sculptures, like making things out of cardboard, Play Doh, and other materials.
Teacher: We used Visual Thinking Strategies to analyze the work of Kimmy Cantrell. Inspired by Cantrell’s work and African masks, students experimented with geometric and organic shapes, patterns, and collage. Students designed their masks and collaged their cardboard pieces to create depth. Bright colors were used to paint the masks. When the paint was dry, patterns were added. I am very impressed by Julian’s dedication through COVID-related school closures, when we had to transition from in-person to remote learning. Julian’s flexibility and consistency showed his passion for the arts. I am very inspired by his creative choices this year. Julian enjoyed the process of creating his mask, and I loved seeing him experiment with a variety of media. It was interesting to see his choices throughout the process.
Snowman Kacper Skowronski
Grade: 4 School: P.S. 231, District 75, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Terrill Becker Chalk pastel
Student: Winter is my favorite season. I like to go outside. I like to play in the snow. I want people to feel happy when they see my art. I want them to feel the cold. I feel happy when I make art. I like to paint and draw. I made the snowman with chalk pastels. It was messy. The snowman is me.
Teacher: This series of lessons came on the heels of a snowstorm. After our remote lessons, children were encouraged to go outside with their families to build snowmen. The goal was to create art from experience. On the following Monday, students were able to return to school. Working with chalk pastels for the first time, they explored the medium. They observed the pastel artwork of Debora Stewart and Zaria Forman and then drew simple shapes of varied sizes and lines to create a snowman. Students considered line quality, color, contrast, and composition. They created environments for their snowmen and gave them personalities by adding clothing with items found in nature. Kacper remained focused on his work. He added details sparingly and in the end created an ethereal presence that commands the viewer’s attention. Kacper’s snowman has a palpable presence that seems to convey a message of being an outsider looking in, a silent figure emerging from the mist with an anxious desire to join the viewer, but at the same time threatening to disappear into the fog.
The Future Is Free Megan Torres
Grade: 4 School: P.S. 376, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Luna Velazquez Digital drawing
Student: I like making art because there is no right or wrong way to make it. You can use anything as a tool, and you can create an entire world. You become a creator because you’re making something that wasn't there before. I want people to think of the future and the endless possibilities that lie ahead. I want people to know that all the wonderful things that they think about are possible. My artwork takes a lot of time. I try to create from inspiration, and during this pandemic, inspiration could be hard to find. Looking at simple things you see every day and thinking of their potential helps create new ideas. Sometimes I start sketching and I don’t like what I see, but I have to remember to keep going and enjoy the journey of creating.
Teacher: The students investigated the concept of a mascot. They realized that the image of a mascot sends a message to the viewer. The students used shapes to construct the mascot, and then added details. In this process they understood how designers produce their work and recognized that designers are artists. The students developed a sense of school identity by selecting a mascot to represent the school. Megan did a fine job taking her original drawing and recreating it digitally using her iPad.
Playground in Detroit Jailah Lewis
Grade: 4 School: P.S. 102 Bayview, Queens Art Teacher: Adela Leibowitz Colored pencil and pencil on paper
Student: I tried my best and expected mistakes. I believed in myself and never said, “I can’t do it.” I expressed my creativity in my art. I liked when I got done with my art and I saw how good it looked. I want people to think about a real playground when they look at my art and be happy when they see it.
Teacher: For our unit, Figures in a Landscape, students created many sketches of figures in motion, using contour lines to define the figures. Students rendered details of the figures and landscape. Using one-point perspective, Jailah created an imaginative interpretation of an observed subject. She added whimsical patterns amid figures showing dynamic movement. Jailah created a clear foreground and background. I taught my students remotely and in person. During remote instruction, I used an Elmo camera to demonstrate step-by-step processes. Students shared their progress during our synchronous remote classes, and they received feedback. Jailah applied herself to every facet of this unit. During remote portions, she created dozens of figure drawings in preparation for her final artwork. At other times, Jailah’s class was with me in-person. Jailah’s work stood out because her determination was evident every step of the process. She had a vision of how she wanted to construct the artwork, and she applied herself diligently until she accomplished her goal. Her art is a celebration of creativity and vision.
Dubuffet on the Loose David Wolff
Grade: 4 School: P.S. 334 The Anderson School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Vahan Nahabedian Cardboard, white gesso, and black paint
Student: I was inspired by a sculpture made by Jean Dubuffet, near the Chase Manhattan building in downtown Manhattan. I planned my sculptures, constructed them with cardboard, and painted them with white gesso and black paint. In the beginning, I had to hunt for enough cardboard to create my sculptures. When my sculpture started falling over I used creative thinking and put rocks inside of it. I like to make art because through it, I can express my feelings and desires, and for me it signifies a way to challenge myself and, at the same time, relax.
Teacher: Students learned that Jean Dubuffet used nontraditional art materials to create drawings, paintings, sculptures, landscape design, and performance art that embodied Art Brut. We analyzed several artworks by Dubuffet, such as Villa Falbala. We watched video performances, such as Coucou Bazar, and saw interviews with Dubuffet and Arne Glimcher of the Pace Gallery. Students learned new art words and phrases: Art Brut, outsider art, performance art, landscape design, installation art, nontraditional, and monument. David’s work is quite remarkable. He immediately recognized Dubuffet’s work and sent photographs of himself standing under the public sculpture Group of Four Trees at One Chase Manhattan Plaza. After discussing how to construct cardboard models (and how to use a hot glue gun safely), David set out to create his own Dubuffet. He documented the entire process, and his video expands our understanding of his sculptures through performance art, film making and editing, and installation art, as well as what it means to create art.
Owl Jharelyn Paulino
Grade: 5 School: P.S. 161 Pedro Albizu Campos, Manhattan Art Teacher: Lara Tyson Tempera paint and collage
Student: Your art may not always look how you wanted, but you can always turn it into something else. For example, while I was blending colors for my background, I didn’t like how it turned out. I wanted to start all over again, but I added a bit of white and ended up creating an even better shade of purple. Art can be an escape. I want people to feel excited and happy when they see my artwork. I want them to forget about their problems and enjoy the colors and like the owl collage I created. I like to make art because I like to express my feelings. For example, when I am upset it calms me down. When I am happy, I’ve learned to like making abstract art with multiple colors.
Teacher: This work was created as a part of a collage unit. Students looked at artwork by Henri Matisse, Megan Coyle, Eric Carle, Romare Bearden, the late eighteenth- to early nineteenth-century Japanese artist Kishi Ganku, and Robert Jew. They discussed collage processes, techniques, composition, and animal choice. Students created contour drawings, filled them with magazine collage pieces, and experimented with overlapping, use of tints and shades, and various textures. Students painted a monochromatic sky. With COVID-19 safety restrictions, students were not allowed to share paintbrushes. Students became very creative and painted with Q-tips, cotton balls fastened to wooden clothespins, and finally, in some cases, their fingers. They all rose to the occasion, embraced using nontraditional materials, and found creative solutions to this year’s challenges. Jharelyn is a meticulous student who has really embraced experimentation and making mistakes. She used to be a perfectionist who had difficulty enjoying the art making process if it didn’t come out exactly how she envisioned it in her head. Now, she is letting go of her fears, learning from her mistakes, realizing they can be happy accidents, and turning them into something wonderful.
Volleyball Player Sienna Martini
Grade: 5 School: P.S. 40 Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Manhattan Art Teacher: Craig Kane Papier-mâché, masking tape, and acrylic paint
Student: I enjoy the sport of volleyball and spent a lot of time and effort working on this sculpture. When people look at my piece of art, I want them to think how art is really important in a person’s life and how it can shape who you are. I like to make art because it puts me in my happy place. It is fun to be creative and make pieces that show my personality.
Teacher: Sienna’s sculpture is the culmination of our fifth-grade figure-study unit. Students created inspirational figures: real people who inspire them in some way. Students worked in papier-mâché and then painted—big areas of color first, then details. Paint was used to add details that tell more about the figure. The project hits the fifth-grade sculpture learning indicators in the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Visual Arts, as students work to create a stable construction of a three-dimensional form and focus on the placement of components to describe gesture, movement, and expression. It also hits the fifth-grade learning indicators for painting, as students observe detail and mix tints, shades, and tones. Sienna is new to our school, and because I see the fifth grade remotely, we have not officially met in person. This makes her work, dedication, and her attention to the project even more special to me. Her art truly belongs to her!
Self-Portrait Isobel Salaff
Grade: 5 School: P.S. 130 Hernando De Soto, Manhattan Art Teacher: Julia Chan Watercolor markers
Student: When people see this self-portrait, I want them to understand a part of me that can’t be expressed with words. I like to make art, because it is a way for me and many other people to express themselves without physically saying anything. Making this piece wasn’t so much a thought process. I focused on how I feel when I look at my self-image.
Teacher: Students observed the self-portraits of Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt van Rijn. We concentrated on their attitude, facial expressions, and mood. Next, we looked at various student self-portraits, paying close attention to the details. We practiced sketching a variety of lines to add to our self-portraits. Isobel used a variety of techniques to enhance her self-portrait. The blending of colors on her face created depth. I also was impressed by how her use of lines created highlights in her hair.
The Delicate Flamingo Jolene Lugo
Grade: 5 School: P.S. 95 The Sheila Mencher Van Cortlandt School, Bronx Art Teacher: Stephanie Fiorino Watercolor and ink
Student: When people look at my artwork, I want them to see that a flamingo is a delicate, very beautiful, and social bird. I wasn’t really feeling it at first, but after it started to come together, I was really proud, and I worked really hard on making it the best I could. I like making art because it is very entertaining, and I also enjoy learning new things and seeing what I can do.
Teacher: In a lesson on drawing from observation, students chose animals for a large-scale watercolor painting. They saw the photographs of Paul Nicklen, the paintings of John James Audubon, and photographs in National Geographic’s Photo Ark. Students created contour drawings and then enlarged their work. Images were outlined with ink and completed with watercolors. I was impressed by Jolene’s tenacity and her creative problem-solving process. She was not satisfied with her first sketch and at first was frustrated by the scale of the work. With some guidance, she measured out the space needed for her flamingo’s long neck and body. Jolene made a good compositional choice when she cropped the image to make the flamingo central. To create the right colors, Jolene had to mix her own tints and shades and add some highlights among the feathers. I was happy to see her pride in the finished work.
The Interrupted BLM Protest Leilani Gatdula
Grade: 5 School: Professor Juan Bosch Public School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Carmen Gomez Marker and watercolor
Student: This piece is inspired by the recent Black Lives Matter protests during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the situation depicted in the piece. The people were peacefully protesting, but President Trump felt the need to use tear gas on innocent people so he could take a picture in front of a church with a Bible. I admire the protesters’ bravery. Although there’s a worldwide pandemic, it’s incredible that so many people have come together to attend protests to fight against injustice towards Black people. It’s very beautiful. Art has really helped me during quarantine and remote learning. With all that’s going on in the world, making art has been a great distraction. There are no limits; you can draw really anything you’d like.
Teacher: We explored the role of artists as storytellers. We were inspired by Jacob Lawrence and his series, The Great Migration. We discussed how artists narrate stories about their experiences. We spoke about the Great Migration and how it affected the African American community. Students worked on organization of space into foreground, middle ground, and background. They considered characters and setting, adding a frame for each part of the story. Students told stories that were meaningful to them. The arts have helped many of my students deal with this year’s challenges. Art was an opportunity for my students to visually react to events in our society, as evidenced in Leilani’s artwork.
Amongst Us Lois Chang
Grade: 5 School: P.S. 51 The Elias Howe School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Shani Perez-Anthony Pencil on paper
Student: When people look at my artwork, I want them to think about the doctors and nurses who went through a lot of difficult challenges and how the pandemic is a scary time. I want them to know the big sacrifices the healthcare workers made for us. I like to make art because it makes me feel good and helps channel my anxieties.
Teacher: Lois used art as a vehicle of expression. She is particularly quiet but felt very strongly about this work of art and its representation of heroes during these insanely challenging times. Students understood that as artists we may process people and events differently than our peers. Working remotely, students used the materials for which they had access. Despite limitations, they created drawings that convey a message.
Self-Portrait Penelope Capozzi-Marshall
Grade: 5 School: P.S. 19 Judith K. Weiss, Bronx Art Teacher: Michelle Quinn Oil pastel
Student: I want people to see beauty and diversity. I want them to see that there is no one definition of beauty. I like working with pastels because I like the way they look on black paper, and I am able to cover large surfaces in a small amount of time. I want my viewers to see my art and see themselves. I like to make art because you can let your imagination run free. There are no limitations.
Teacher: During our study of the artist Amedeo Modigliani, students identified features that he used repeatedly in his portraits. Taking their observations and using their skills in self-portraiture, they created imaginative interpretations of themselves, using a contour line and a variety of directional lines. Incorporating techniques of blending, layering, and smudging using oil pastels, they combined shapes to create the parts of their face, neck, and details. Penny’s artwork really stood out. It not only resembled Penny, but it also portrayed her personality.
Decide Your Future BellaRose Conigliaro
Grade: 5 School: P.S. 51 The Elias Howe School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Shani Perez-Anthony Pen and marker on paper
Student: My artwork is based on the things that are happening right now in the world. I drew the woman shooting arrows to the three other women to show the present, sending positive things to the future, and all the bad arrows are being sent to the past. I wanted to show my best in this artwork! When people look at my artwork, I want them to feel curious about my artwork and wonder what made me do an art piece like it. I like to make art because I can express emotions and show people experiences I’ve had, or would like to have. I can show the viewers what is going on in my life. I also like to draw for fun and to enjoy all the time I have.
Teacher: Students began this year reflecting on the pandemic and the various ways we as artists process the events. Many students understand that their circumstances vary and that how they experience the pandemic may be very different from one another. Students were learning remotely and, with limited materials, created a reflection drawing of something they really connected to during this time. Their artwork conveyed a particular message. When Bella shared her artwork and the meaning behind it, I was blown away by how she chose to represent her message through drawing. She certainly has processed the pandemic in a unique way and used art to tell her story.
Artist’s Heaven Nuzhat Nawar
Grade: 6 School: I.S. 187 The Christa McAuliffe Intermediate School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Melina Badia Graphite pencil on paper
Student: Art allows me to express my emotions and comforts me. Ms. Badia taught me many art techniques. She showed me how to shade spheres and taught me the importance of value. So, thanks! Creating this artwork, I had two challenges, and both were met. First, I had only one pencil type, 2HB, and couldn’t get many values with it. But then I decided to take the time and go over places I needed to darken several times. Second, I didn’t know how to shade with texture. I decided to closely observe the objects themselves. Then I shaded and erased where I needed to, getting the wood on the pencil and the book cover just right.
Teacher: Students selected objects in their homes that held special meaning for them. During our Zoom meetings, students were shown how to take a photo of their objects. If students were unable to take photos, I provided my own photographs for visual references. We reviewed proportion and how to accurately draw what they see. Prior to this lesson, students created a value scale and practiced shading three-dimensional forms. When drawings were completed, we had a class critique on Zoom. Students gave each other feedback and shared artist tips. Nuzhat is an all-remote student. We meet just twice every six days. Her still life drawing is exceptional. The proportions are accurate, and she created a range of contrasts in her still life. The objects Nuzhat chose are important to her. She writes in her diary every day, because it helps her get her thoughts down, and she sees it as someone to vent to. The pencil represents her love for creativity, and the glasses are something she needs to see clearly, which in turn, helps her with art.
A Walk Through the Forest Elizabeth Kelly
Grade: 6 School: P.S. 207 Elizabeth G. Leary, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Michele Kelly Digital painting
Student: Art inspires me and gives me confidence to make things I didn’t know I was capable of creating. Art is a whole new world I didn’t know existed. Mrs. Kelly has always supported me and has consistently given me feedback. She taught me to draw using one-point perspective to show accuracy and the color wheel to enable me to improve my skill at mixing colors. I learned mistakes are not really mistakes; they’ll help me to overcome obstacles for future works of art. One mistake was putting the wrong shade of green in the leaves of the trees. I fixed this by playing around with green, adding different amounts of various colors to the green base, like adding red to make the green darker.
Teacher: Elizabeth used perspective, color mixing, and sustained observation to express her love of nature. She made observational sketches of forests to establish unity in the composition. A foreground, middle ground, and background are clearly shown. She also used a variety of lines and shapes to balance the composition’s positive and negative space. Because of the pandemic, Elizabeth taught herself how to use digital painting. She made personal connections between the natural world and the purity of art making. Elizabeth is a high-risk student who thrives in a remote setting. Digital painting made art accessible when access to traditional art supplies was limited.
Beyond Jeremiah Cabral
Grade: 6 School: Village Academy Middle School, Queens Art Teacher: Nicole Massop Painting on canvas
Student: Being an artist has given me a lot of opportunities. It has provided me with a way to express my emotions and has allowed me to make other people smile when they feel a personal connection to my artwork. My teacher has played a big role in my creative development. She has shown me different ways to express, create, analyze, and present my work for the world to see. She has helped me improve my art skills and confidence. Before Ms. Massop’s art class, I wasn’t brave enough to present work to many others. The challenge I faced while creating this work of art was being home around my family. There were so many distractions around me. Listening to music put me in a zone where nothing else existed but me and my painting. My art teacher always says, “Persistence is a virtue.”
Teacher: Students observed work by Mary Cassatt through the lens of the question, “How art can bring about a particular emotion or mood?” They focused on the ways our minds create a story and what we learn and teach with each story being told. The overall goal of the art lesson was to become inspired by Cassatt’s ability to capture a moment in time. Prior to this lesson, the concepts of color, coloring mixing, and color meanings were all introduced. This project provided an opportunity for students to use prior knowledge to create their own work of art. Through the use of paints, whether acrylic or watercolor, students were able use bright colors and loose brushstrokes that best described their innovative viewpoints. Jeremiah is a bright and cheerful person who brings his imaginative and creative ideas to every class session. He joins in the class activities with enthusiasm and encourages others to do the same. I believe Jeremiah is a unique and talented person. I am certain that his love of art and learning will take him far in life.
Frida Kahlo Inspired Self-Portrait Fernanda Aguilar
Grade: 6 School: The Riverview School, Queens Art Teacher: Raina Panagiotopoulos Photograph
Student: I like art because you can do many things like painting, collage, and stamping. I can express myself in different media. Paint, markers, crayons help me stay creative. I chose Frida Kahlo’s portrait because my mother tells me she and her husband were great artists. Frida Kahlo’s house is now a museum. Ms. Raina taught us about feelings, and I noticed Frida Kahlo has a serious face. Sometimes I feel like her. I used ribbons for Frida Kahlo’s headband; I used sticks to create Frida Kahlo’s necklace; and I also used my toys for Frida Kahlo’s cat and monkey. I made paper leaves for the background on the door. The challenge that I had was the makeup. My mom gave me some suggestions.
Teacher: Last spring when we were all in quarantine and lockdown, the Getty Museum challenged people at home to re-create famous works of art using the materials they have in their homes. For this unit students identified emotions first through emojis, which are familiar to them. They translated the emoji faces onto fine art portraits. They practiced using body language to show emotions. Students picked their own famous portrait as an inspiration. Students were creative and explorative with the items in their homes and used themselves as models for the main person in the portrait being portrayed. Fernanda puts a lot of passion into her art and is very knowledgeable.
Still Life from Observation Reyli Arturo Villalva
Grade: 6 School: M.S. 377 Renaissance School of the Arts, Manhattan Art Teacher: Vickie Byron Ballpoint pen on paper
Student: My specialty is using both hands at once to draw, hatch and crosshatch lines. Being an artist is very important to me. I didn’t really have difficulty making this drawing. Ms. Byron taught me how to draw using lights, shadows, and crosshatching. I also learned how to balance the artwork and give objects weight. When my teacher explained how to balance a drawing, I drew my black and white spaces and shapes so they were equal and looked good on the paper. I like my teacher because she is enthusiastic about my learning and she taught me how to make animations!
Teacher: This drawing from observation lesson was designed to improve students’ perceptual skills and their ability to see and record complex information. Reyli paid close attention to the light falling on the objects and practically carved out the space with his ballpoint pen. His drawing exhibits a wide range of values and visual textures, and unity of composition. I appreciate his energetic line work and the way he dug right in. I was impressed by Reyli’s eagerness for observational drawing and his mastery of crosshatching techniques at such a young age. He really is a two- fisted draughtsman, something I never saw before!
Sugar Skull Sherlyn Reyes
Grade: 6 School: P.S. 19 The Judith K. Weiss Woodlawn School, Bronx Art Teacher: Michelle Quinn Watercolor
Student: I really enjoy doing art. With so much practice, I feel that I have gotten better and my drawing techniques have improved greatly. Mrs. Quinn teaches me new techniques and introduces me to new materials. She has helped me understand important things to make my art the best it can be. She is supportive and helps me when I need help. I am used to using coloring tools like crayons and colored pencils. The biggest challenge in this artwork was definitely painting. I only paint when I am in school, so it was somewhat difficult for me to work at home. I took my time and painted carefully so the colors would not bleed together.
Teacher: During the fall we were studying Frida Kahlo and her use of flowers and symbolism. We embarked on a project to design and paint sugar skulls for Day of the Dead. Students sketched out their floral designs to use in their paintings. Once satisfied with their designs, they added them to their painting and used watercolor techniques such as wet on wet, wet on dry, and wash. Sherlyn felt very connected to this project because she celebrates Day of the Dead. She brought a lot of knowledge, experience, and examples to share with the class during our study of Frida Kahlo, Mexican art, and the holiday Day of the Dead. This gave all of us a deeper connection to our artwork.
Self-Portrait Gianna Lozano
Grade: 6 School: I.S. 125 Thomas J. McCann Woodside, Queens Art Teacher: Deborah Herrand Pencil, colored pencil, and marker
Student: Being an artist has changed the way I perceive things, and I appreciate them more deeply now. Everything around me can be turned into art. Art has helped me express my thoughts more freely and openly. All my art teachers have played a role in my creative development. My earliest art teachers taught me ways to express the different aspects of myself through art. My current teacher, Ms. Herrand, taught me even more than I ever knew and showed me artwork I had never seen before. Making the final artistic decision was challenging. I had many ideas, and I didn’t know where to start. I began thinking deeply and planning out my artwork. I organized my ideas and I included bits of all my ideas into the final artwork. To decide what medium to use, I realized that using colored pencils as the base and then markers to define certain details would give me the best outcome.
Teacher: We are a fully remote art class, and the challenges were great. I created many Google Slides presentations. Students discussed how each self-portrait is unique and how they visually reveal information about the artist. Drawing for the first time was difficult for many of my remote students, so we used the laptop screen as a light table to trace the image of their faces. Then, they used what they learned about the elements of art to describe themselves visually. Students had a choice of medium, as each student’s home situation was different. The results were as unique and varied as the students! Art overcame all challenges! Gianna’s self-portrait shows her amazing personality with its vivid colors and exciting lines. She incorporated symbols and text, adding to her biographical message. Gianna is an amazing artist, and she used her prior knowledge to enhance her artwork. I am very proud of her… and I haven’t met her in person yet!
Holiday Still Life Kathy Liang
Grade: 7 School: I.S. 187 The Christa McAuliffe School Intermediate School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Melina Badia Graphite pencils on drawing paper
Student: My artmaking allows the things in my head to manifest into physical form. My mind is always running, and art is a way I can calm myself down. My art teacher always encourages me to use the abilities I have to make great art. When my art does not turn out the best I want it to be, Ms. Badia always sees its significance. She motivates me to continue to better my artistry and to continue creating. I started making the final piece, but the project seemed so daunting to me and I was so stressed about creating something really good that I just didn’t want to continue. After having a sort of art block, I realized that I wanted to finish it because I wanted to see the finished product. I decided I was going to see the whole thing through, and I ended up with something I found satisfactory.
Teacher: Students searched for several objects in their home that represented a holiday, tradition, memory, or a hobby. During our Zoom meeting, I demonstrated the proper way to take a photo of their still life. Given the varied materials and resources available to students, I provided my own photographs that students could use for their drawing if they had trouble taking photographs. We went over proportions and how to accurately draw what they. Students had already practiced shading in three-dimensional forms and drawing from observation. We reviewed how to create contrast using range of drawing pencils. After all work was completed, we had a Zoom class critique, and students gave each other feedback and shared artist tips. Kathy has always been a dedicated student, and I admire her work ethic. She is a great artist, and I think she can be too hard on herself when it comes to her artwork. I wanted to give her an opportunity to see that her work is excellent, and she should keep creating art. Kathy is in a blended class this year: she is online for three days and in person for two.
Fighting for a Cause Solange Dunning
Grade: 7 School: I.S. 171 Abraham Lincoln, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Jennifer Cannella-Szwed Colored pencil and marker
Student: Every artwork has a story behind it, and the best story comes from the person that story belongs to. Ms. Cannella introduces me to new styles of art and new techniques that I never would have thought of otherwise. She motivates me and encourages me to do my best work. I wanted to represent all these social justice topics in the right way. I wanted to show how I deeply care about these issues. For example, I do deeply care about the Black Lives Matter movement, and I want to show it in my art, but I also want to do something about antiracism too.
Teacher: Aaron Douglas, artist of the Harlem Renaissance, was included in my lesson because we were working on figurative drawing and learning about artists of color. The figures in Douglas’s work appear as silhouettes. We drew figures using gestural techniques, depicting poses in a meaningful way. Student work referenced topics relevant to their lives: immigration, deportation, racism, women’s rights, police brutality, equity, COVID-19. Students used the medium of their choice. They represented personal views of their environment, made connections between their work and that of other artists, organized compositions, and discussed how to resolve challenges in their artwork. Learning about Douglas and creating artwork inspired by his work gave the students an outlet to express themselves and have meaningful discussions about history and the social issues we face today. It is evident that Solange, despite being a remote learner and using only the materials on hand, was influenced by the style of Aaron Douglas and open to trying new things.
Drowning Lila Schwartz
Grade: 7 School: The Boerum Hill School for International Studies, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Louise Butler Graphite, colored pencil, glue, and cut paper
Student: As an artist I can take all the stress and built-up emotions and turn them into art! This is very healthy for me because I’m a seventh grader with lots of stress from school and other things! My wonderful visual arts teacher, Ms. Butler, has taught me different techniques to make my art better. I learned different ways of shading such as hatching, cross hatching, smudging, and more. Ms. Butler also taught me how to sketch without getting frustrated with my work. It was challenging to figure out how to put words into my drawing. I tried to write them by hand, but that didn’t work out. Then, I tried to eliminate words, but then “drowning” didn’t feel complete. Finally, I printed out the words and pasted them on, and that worked perfectly! I didn’t have a glue stick, so I put some clear glue on a plate and dipped a Q-tip in the glue, then put it on the piece of paper. I also had some trouble with the lips. I ended up not putting lips in the art piece because it didn’t look right.
Teacher: Students created self-portraits using symbolism. They built on their skills in sustained observation, purposeful use of drawing pencils, and organization of composition. We discussed how artists can create visual clues in their artwork to be interpreted by viewers. This project resonated with students who were reluctant to turn on their camera or participate in Zoom classes. Students are battling with a lot of stress this year. It has been heart wrenching to observe their struggle. Lila’s work resonated with me because of the juxtaposition of the softly rendered face of a peaceful artist and the swirling chaos of her thoughts consuming the air around her. This represents a feeling we can all relate to right now.
Self-Portrait Selina Chen
Grade: 7 School: M.S. 51 William Alexander, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Andrew Hornberger Pencil on paper
Student: As an artist I find inspiration to create and spend all of my free time making art. Mr. Hornberger gives me feedback that helps me develop my artwork. He also has introduced me to other forms of art. This year, I created a sculpture, and I’m glad that I had the chance to make a three-dimensional artwork. My self-portrait was inspired in part by last year’s art students. This self-portrait includes clues about my life. The bags hang in my room and represent my interest in travel. The clothes that I am wearing show what I wear when I am home. The most difficult thing about creating this piece was drawing the eyes and nose correctly. I had to plan out the placement before refining my drawing.
Teacher: Each year my students in the seventh grade create self-portraits. This assignment challenges the student’s technical abilities but also requires that they examine their inner selves. To take the assignment to the next level, students present themselves wearing clothing and accessories and include objects that give the viewer a clue to who they are. Suggesting who they are can also be achieved by placing themselves in a setting that is unique to themselves. Selina was not only able to personalize her self-portrait in a setting that she felt a connection to but also she did an outstanding job of rendering a portrait that is highly realistic and accurate.
Pangea Amelia Chen
Grade: 7 School: I.S. 98 Bay Academy, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Molly Mcgrath Colored pencil
Student: Being an artist has made a difference in my life, and it is now a lifelong hobby. My teacher has played a role in my growth as an artist and in my creative development by showing me a variety of different artists and new types of styles in art. It has really helped me find what I like and inspires my own art. I think that one of the hardest challenges I had to face creating this artwork was drawing the ammonites. It was difficult to create the shell, and it took me several tries to get it.
Teacher: At Bay Academy, seventh-grade students traveled to prehistoric times and explored the supercontinent Pangea and discussed animals and their adaptations from this period. Next, we traveled to the future supercontinent Pangea Ultima and made predictions about which plants and animals might endure extreme climate changes. Amelia’s response to this challenge is exceptional. It shows understanding of composition and natural patterns. It is designed with creativity and finished with impressive skill. Amelia’s inclusion of marine animals such as the nautilus shows her understanding of natural selection. The nautilus is a living fossil, unchanged since the Triassic era. Amelia’s artwork is asking, “Will this creature live to see the next supercontinent?”
Johanna T Portrait Johanna Torres
Grade: 7 School: I.S. 117 Joseph H. Wade, Bronx Art Teacher: Lowell Wynn Google Drawings
Student: Being an artist makes a difference in my life because I can share my feelings through my art. When I draw, I feel like I am in my own world, and I can add anything that I want to it. Since I was little, doing art was interesting in so many ways. For example, a person can spread important messages through art. My teacher explained the steps of the project and gave me examples of other people’s work. He also encouraged me to keep working on my piece and wanted me to know that I always can show him my progress for any advice. (I had a pretty good handle on it, though.) It was not easy finding the correct color/shade and making sure the dots were in the places I wanted them to be. I had a lot of patience and at the end it turned out well.
Teacher: Students observed George Seurat’s artwork and learned about his importance in the art world and his special pointillist technique that tricked the eye into seeing colors that are not actually present in the artwork. Students practiced how to make dots in a computer program. They learned to digitally create custom colors and gradients. Students took a photograph of their choosing and placed it in a program that allowed them to manipulate the image. I invited all students to challenge themselves and make a self-portrait using the pointillism technique. Johanna has the ability to do this project both digitally and on paper. She intuitively employed a contour technique that guides how a person’s eyes moves along the artwork. Johanna was the only person among all students to work on a self-portrait.
Butterfly Pieces Nicole Tzanas
Grade: 7 School: J.H.S. 201 The Dyker Heights, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Tonia Franzese Colored pencil
Student: Through my art I am able to express myself. If I ever feel happy or sad, I can show my emotions with what I create. I enjoy sharing my work with others and seeing how it speaks to them. Ms. Franzese has given me a lot of guidance and inspiration. She lets me express myself freely in all my work. She is supportive and understanding and is the reason why I enjoy doing art. She has given me so many opportunities, and I am very thankful to her. First, I concentrated on the design of the wing. I started off with one triangle and added on. I wasn’t sure if I liked it, but I continued adding more and I really love the result. At first, I wanted to leave the background blank because sometimes less is more. After talking with my teacher, I came up with a design that complimented the shattering wing and made the piece look more three-dimensional.
Teacher: This project was done in a remote setting. It is the final of a four-part still life observation unit. After drawing and shading several still life setups, students were introduced to Cubism. We observed work by Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, and Paul Cézanne. Working with objects of their choosing, they closely observed and drew them realistically, but reserved an area that they rendered inspired by Cubism. They used a range of values incorporating the shading techniques learned during our live Google Meet demonstrations. Nicole’s work exudes technical skill and creativity. Her work is a gradual transition from the real to the dream. Nicole’s pencil shading techniques and knowledge of color theory made this an extraordinary piece. It is admirable that Nicole worked intently on this during a remote period of our blended learning program. I answered her questions via email and during individual Google Meets.
Paths to a Better Place Eva Lin
Grade: 7 School: I.S. 25 Adrien Block, Queens Art Teacher: Thomas Tsamis Colored pencil
Student: Becoming an artist allows me to express myself, and it also makes my life more colorful. My art teacher allows us to create our own works and then gives us suggestions to make our work better. Mr. Tsamis turns our weaknesses into strengths. When I was creating my work, I didn’t know how to make the marbles express what I wanted, so I drew a ribbon to let the viewer feel there is a way to lead them to a better place.
Teacher: The lesson focused on using shading techniques with analogous and complementary color combinations. Students created arrangements of three-dimensional forms from various sized flat circles that were traced onto paper. The bottoms of objects found at home were used for tracing. Rendering realistic lighting effects and creating a sense of motion within a space were emphasized. Students were encouraged to convey a message of hope through the arrangement of forms, volume, and space. Recent global optimism amid the hardships endured this year gave Eva’s work new meaning, as it depicts perpetual progress.
Birthday Cake Jacqueline Brumlik
Grade: 7 School: I.S. 2 George L. Egbert Intermediate School, Staten Island Art Teacher: Suzanne Berkovitz Acrylic paint
Student: Art helps me develop my mental strength by giving me the space to explore my creativity. Painting makes me feel free to express the way I feel inside. Ms. Berkovitz, my art teacher, introduces me to new styles of art, and I am inspired to try different techniques to create my own personal style. At one point I lost sight of what I wanted my final piece to look like. I allowed my creativity to take over and never gave up.
Teacher: Students created layer cakes after studying the work of Wayne Thiebaud. The purpose of the lessons was to develop students’ technical skills. They mixed tints, shades, and tones of primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, and learned the competent use of acrylic paint. Jacqueline was able to mix colors to create different shades as well as work on texture in her painting. The effect was beautiful.
And Still I Rise Vivienne Stevens
Grade: 7 School: P.S. 334 The Anderson School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Vahan Nahabedian Digital print
Student: Using art, I can take the magic I see in my mind and bring it into reality! I began drawing with my sister in games like Pictionary and drawing characters and coming up with stories for them. Even through Zoom, my art teacher was able to introduce me to many artists such as Joan Miró and Ad Reinhardt. I came up with a lot of ideas inspired by their work—inspired by the surreal images of Miró and the investigation of color like Reinhardt. It was difficult for me to translate the poem into art, since I couldn’t decide which parts of the poem were most important to its central idea. Initially, I was going to draw something based on the darker side of the poem. I decided that “rising up” was a stronger and more positive theme and made my drawing with that idea in mind.
Teacher: We studied poets Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and Amanda Gorman. We decided to use Angelou’s Still I Rise as the poem we would respond to visually. We discussed the disenfranchisement of African Americans and how challenges to marginalization were met through artwork. We discussed the Harlem Renaissance and transformative figures such as Alain LeRoy Locke, Jacob Lawrence, and Dizzy Gillespie. We further discussed civic advancements through the first Black Unions and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Students were encouraged to watch the HBO special Black Art: In the Absence of Light and were given links to the Studio Museum in Harlem as well as articles on the Basquiat stylization of the uniform of the Brooklyn Nets. The power of Vivienne’s image amplifies and internally resonates from Angelou’s poem. As the figure emerges toward the sun in a gesture of struggle, we are asked, “Am I free?” The chains look like they’re failing, but his legs appear mired in the unforgiving muck. The hope of the apathetic sun’s glow around the figure is thwarted by the deep shadows cast upon the others who follow. But not today … still I rise.
Self-Portrait Lena Goings
Grade: 7 School: The Boerum Hill School for International Studies, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Louise Butler Graphite pencil and colored pencil
Student: Art is a way for me to channel my feelings and frustrations into something productive instead of spiraling and worrying about things beyond my control. Normally, I would be able to do that with sports, school, and time with friends, but since I was not able to do those things this year, art has become an important outlet for me. I’ve also had more time to teach myself more about technique, materials, and different ways of looking at artwork. I’ve known Ms. Butler for a year and a half, and since day one she has come up with great prompts and assignments that have challenged me to be more creative. If it weren’t for her, I probably would have a million unfinished projects and not enough motivation to finish any of them. I had limited time to do this art class assignment. I made a few large sketches that did not please me, and I was left with only two school days to make my final piece. I had trouble figuring out the symbolism for my self-portrait. Normally, I would have made a symbolic portrait if an idea spontaneously came to my head, but for this assignment, I had to come up with something symbolic at a time when I wasn’t very inspired. This led me to a more deliberate and intentional style of working.
Teacher: This assignment was the culmination of a unit on portraiture. Lena applied her knowledge of pencil techniques to create a range of values, creating form and perspective. This work of art resonated with me because of the challenging pose, the masterful use of drawing pencils, and its composition. There is much to be decoded when looking at this work. I saw a ray of hope looking forward through the pandemic and through the isolation of remote learning.
Subway Greta Sanchez Guss
Grade: 8 School: Lower Manhattan Community Middle School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Jessica Sinclair Digital photograph
Student: Being an artist has helped me deal with a lot of the stress that I have. I use art to cope. It’s also a great way to express how I feel. Ms. Sinclair has been a huge help, cheering on all of her students and showing us the different ways we can express ourselves in the digital art world. I struggled with the timing of this photograph. If I took it too soon or too late, it would be blurry. I waited until the train stopped for a few seconds and took the picture.
Teacher: This was a photography lesson about connections. We talked about connections literally and figuratively. We talked at length about how we can send a message to our viewers through a single photograph, and we talked about what connection meant to them. During the pandemic, it was hard to keep connections, and those we kept looked different. This assignment was their way to document that experience. Through the use of the digital camera, Greta demonstrated her skill. She has a drive to create beautiful imagery. This photograph was perfectly composed, and her use of lighting was masterful. She made this photograph black and white through digital means. The photograph captured the essence of connections. Greta wrote an artist statement defending her work. This class worked remotely. We never met in person and had class only twice a week by Zoom.
Tools Ava Fluss
Grade: 8 School: M.S. 255 Salk School of Science, Manhattan Art Teacher: Heather Drayzen Charcoal and pencil
Student: Being an artist has helped me change my perspective on my surroundings and what I choose to do in my spare time. If I see something interesting while I’m outside, or even just in my apartment, I’m struck with inspiration and use my time to paint or draw. My art teachers have played a significant role in my creative development, from teaching me how to use and experiment with new media to helping me develop new creative perspectives. This was the first time I used charcoal, and it was challenging. With guidance from my teachers, I was able to work on layering darks and lights by using both charcoal sticks and pencils. This helped to add more reflections on the objects and made them look more realistic.
Teacher: Ava’s drawing is the culmination of a lesson on analyzing everyday objects and using tonal shading techniques, a wide range of values, and observational detail to render them. Ava is passionate, curious, and excited about the world around her. This curiosity is also evident in her sketchbook drawings and her paintings. She is incredibly dedicated to her artwork and it’s been an honor to watch her evolve as an artist during her three years of middle school! Ava immersed herself in the arts during the pandemic and submitted this still life in her portfolio for New York City arts high schools.
Ava’s World Rowan Anderson
Grade: 8 School: J.H.S. 167 Robert F. Wagner Middle School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Michel Carluccio Photograph
Student: This photo entitled Ava’s World is a snapshot of my sister but more broadly is a portrait of childhood in New York City during the pandemic. The rigid metal bars of her bedframe represent all the things that contain her: her fears, our parents, her teachers, society’s laws, the pandemic. She spends almost the entire day inside these bars; this is my sister’s world. Within this space, she creates her delicate world of lights, photographs, and decorations. This world is full of her dreams, imagination, and aspirations. This is her everyday life and it saddens me. The longer she stays within those bars, the more she becomes them. One day she must break out and become truly free. My art teacher, Ms. Carluccio, is enthusiastic and encouraging of me as a student. She showed us the work of Mary Ellen Mark, Dorothea Lange, and Roy DeCarava. Looking at these artists helped inspire my work.
Teacher: This work was created in response to a lesson about documenting the times in which we live. Students had a virtual visit to the annual citywide exhibit Photoville and studied some of the documentary work of photographers all over the city. They thought about how they would represent their own lives, particularly in the time of the pandemic. Rowan’s work is a personal and small moment in the interior lives of children in New York City, coping with remote learning and now the pandemic. I love the expression Rowan captured as well as the framing and general composition.
The Sheltered Forest Anthony Lopez
Grade: 8 School: P.S./I.S. 45 Horace E. Greene, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Jillian Martinelli Meloni Pencil
Student: Being an artist gives me a different perspective on the world. My artwork can help me express my feelings in a way words cannot. Ms. Meloni helps me understand how value and balance work in art. She has also taught me that even if we make mistakes, we can use them to make our artwork better. Time was a challenge I faced. It took a lot of time and effort to create The Sheltered Forest. I would work on it after school and before I fell asleep. I did not want my artwork to look unrealistic, so I had to take my time and blend the value in the trees, shadows, and the road to give my work a realistic look.
Teacher: The Language Arts teacher in our school, Vasilios Dinis, is a photographer. Students were inspired by his photographs and used them as a references to show space and perspective in their drawings, while showing a variety of textures through line and value. The work of Mr. Dinis also inspired thoughtful conversations. Anthony is a talented young artist who works very diligently. His meticulous attention to details is quite impressive. We are learning in a remote setting, and he is able to create wonderful work. I am a proud art teacher.
My Neighborhood at Night Kaylee Cortes
Grade: 8 School: M.S. 51 William Alexander, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Andrew Hornberger Charcoal on paper
Student: Being an artist has opened my eyes to new ways to look at the world. It also has helped me become much more creative. Mr. Hornberger taught me everything that I know about art. He helped me find my talent. My Neighborhood at Night shows my interest in dark things. I find it very interesting how the world changes from sunlight to moonlight. I think it is beautiful. It was challenging to draw a night scene and explore with shadows and contrast. I had to use an eraser to create the brighter parts of my drawing. It was difficult to figure out the perspective and proportions as well. Adding the car helped make it easier to understand the proportions. Overall, I enjoyed the challenge.
Teacher: The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was a government agency created in the 1930s, employing millions of Americans who carried out projects such as construction of public buildings. This often included painting murals in these buildings. Each year my eighth-grade students explore the work created by WPA artists. They spend time getting to know their own part of the world by focusing on their neighborhood. Each child identifies all of the important things that make where they live unique. They create artwork about the place that highlights their neighborhood. For this piece Kaylee took on the challenge of creating a night scene that captured all of the key aspects of her neighborhood. She utilized charcoal in a very convincing fashion.
Avocado Egg Salad Bowl Gabrielle Oudkerk
Grade: 8 School: I.S. 392, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Joan Esposito Oil coloring pencil
Student: Being an artist means a lot to me. Without art, the world would be a little less colorful in my eyes. Beginning in the sixth grade, my art teacher, Ms. Esposito, has shown me a lot. I learned a tremendous amount from her lessons and have been greatly supported in my journey. When I move on to high school, I will take everything that I’ve learned from Ms. Esposito with appreciation. I had a bit of trouble with the sketches of the simple shapes of the avocado, the egg, and even the bowl. I dissected the piece and carefully drew out the shapes of the food. In the end I was satisfied with the way it turned out.
Teacher: This drawing was done during a unit on drawing still lives. Students practiced different techniques such as contour line drawing, sketching, and using values to create depth. They used these skills to draw chosen objects from careful observation. They learned to really see the objects they were drawing. Gabrielle is a student who always goes above and beyond and displays a real passion for art. For example, she didn’t have to use color in this assignment, but she chose to challenge herself. She has a wonderful attitude towards life and her work, and she’s a person who is always willing to try. She is a very eager, responsible, talented, upbeat person.
Sunday Morning Cillian Connolly
Grade: 8 School: I.S. 227 The Louis Armstrong Middle School, Queens Art Teacher: Nancy Klein Pencil
Student: When I am creating a drawing or painting, I look at things in a different way. I imagine what the back of an object looks like or how the shading changes the look of a building or a person. My imagination expands when I work. Ms. Klein encourages me to try new art techniques and styles. I am not the type of person who is willing to accept suggestions, and trying new things is difficult for me. I am surprised with the new things I have explored in my artwork these past few years in middle school. My biggest challenge was finding the motivation to begin a new project. But once I got started, my hand and thoughts flowed. I usually try to remove myself briefly and then return to my work After a short break I can focus and see the adjustments needed to complete my artwork.
Teacher: The portrait represents the culmination of a self-portrait unit. The students learned about Chuck Close and were inspired by his determination to succeed in almost any situation. This created a positive environment for self-expression through their artwork. They explored different line-drawing techniques and incorporated them into their portraits to create value and contrast. The students experimented with different expressions based on their feelings about missing school, friends, and socializing. Students worked in a fully remote setting and participated through Google Meet, sharing and giving peer feedback. Self-reflection was an important part of teaching and learning in a remote setting. Students’ well-being was captured in these portraits, and I am glad that Cillian’s portrait is being shared with everyone.
Self-Portrait of Daler Muradov Daler Muradov
Grade: 8 School: I.S. 227 The Louis Armstrong Middle School, Queens Art Teacher: Nancy Klein Graphite pencil and paper
Student: This piece was probably the most difficult for me to make. I was using a grid, something I have experience with but don’t typically use. I was drawing myself, one of the hardest things for me, as I know what I look like and am critical of my work. During the creation of this piece, Ms. Klein gave me a fresh set of eyes; being a much more experienced artist, she could see the inaccuracies, and she helped me adjust them. Art is an essential part of me. It influences who I am as a person. Art has helped me meet many new people who share my passion for drawing and portraits.
Teacher: The portrait represents the culmination of a self-portrait unit. The students learned about Chuck Close and were inspired by his determination to succeed in almost any situation. This created a positive environment for self-expression through their artwork. They explored different line-drawing techniques and incorporated them into their portraits to create value and contrast. The students experimented with different expressions based on their feelings about missing school, friends, and socializing. Students worked in a fully remote setting and participated through Google Meet, sharing and giving peer feedback. I am very proud of Daler’s self-portrait.
Self-Portrait in the Mirror Germany Gonzalez
Grade: 8 School: M.S. 377 Renaissance School of the Arts, Manhattan Art Teacher: Vickie Byron Watercolor
Student: Art is the reason I’m so passionate; it’s my way to communicate and express emotions. I work hard every day to improve my skills. Art has no limits; it never gets boring; I never give up! I made this painting just before school closed due to COVID. I came to school excited just to work on my watercolor and was so disappointed when school closed down. My teacher taught me to use contour line technique and to focus on my reflection in the mirror. She taught me new painting techniques like gradient wash and bloom effects, so my painting would stand out. It was embarrassing to paint myself in the mirror, and I worried that it wouldn’t look like me. I focused on color harmony using a warm background in contrast with the cool clothing and blue mask. Happily, I was able to finish my painting when school opened again!
Teacher: Students looked in the mirror and painted themselves with COVID masks stretched across their faces. They learned the hard way that school is a privilege, and more importantly that art is personal but also reflects the world we live in. I wanted my students to experiment with the rich effects of the watercolor medium, to get lost in its blooms and gradient washes, to utilize but control the wet bleeding paint. Building on previous lessons, Germany paints with a sense of light, contrast, and three-dimensionality. She has learned how to balance a composition and to create color harmony, unity of shapes, and visual interest. She has a knack for the small details and the bigger picture, keeping your eyes on the move. Germany works with remarkable skills and experienced intuition, opening and resolving problems, but experimenting to keep it all fresh. And she never gives up!
Eye Ula Kleinsteuber
Grade: 8 School: New Voices School of Academic & Creative Arts, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Kelsey Herrity Charcoal
Student: If I want to relax or unwind, I will usually doodle and create little compositions. Being passionate about art, I feel a lot of pressure to be the best. I look very critically at my art, and I try hard to improve. This year I had to create a portfolio and audition for a few different high schools using my art. Ms. Herrity assigns my class very open-ended projects and gives us a lot of creative freedom. There are assignments that really push my creativity. My art teacher encourages us to bring lots of imagination and ideas into a piece. Creating small details using charcoal was challenging. The rim of the eyes was particularly hard to draw. As I went along, though, I found that using the tip of an eraser to erase thicker parts works really well. I struggled while creating this, but I’m proud of my attention to detail and how hard I worked.
Teacher: At the beginning of this school year, when we went fully remote, I was worried about my students losing motivation to make and create artwork away from the classroom. Ula consistently challenged herself with each assigned project. Students created self-portraits from an unusual perspective and were encouraged to work in charcoal. Ula has incredible skill in sustained investigation. I could not stop thinking about this work after seeing it for the first time. The gaze that she captured in her eyes is absolutely mesmerizing, as is Ula in real life.
Idol Victoria Lu
Grade: 8 School: M.S. 158 Marie Curie Middle School, Queens Art Teacher: Adam Gordon Graphite on paper
Student: If I weren’t an artist, I wouldn’t be me. I’ve gained so much wisdom from art, and now I understand that there are no shortcuts to achieving something you want, but if it’s something you want there would be no problem achieving it. Art has made this difference in my life, and I don’t know who I would be without it. Mr. Gordon challenges me in ways I wouldn’t expect. The projects make me think more than I usually do. He’s been supportive of my ideas and helped me develop my own style. I was inspired by Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Diptych. Marilyn Monroe is someone I look up to, so I decided to draw her. Things started off great, but eventually I struggled with the shading on her face. I slowed down and relaxed my hands. Everything came together.
Teacher: Victoria displays all of the good qualities of an artist: careful observation, consideration of criticism, and most importantly, a commitment to her own values. Victoria’s attention to detail and the perfection of her subject are admirable qualities. She possesses the patience and perseverance that an artist needs to succeed. I’ve watched Victoria grow as a person and an artist over the past year and a half. Her careful consideration of composition, particularly how she uses space, is what draws a viewer into her work.
Rosy Anky Chu
Grade: 8 School: M.S. 158 Marie Curie Middle School, Queens Art Teacher: Adam Gordon Oil on canvas
Student: Being an artist, my fourteen-year-old life has become more interesting and colorful. I love to devote all my intensity into the field of art, as long as it brings cheerfulness into my life and shelters me in the work I’ve created. Mr. Gordon helps me improve my art skills. He enriches the theme of every work with wilder ideas and thoughts. Creating Roses, I faced a challenge. I was required to complete the artwork in two days. I did it by using my wildest imagination and fantastic color combinations.
Teacher: Anky contacted me to join our virtual Art Club and sent me her work. I was excited to have her as a member. Anky has demonstrated what it means to think out loud in your artwork. I think a lot about how my students are developing a visual arts vocabulary, not just in the words they use but in the ways they express themselves and their ideas. Anky’s work is curious and lush, and makes us ask more questions.
Untitled Heewon Cho
Grade: 8 School: New Explorations into Science, Technology and Math (NEST+M), Manhattan Art Teacher: Elizabeth Zacharia Pencil on paper
Student: Art provides tranquility and adds significance to my daily life. It also is a facet of my identity. My art teacher, Ms. Zacharia, gives me a base to support my creative ideas. It was challenging to harmonize the angles and depths of each object in the image. I met this challenge by juxtaposing values and setting up the drawing so the main object would catch the eye first.
Teacher: This drawing was the result of a lesson that challenged students to recontextualize an existing piece of art. Heewon decided to reimagine the setting for Tanda Francis’s large-scale public sculpture Adorn Me. Heewon is a skilled artist with a unique vision and careful approach to art making. These qualities are clear in all of her masterful and visually striking artwork. Her artwork continues to impress me, and this drawing in particular really highlights her awesome artistry.
Great-Grandparents Jahmere Jackson
Grade: 8 School: P.S. 19 Judith K. Weiss, Bronx Art Teacher: Michelle Quinn Pencil
Student: Art began as something to challenge myself, and now it is something I enjoy doing. I improve each day. I taught myself many art techniques at the age of six or seven. Since the sixth grade, Mrs. Quinn has played a role in my art career. She introduced me to paint, oil pastels, and more. It was a challenge to find the right poses for my great-grandparents. I spent hours trying to perfect them in my drawing by sketching them separately in order to put them together at an angle. It took hours to finish but I am happy with the end result.
Teacher: Jahmere is learning in a fully remote setting with limited access to art classes this year. This piece was done independently while preparing his portfolio. In the past several years, we have worked on self-portraits, figurative drawings, and experimenting with line designs. I am proud of Jahmere for working independently and reaching out for guidance and for help to obtain materials. Although he was in a remote setting, he has persevered and worked hard towards his goal of creating his art portfolio. I know Jahmere’s passion for art. He put in a lot of time and effort, despite distractions that can exist when working from home. Jahmere put his mind to completing the piece, working on it until he was satisfied. I am very proud of him.
Average Tuesday Morning Frieda Premo
Grade: 8 School: New Voices School of Academic & Creative Arts, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Kelsey Herrity Watercolor, colored pencil, acrylic paint, and ballpoint pen
Student: I feel that when I experiment with color or subject matter, I gain a better understanding of the things I enjoy about art, and of myself. Art has been something that I can consistently rely on, and that has been a big factor in my life. Nearly a year ago, when I was starting to question my gender, art made by others helped me realize that I’m genderqueer, just by other people expressing their queerness. Finally, art is a way to relate to other people, and I can make friends in many situations. Ms. Herrity helps me grow through the weekly prompt that we receive; big projects that last many weeks seem too daunting, but when I have to draw something every single week it helps me maintain my passion. This artwork challenged me to bring human traits and actions into a nonhuman being. This was difficult, and I worked around it by slightly changing the anatomy of the raccoon. I usually draw humans, so trying to realistically capture fur was quite a struggle. I found that by layering pen strokes I could create the visual texture of fur without having to color with pencils for hours.
Teacher: Students learned that anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits or behavior to a god, animal, or object. They were challenged to create a work representing this characteristic as realistically as possible. Rather than the usual brainstorming and thumbnail sketching process, I encouraged students to dive right in without overthinking it. Through careful and close observation of multiple reference images, they captured an absurd reality. Frieda has a deep connection to the world and people and tirelessly poured heart, mind, creativity, and personal point of view into the work. The raccoon on this “average Tuesday morning” is completely Frieda to me, which I most appreciated. I hope to follow Frieda’s continued artistic journeys.
Exquisite Texture Jalen Boykins, Cristian Martinez, Shawn Surita Moto, and Walter Parrish
Grade: 9 School: P.S. 373 Brooklyn Transition Center, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Hilarie Gilinson Pen and ink
Students: Cristian: I don’t always like making art because it’s a challenge. If you work hard, and keep trying, your work will look beautiful. Ms. G tells us that our art does not have to be perfect. When people see my art, I want them to feel happy. I was inspired by my Mexican family. I am proud to be Mexican. Walter: Being an artist makes me feel more relaxed and peaceful. Ms. G says to do your best. When people see my art, I want them to feel happy and proud of me. Jalen: First, I get my paper and pencil; then I sit at my desk and think about how I’m feeling that day. When things start to come into my mind, I just start drawing. I want people to see my happiness on paper and say, “Looking at this piece of art really made me feel good; it really made me feel happy.” Shawn: Being an artist makes me feel calm and happy. When people see my art, I hope they feel good and want to see more art.
Teacher: Working in a District 75 high school allows me to work with creative young artists. My students have a range of disabilities, from autism to intellectual disabilities, but that has never prevented them from creating original, thoughtful artwork. Many of my students have difficulty expressing their emotions but are often able to express themselves through art. That self-expression is critical during this unprecedented time. Each student made his own top, middle, and bottom, understanding that the completed work would be assembled as a group project, to be displayed in our cafeteria, where we used to gather before the pandemic. It would remind us that our school community is still vibrant and strong. All the students were always eager to come to art class but frequently expressed self-doubt about themselves as artists. Exquisite Texture demonstrates their willingness to experiment with new materials and to overcome their own self-doubt to create a nontraditional figure. I am extremely proud of the students persevering, seeing themselves as artists, and allowing this project to help them express emotions and find some more peace and relaxation in such a turbulent time.
Somebody Familiar Elianna Picker
Grade: 9 School: Bard High School Early College, Queens Art Teacher: Mary Jo Lombardo Mixed-media collage
Student: I could never understand why some people don’t create art. While it is very much a visual medium, reflecting what you see in life, it can represent so much more: what you feel, what you think, what you want. Being an artist has helped me express myself as well as translate the many ideas running through my head into something more tangible. Having a formal art class for the first time in years was a game changer when it comes to my creative development. Having guidance while creating art helps you learn and grow. Ms. Lombardo and our class helped me finally make a decent self-portrait! Her art assignments really got the creative juices flowing! Creating an accurate self-portrait is hard enough, but in a collage? It was definitely a challenge, but by studying the photograph I was referencing and by applying my knowledge of value, I was able to produce a final product that I must say is rather an uncanny likeness of me.
Teacher: Ninth-grade artists created a mixed-media self-portrait collage. Art classes are being held remotely at our school, and a positive factor was that students were able to incorporate a wider variety of materials than they would have found in the classroom, cutting and gluing papers, cardboard, thread, and fabric all while considering the principles of design. Ellie is an incredibly focused student and her hard work and attention to detail is obvious in this wonderful work. Ellie’s humor and reflective attitude is conveyed in this well-made image. The level of craftsmanship and thoughtful use of a wide variety of materials, from chocolate wrappers to tissue papers to embroidery thread, combine to create a unified image that is Ellie!
Another Identity Chelsea Oduro
Student: I have learned that art can be expressed and interpreted in many ways. I can create an abstract painting using only warm colors. Some might think that because the artwork is full of bright colors, it conveys a positive message. Others might think that the pop of red represents death and gives the artwork a negative meaning. Art allows for different interpretations depending on a person’s perspective. Ms. Lombardo pushes me to create artwork that is meaningful to me. She taught me how to use different media and techniques to make my artwork successful. I am able to apply these teachings to work in different media. As I work, I ask myself what it is I want to convey, whether positive or negative. I develop questions to ask myself with the help of Ms. Lombardo Determining the right color for my self-portrait was challenging. I wanted to cut out pieces of scraps with my skin color on it, but most of the scraps that I had collected did not have my skin color. I solved this problem by dividing one half of my face with my skin color and the other half with pieces that represent my identity and where I live.
Teacher: Art classes are being held remotely at our school. A positive factor was that students were able to incorporate a wider variety of nontraditional materials than they would have in the classroom. They cut and glued papers, cardboard, thread, and fabric, all while considering the principles of design. The students had to source materials from home, and the resulting collages were beautifully diverse! Chelsea executed this wonderful artwork by creatively sourcing a variety of materials from home. Her attention to detail, her use of color, and her sense of composition combined to create this distinctive portrait. All of Chelsea’s work in our remote class has consistently shown excellent craftsmanship, a strong artistic voice, and a reflective response to assignments. Congratulations, Chelsea!
The Pandemic Cage Nowshoba Nowshin
Grade: 9 School: Bronx Bridges High School Art Teacher: Crystal Lamb Digital drawing
Student: Being an artist made a difference in my life by giving me the opportunity to think harder about what I actually want, to show about my experience and what I actually feel like. My art teacher played a tremendous role in my creative development by giving me more challenging artwork to do, so I can show how much skill and talent I have. Also she provided a lot of great tools that I need to be successful in art. The challenges that I faced in creating this artwork were creating the mood, choosing the colors, and drawing the corona viruses. I meet these challenges by asking for feedback from each member of my family and my art teacher to make it the best artwork as much as possible.
Teacher: Students created artwork reflecting life during the pandemic. The intention was to address their social/emotional needs through art and to document this dramatic time in their lives. I used the work of Marc Brackett, author of Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive, and had the students connect their emotions to the colors and moods of various works of art. Students analyzed work by artists as disparate as Andrew Wyeth and Kehinde Wiley and created artwork with an intentional mood.
Heading Out Yuki Lu
Grade: 9 School: Bayside High School, Queens Art Teacher: Karen Assel Colored pencil
Student: Heading Out was created when I was given the assignment to draw a place in my home. I picked the wall hanger in my living room because I found the parka hanging on it very interesting. I liked its shape and the flow of it, so I decided to pick that area of the living room to draw. My drawing started out with a sketch using an HB graphite pencil before I erased it lightly with a kneaded eraser. After that, I began laying on the colors using colored pencils. I went back and forth before submitting the assignment.
Teacher: Yuki’s work is based on a color theory lesson. We just completed a still-life unit on using shading to develop form, and sight measuring and lighting strategies. Color blending was introduced. Students selected an interesting area of their homes that incorporated lighting and would allow them to use their knowledge of developing form, this time by blending the primary colors. Sight measuring was used to set up the composition, cool colors or complements were used to create shades. Layers of color were used. We referred to Impressionist works and contemporary art for our inspiration. Yuki reflected, re-engaged, revisited, and refined to achieve her personal artistic vision.
Closer Than Ody Jenifer Hernandez Gamez
Grade: 9 School: Hillside Arts & Letters Academy, Queens Art Teacher: Bethany Trust Digital photograph
Student: Being an artist has taught me that not everything is as real as it appears in pictures. Being an artist has also made me realize how creative a person can be. The way my teacher has played a role in my creative development has been by teaching me how new angles can greatly improve my photos. My teacher has also taught me the importance of having good lighting and focus. Taking a photograph is not easy as it seems. It was difficult to keep the camera still because I was in a moving car. I positioned my elbow on the armrest and leaned the rest of my arm by the window and kept the phone as still as possible.
Teacher: After learning about the exposure triangle, we started talking about connections. We brainstormed places where connections could be made. We discussed and analyzed photos that demonstrated different physical, emotional, spiritual, visual, and virtual connections. Jenifer’s photo demonstrates a connection that she has with her dog, a connection that he has to his environment, and connections between two different reflections. She utilized the knowledge and skills she learned about shutter speed to successfully capture Ody clearly in his happy place. Jenifer is a ninth grader who has been working 100% remotely since September. She always comes to class and submits all her assignments. She is a cooperative and sweet young lady.
Home Away from Home Yumi Wu
Grade: 10 School: Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Manhattan Art Teacher: Yeon Ji Park Cut-paper collage
Student: As an artist I have become more observant. For this piece, we created postcards. Ms. Park let us have free reign to think of places we would like to visit, especially when the idea of traveling is so challenging during these times. It gave me time to think about my own childhood when I visited Taiwan and how much I missed it. I wanted to capture what it felt like to be there, how crowded and humid the sunset may have felt. I wanted to create what felt like home to me. Home intertwines with my culture and heritage, and I wanted to show that. Simplifying the piece was difficult when I wanted to include everything, from what I felt to the beauty of Taiwanese culture. I learned that as long as the piece was reminiscent of that time, I was satisfied.
Teacher: During this time when so many doors were closed to our students, I wanted my students to have a chance to see and experience travel through their imagination and memory. In learning about dynamic composition building and use of cut paper in our introduction to graphic design studio, students created a set of two travel postcards in diptych format. I really was blown away by Yumi’s transformation of construction paper, as well as her wonderful visual narrative through the lines, colors, and perspective of the imagery. Created through our remote learning class, this piece was also an affirmation and encouragement of the power of creativity and artmaking to helping students and myself find new doors to open.
Faith Ringgold Portrait Mariluz Garcia
Grade: 10 School: Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Manhattan Art Teacher: Andrew Stehle Micron pen on Bristol board
Student: Being an artist has made a difference in my life through its ability to teach me more about the world around me. When drawing, I learn about a person’s eyes, a building’s window, and a tree’s branches. Because everything is complex, it is a learning experience every time I observe an object. My art teacher, Mr. Stehle, has played a role in my creative development through his encouragement of using different techniques. My drawing of Faith Ringgold, for example, would have been shaded using blending stumps if it were not required to shade using different types of lines and patterns. When creating this artwork, it was a challenge deciding what I wanted in the background. I looked at Ringgold’s work for inspiration. In her pieces, there were details that when “quilted” together would make a background that honors her work as an artist.
Teacher: This lesson is based in two important art classroom practices: creating portraits and connecting with art history. The students chose a favorite influential twentieth-century artist or picked one out of a hat. This project is the culmination of our practice with pen and ink techniques. Images were done in patterns of ink to build up the forms of the portrait. Mariluz researched the artist and integrated elements of the artist’s work into the background. I was struck by the clarity of the work, not just in Mariluz’s impeccable technique in pen and ink but something more subtle. The countenance of Ringgold in this image immediately made me think of how the artist herself would react to seeing it. I noted to Mariluz that Ringgold would appreciate it. It has been standard practice to diversify our study of art history by including women and people of color as we confront the history of exclusion within the academic art world. I am glad that Mariluz had the opportunity to learn more about Ringgold and her influence in the art world.
Self-Portrait Jamaal Cummings
Grade: 10 School: Brooklyn High School of the Arts, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Lara Hill Acrylic paint on paper
Student: Every brushstroke made, every line drawn, every color placed gives the artist the opportunity to show the public who they are. It’s a satisfying feeling to know that every single drop of emotion that has been kept bottled up is spread out on the canvas or piece of paper or even something as small as a Post-It note, for anyone to see. Ms. Hill has been a great help when it came to building character in my artwork. Since day one she has been very optimistic and willing to help us see things in a different perspective. This project built on different art techniques, from underpainting to mixing skin tones. A challenge I faced was creating a detailed pattern that enhanced the portrait without overpowering the ornate details of the clothes.
Teacher: As an introduction to portrait painting, students examined the work of contemporary artist Kehinde Wiley, known for creating portraits that fuse traditional narratives with modern forms of representation, including his signature patterned backgrounds. Students selected and researched a Renaissance portrait painting and created a selfie recreating the historical artwork. Through this process, students learned traditional painting techniques but were also inspired from the past, reinventing old narratives. Working remotely, Jamaal mastered each stage in the process. His portrait captures a gaze that exemplifies the confidence and solemnity with which it was painted.
Sunflowers and Fruit Olga Bobak
Grade: 10 School: Susan E. Wagner High School, Staten Island Art Teacher: Stephanie Helgeson Colored pencil
Student: Art has always been a way that I expressed myself and portrayed the things around me. Through my art, I have learned to be observant of my surroundings and see art in everything. With this piece, my art teacher helped me with an unfamiliar medium and subject matter. The main challenge I faced was working with color, which I was not accustomed to doing. However, as I continued with this piece, I found myself learning how to use color effectively to portray the subjects of my still life.
Teacher: Students created a still-life arrangement that centered around a theme of their choosing. Students explored composition and created the illusion of three-dimensional form. Students learned colored pencil techniques and applied them to their project to create a realistic still-life arrangement. I was inspired to submit this work because of my student’s willingness to challenge themselves with a difficult still life arrangement. In addition, I was also inspired by this student’s ability to use the material and how they were able to capture the lifelike quality of the objects selected through careful observation of both color and form.
Personal Mandala Zarin Tasnim
Grade: 10 School: Scholars’ Academy, Queens Art Teacher: Blythe Worster Drawing pencil on paper
Student: I like the fact that there is no limit to art, and I have free will to do whatever I feel would look the best. Being an artist, I focus on the way light reflects on objects, the shadows that are formed, how lighting and background impact the way the object appears, and how I would approach drawing it. Ms. Worster demonstrated various shading techniques and showed me examples of different mandala drawings to give me an idea of I wanted mine to look like. First, I thought my designs were too crowded and would not look cohesive, but conferencing with my teacher helped me be confident with my work. For accurate proportions, I had to trace the same design eight times. I didn’t have tracing paper, but I developed a complicated process to retrace the design. I had to make sure not to smudge the areas I had already shaded. I put paper under my hand as I shaded, so that my hand did not touch the design.
Teacher: Zarin’s mandala was created over the course of several remote classes. Students began by researching traditional mandalas and the cultures that used them. They analyzed the creative process using the pyramid of inquiry, and watched British artist Zac Korvin draw a large-scale mandala on a wall. Students were asked to include a hidden symbol that was meaningful to them and helped define their culture. Students experimented with a wide array of values and shading techniques. I modeled techniques such as radial symmetry and repetition. Zarin’s technical skill is incredible. The range of values and the symmetry are awe-inspiring. I was very impressed at how well she constructed her design around the hidden symbol of the star and moon, which are Islamic symbols.
Mason Painting Alanah Mason
Grade: 10 School: Brooklyn High School of the Arts, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Allison Keller Acrylic paint on Bristol board
Student: Being an artist makes a difference in my life because I can express myself through my art. It has helped me find fun and joy through this pandemic. My art teacher played a role in my creative development by keeping me inspired and motivated during online school. I learned how time consuming it was to create a palette and paint the face. Getting the right shades of brown for the hands and face were hard, especially with the highlights. I found that putting on some music or a video on in the background helped me to get lost in the art piece and keep pushing forward.
Teacher: Students researched the history of iconic portrait painting from fourteenth-, 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 into 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. Alanah is always determined and pushes the boundaries in her artwork. This year her painting skills have really grown. Alanah took inspiration from Judith Leyster’s Self-Portrait. She captured the whimsy within that painting and brought in a beautiful contemporary element with her background pattern and color selection.
All In Zarin Tasnim
Grade: 10 School: Scholars’ Academy, Queens Art Teacher: Kelly Trpic-Rukavina Graphite pencil
Student: Being an artist makes me look at my surroundings in a more analytical way, and it helps me think more creatively. Art has become an outlet for me to express myself and make what I imagine a reality. I have free will and can illustrate whatever I wish to. Ms. Trpic-Rukavina helped me understand the importance of value scale. She explained how the placement of shading really changes the outlook of the overall artwork; hence it is very important to pay close attention to where I am putting my dark, mid-, and light tones, which all depends on where my light source is. Transitioning between the different tones of the value scale and keeping the shading even was a challenge. To solve this problem, I went over my artwork with a regular HB pencil and then slowly built up darker tones as I progressed instead of starting first with dark tones. This is because it is easier to go from lighter tones to darker and build up the shading instead of the other way around.
Teacher: Students used observational skills to create a realistic drawing of their sneakers. Then they created tonal drawings using dark, medium, and light tones, including highlights. Zarin continues to excel and exceed my expectations even under the challenges of remote learning. Zarin has had to be creative in finding materials and media that normally would have been accessible to her in the art classroom.
Lil’ Sis Shynaya Furby
Grade: 10 School: Digital Arts and Cinema Technology High School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Naomi Barak Colored pencil and ink
Student: Being an artist allows me to express myself in ways that I was unable to do before and lets me use my imagination without restrictions. I am able to communicate my feelings to other individuals. Ms. Barak supports my ideas and gives me constructive criticism regarding ways that I can improve. Working on my subject, I chose the colors that would complement the mood. I adjusted my subject’s pose and background until I was satisfied.
Teacher: Our portraiture unit began with an analysis of Jordan Casteel’s expressive body of work. Students wrote down observations before discussing the portraits as a class. The essential question that guided the discussion as well as the development of their portraits was, “What can a portrait reveal about the artist and subject?” Using a process similar to Casteel’s, students identified subjects and interviewed them. After learning figure-drawing techniques, students chose which medium in which to create their final portraits. Shynaya’s analysis and interview demonstrated a deep understanding of her subject matter. Her portrait reveals great skill, technique, and craftsmanship as well a strong connection to the subject, her sister. Shynaya is a thoughtful and hardworking student. She consistently shows enthusiasm and dedication for the arts, as well as other subjects. Shynaya has never wavered in her studies during remote learning.
Untitled Jessica Vazquez
Student: Being an artist has brought comfort and peace in my life. Through art, I have an outlet for when I’m stressed, bored, or distraught. I used to believe my art wasn’t good or creative enough. However, my art teacher, Ms. Keller, slowly helped build my confidence and skill. She has always helped me in any way she could and cheered me on until I finished a project. I struggled with painting the skin tone, especially on my face. I tried various methods, and it took several tries, but I am most proud of that part of the painting. The experience taught me so much about color theory and how to mix color for skin tones.
Teacher: Students researched the history of iconic portrait painting from fourteenth-, fifteenth-, and sixteenth-century artists to the contemporary artist Kehinde Wiley. Each student chose a personal icon to integrate into their self-portraits. Like Wiley, the students placed designs and patterns into the backgrounds to add meaning to their subjects. They learned that portraits may teach us about culture. Regarding their own portraits, students learned that icons can give further meaning to their work. Jessica is quite a student and has great dedication to her artwork. I have watched her develop into a strong, confident artist. The challenges Jessica faced creating just the right skin color certainly were overcome. For this project, Jessica took inspiration from the painting Mary Magdalene Holding the Unguent Jar by the sixteenth-century Flemish artist known as Master of the Female Half Lengths. Her overall depiction of Mary Magdalene captures the mood of the painting and has set a new tone with a wonderful color scheme.
Still Cathleen Conte-Marerro
Grade: 10 School: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Elisa De Gregorio Digital photograph
Student: In Still, the location of the photo is very special to me. I went to that spot in 2020 whenever I needed to escape from the world. Throughout the chaos of last year, I was able to find this still place. Finding this positive light has helped me see the whole world in a new way. I actively look for the good in things, and I think you should, too. Ms. De Gregorio inspired me to work hard and look for things that would normally go unnoticed. I paid close attention to the symmetry of the image making sure everything lined up perfectly, thanks to my art teacher’s guidance. I wanted to capture something important to me. As I was walking around my neighborhood, I passed this spot and knew what I had to do. This picture was taken in early January, arguably the coldest time of the year. I sat outside in the cold and had to angle my phone with freezing hands. I made sure to wear extra layers and tried to not stay out for too long.
Teacher: Cathleen created Still as we explored the theme Connections: Inside and Out. Students told a story through images, using specific framing and composition techniques. The sense of isolation from this past year put a strain on students’ mental health. I wanted to create opportunities for them to use their cameras to tell their stories and to interact with the outside world. Cathleen merged the meaning of symmetry and balance as a metaphor for her mental state. “No matter what was going on in the world, I knew I could come to these steps to find peace. Every problem would come to a halt, and I would enjoy the still view.” I know how hard this past year has been on our students. It was important for them to be able to process and share their emotions, and at the same time pull them out of the blurred lines of staying in their room all day. I wanted them to go outside and turn their attention outward.
Due at 11:59: A Pandemic Self-Portrait Roberto Quesada
Grade: 10 School: Brooklyn Technical High School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Christina Massie Acrylic paint on canvas
Student: Art is my activism. With a paintbrush, I have the power to discuss important issues that impact our generation. Due at 11:59: A Pandemic Self-Portrait was inspired by the restless nights I spend completing schoolwork and the high expectations placed on me to succeed. At times I feel as if the work will never end and that my time is controlled by strict deadlines. This artwork is my call for concern about student mental health and the need for breaks. My art teacher taught me that it is important to leave my comfort zone and to use art to express my feelings. It was difficult making the bed sheets look realistic. Using feedback from my peers, I experimented with different shades of green acrylic until I got the desired effect.
Teacher: Working in the medium of their choice, students addressed issues they faced during the pandemic. They considered art, literature, and theater that focused on self-expression and social justice to gather inspiration. As they worked, students gave each other feedback in virtual breakout rooms. Roberto’s self-portrait was inspired by his concern for the mental wellbeing of students during the pandemic. Through his lined face and his weak grip on his laptop and books, he conveys how tiring heavy workloads can be. Roberto is involved in the student government. Issues have been brought up around students’ mental health. I felt compelled to do something to strengthen students’ mental health through art. Roberto’s artwork needs to be shared. It is vivid, expressive, and emotional.
Weep Jordan Conway
Grade: 11 School: Young Women’s Leadership School, Queens Art Teacher: Erica Norwood Gouache paint and micro pens on paper
Student: Being an artist allows me to bring out my thoughts on paper and create different characters. It’s probably one of the things keeping me sane while being stuck in quarantine. My art teacher, Ms. Norwood, has really helped me develop as an artist. She has taught me a lot of the fundamental techniques and gives valuable feedback on all of my artwork. Ms. Norwood is also great at helping me brainstorm ideas and incorporate more details into my art. Creating the line contour was challenging. It was difficult to create different shades using only lines and to create patterns that would not distract from the facial features. I looked for guidance from my art teacher and my family. They all gave me great advice on how to make the piece better.
Teacher: Students began a unit on neurographic art, which has ties to art therapy. They used this knowledge as a jumping-off point to create neurographic-style portraits. Students began with contour drawing before adding marks with hatching and cross-hatching. Jordan is a strong artist and advanced beyond her years. She has a strong sense of composition and understands the effective use of contrast. Weep is a striking and expressive work of art.
Human Camouflage Bibi Ahmad
Grade: 11 School: Brooklyn High School of the Arts, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Lara Hill Acrylic paint on canvas board
Student: I love the feeling of freeing my mind of everything else while I am drawing or painting. As I am working on a piece, I like to stop and think about its meaning. Ms. Hill encourages me and provides advice on how to improve my skills, and I’ve always appreciated it. She has introduced me to new media and artists, and I never feel stuck or bored with a piece. A challenge that I faced while completing this artwork was figuring out where my focus point was going to be. It’s difficult to not get lost in a painting where the background and the foreground are equally important. In the end I let the colors do the talking, and I am content with the results.
Teacher: As part of a remote studio class, students were asked to explore theme and style within the subject of portraiture. They were first asked to create a sketchbook investigation, exploring medium and technique, and then were prompted to develop a theme for a final portrait piece. I have always been impressed with Bibi’s experimental and expressive use of materials. She has a unique, fearless approach, using texture to enhance the emotion in her drawings and paintings. In her portrait, Human Camouflage, she not only masters this painterly technique with acrylics, she uses her style to create a mysterious portrait that challenges and engages the viewer.
Studio Amina Narzikulova
Grade: 11 School: Fort Hamilton High School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Emily Yoonsmith Graphite on paper
Student: Since I was young, I have used art as a way to cope with my emotions as well as express them. The technicality has always been very therapeutic for me and is like a meditation. It has allowed me to express my perception of the world around me. My art teacher and I bounce ideas off each other and she helps me brainstorm. Whenever I feel I am in a creative block or unsure how to articulate my ideas, she guides me in creating a clear and specific path towards a meaningful, successful piece. Because this was drawn from direct observation, I had trouble working with the changes in the lighting throughout the day. I put a piece of black painted cardboard behind and under the setup to remove some of the natural light and I relied mainly on the consistent studio light.
Teacher: In this direct observation assignment, students are learning about proportion, light, and shadow. It is part of a larger body of work based on an idea of their choosing. Amina is exploring transcendence. In this still life we see the tools in Amina’s studio, and among them is a candle. She says burning this candle is a way for her to move beyond the physical into the spiritual world of the creative process. I was struck by the presence of light within this still life. It creates an ethereal quality that speaks to Amina’s theme.
Self-Portrait Janet Martinez
Grade: 11 School: Theatre Arts Production Company School, Bronx Art Teacher: Maria Pia Marrella Digital print
Student: Being an artist has given me an outlet to express my feelings. There are many different forms of art, and many ways to express myself. Art is therapeutic, and it a coping mechanism during these difficult times. My art teacher always finds new and exciting ways to challenge us creatively. She’s given my classmates and me the materials we needed to create art in school and at home. Ms. Marrella has taught me so many techniques to use that now I can express myself in many art forms. Finding the right color combination to describe how I was feeling at that time was challenging. I decided to incorporate harmonizing blue hues and some notes of light complementary colors.
Teacher: In our Human Figure and Portraiture class, we created work that ranged from contour drawings to digital images. Through masterful manipulation using Photoshop, Janet created compositions that reflect a personal style infused with emotion. This talented young woman used her knowledge of composition, design, and color to produce an enchanting self-portrait that simultaneously conveys a sense of mystery and joy. It has been a challenge for students working remotely to have a range of art materials at their disposal. Working digitally has been a resource for many, giving them the ability to produce rich, colorful compositions without paint. Janet loves photography and had access to professional digital apps. Her exemplary work inspires her peers to reach for the stars when creating a personal piece.
Autumn Still Life Lea Doble
Grade: 11 School: Newtown High School, Queens Art Teacher: Kerry Pati Colored pencil
Student: When feeling lost, I can spend hours drawing landscapes using newly learned techniques or scribble random patterns. Every drawing I finish gives me a feeling of satisfaction because I can reflect on my feelings before and during the art process. Ms. Pati taught me techniques for creating and critiquing art and how to notice the different elements and principles. She stressed the importance of the artistic process as well as the end result, advising us not to rush our artwork but to put more thought into our overall composition. I started lightly sketching the composition because at first, I wasn’t comfortable using color for the still life. I struggled with the objects blending into the background color and the use of negative space. I resolved this by lightening the color of the table to create contrast and incorporating more fruits, leaves, and pinecones in the foreground.
Teacher: Students learned to draw a still life from observation, turning shapes into forms, creating studies of the objects, and finally working on the large still life. They were taught composition, and proportion. To create a sense of depth, they composed their work based on foreground, middle ground, and background. Shading provided contrast and greater depth. The still life was set up from my home on Zoom and students had the option of using additional photos as reference and to embellish their drawings. I was impressed with the effort Lea put into her artwork. She asked for feedback and used it to push her composition to completion. Lea intuitively made great artistic choices.
Little Bear House Kimani Barnes
Grade: 11 School: Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing & Visual Arts, Manhattan Art Teacher: Ronald Jabradally Pencil on paper
Student: Artmaking used to be just a fun-time activity, and now I realize it is something I can do for a living. Creating art is my therapy. It is something I do to stay calm and get myself into a good mindset. I want to expand my skills so that I am able to do more with my art. My art teacher has helped me tremendously throughout my journey in art making. Whenever I have doubts about my artistic abilities, he gives me something harder, and he tells me that if he didn’t think that I could do it, then he wouldn’t have given me the assignment. Now that I am in the eleventh grade, I see a huge difference in my approach and technique, thanks to my art teacher. This artwork was the first piece I created in eleventh grade. I hated working on it at first because it was so difficult to get back into school artwork after the summer. Then family members told me that it was amazing, and I started to love it. This artwork made me love pencil drawing.
Teacher: Students created sketches based on observation of objects such as blocks, a toy house, and ceramic bears. Kimani carefully composed a still life from which to work. She observed light and dark areas and created a drawing with beautifully rendered details. The artwork was created during the COVID-19 pandemic while we were working in class remotely. Art-making supplies were limited in the student’s home during this time, but that did not stop her from persevering.
Three Faces of Emely Emely Segovia
Student: As time goes by, I’ve learned how to express my ideas in a positive way thanks to my growing confidence in my art and in myself. My art teacher has played a role in my creative development by teaching me the fundamentals of art and letting me express myself freely. My biggest challenge was having to draw myself with different expressions, because it’s hard for me to even do “normal” expressions. I overcame that by asking myself, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Teacher: The purpose of this assignment was to draw the face using proper proportions. Students sketched a self-image and then used various techniques to add details. They looked at light and dark areas of the face and used tonal values to create the illusion of depth. The artwork was created while Emely and I were working remotely. Art supplies were limited but that did not stop Emely from persevering and creating a deeply engaging work of art.
Unrestrained Perla Tejeda
Grade: 11 School: Pan American International High School, Queens Art Teacher: Rachel Cabrera Digital drawing
Student: I am an immigrant to this country. Art was all that I could bring with me to New York City. It did not fit in my baggage but rather in my soul. Arriving in an unknown place, full of so many new people, art was something familiar I was able to keep with me: a skill to grow alongside me as I began my new life in the United States. My art teacher, Ms. Cabrera, has helped me to continue in art, fighting for me when the upper-level art classes did not fit into my schedule. She could see something in me and in my work that I did not. She always supports all of her students. She encourages us and reminds us that mistakes in art do not exist; they are opportunities for personal style, revision, and growth. The pandemic was a low blow for me. I finally had found my place in my new school and among my friends. We were able to continue with art but without access to our studio and the quality resources and materials we use in class. We began studying digital drawing. I learned it is used by professional graphic designers. However, it was a challenge because I had no experience with it. Digital art liberated me because I could easily erase, and my lines flowed more fluidly in this format.
Teacher: Students became used to using digital drawing during remote learning. It required them to transfer some familiar skills and apply them to a new format while working online. Working from observation, students created self-portrait drawings using layers of expressive scumbling lines to communicate form and value. Perla fearlessly jumped into our new digital-drawing format. I appreciate that Perla chose to look at her reflection in the camera of her laptop on Zoom, rather than work from a photo or mirror. This gave the drawing an additional layer of commentary about our time in quarantine. Using a basic, free software, she successfully captured the loose and energetic mark-making we were aiming for. I was especially taken with how she captured the spark of life in her eyes.
Overgrown Anna Ershova
Grade: 11 School: New Utrecht High School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Taylor Harlin Acrylic paint
Student: Being an artist gives me an outlet for the expression of my feelings and experiences. It has allowed me to correlate colors and styles with my emotions and gives me infinite mediums to express my creativity. I feel like making art has made me a better and happier person, as I get to show the world what I think, rather than express my thoughts verbally. It is a unique opportunity to have a platform for self-expression. My art teachers have made a huge impact on my creative development. When I entered high school, I had no art skills and no hope to learn how to draw. My teachers did not just help me master my technical skills but aided me in developing my personal art style. Without them, I would not have known what colors and media I like to use best. I am so grateful for all the help they provided over the years. This artwork is fairly small, so one of the difficulties I faced was the level of detail I desired. I had to do a lot of small work on it to reach the realistic feel, and I feel like I succeeded. The details on the board in the background and on the face were challenging but give the artwork a much more sophisticated feel. In addition, I struggled a little with making the painting anatomically correct, as I rarely paint people in the first place. Although this artwork was not easy, I highly enjoyed painting it.
Teacher: We have all faced great change and hardship this past year. There have been negative effects and positive outcomes alike. For this assignment students were challenged to create an artwork inspired by the great challenges and changes we are facing due to the pandemic and how we have built resilience. Students made observations about how they build resilience in their daily lives. Their responses were a synthesis of observation, imagination, and personal commentary.
Beauty Overlooked by Blindness Mariam Hassan
Grade: 11 School: Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Nicole Buccellato Colored pencil
Student: Being an artist has made a difference in my life, because it gives me something to do and an outlet to my escape whenever I want to express something. The challenge I faced while creating this artwork was definitely feeling an “art block” caused by the stress of school this year. The motivation I received from my kind and caring art teacher, who is always there for me, helped. My teacher has played a role in my creative development.
Teacher: For their project, students were asked to create a work of art that reflected their voice. They decided as a group which artwork they felt could represent them in P.S. Art. My class examined their artwork and then leveled them based on visual analysis. This idea is based on the workshop for visual arts teachers, The Qualities of Quality. My students proved to be quite astute at figuring out which works had the “wow” factor. This is one of two works they selected. This drawing is Mariam’s perception of ideal beauty. I can hear her voice, see her face in the composition, and feel her anger and frustration.
Peace, New York Is Out! Faith Wilson Rivera
Grade: 11 School: Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Manhattan Art Teacher: Gretchen Schwarz Posca paint marker, Tombow marker, and Micron pen
Student: As an artist I see the world as one big art piece. Art is everywhere and in everything. My teacher allowed me to put down just what I saw in my head. No restrictions. I was able to freely think, create, and express how I feel. Figuring out the color scheme was a challenge. I looked at references online to see what colors are in a cloud of smoke and fire during blast off.
Teacher: The prompt that led Faith to create this beautiful work was centered on telling a New York story that could be published as a cover design for The New Yorker magazine. To introduce the work, students examined previous cover designs and identified themes. A core belief in instructing high school students is to provide them with a thoughtful prompt that allows each artist to tell their own stories. Faith is responding to a changing New York in light of the pandemic. Faith met with me often to discuss her ideas, but the artwork is 100% her own creation.
Through the Light Hailey Mariano
Grade: 11 School: Abraham Lincoln High School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Carlos Molina Photograph
Student: I take multiple photos to have options and different points of view. Many times, the first photo disappoints me because it was not what I envisioned. However, as I continue to photograph the same subject from different points of view, I end up capturing a photograph that I love. This has helped me to become more patient and to look at situations from more than one point of view. My teacher has shown me many different types of photography, including close-up photography, which places emphasis on texture. In this photograph I wanted the viewer to see the texture and wonder about the nature of the object. I did not have access to all the photography equipment that would have been available to me had I been in school this year. But I continued to create photographs with the equipment I had. My photography teacher, Mr. Molina, let me borrow high quality cameras, enabling me to create better photographs. He even delivered them to my house.
Teacher: Hailey enjoys street photography, and we have check-ins during remote learning so I can review her latest work. Reviewing a recent set of images that included this specific artwork, I was surprised. Her photography had taken an unexpected turn towards the abstract. The contact sheet revealed something new and exciting that happened organically. Her daily observations led her in a new direction, and she has discovered a new body of work to develop. The pandemic presented challenges to students learning remotely. To even the playing field, I delivered cameras to students who needed them. This gave me the opportunity to interact with my students in person (while adhering to all safety precautions). My students love photography, and it would be a shame if they didn’t have the proper tools to express themselves.
Stellar Madison Jackson
Grade: 10 School: Susan E. Wagner High School, Staten Island Art Teacher: Alishia Neckin Digital photograph
Student: Before learning about photography, taking pictures seemed like a trivial pastime. Now, I believe it takes incredibly hard work and dedication. A photograph can create an emotion far better than words can. Photography has changed my life; I am encouraged to try harder and not to settle for less in my art. My photography teacher maintains and provides for my creativity. Ms. Neckin inspires my class and challenges each of us with different types of photography. These different genres encourage everyone to work in their own style. This piece is a part of a timepiece series I had as an assignment. Having a love for the 70s, I chose to represent that decade. I asked my sister to participate and dressed her up in a time-appropriate outfit. I used a disco ball for decor and had my other sister hold it above my phone’s camera. The main challenge was to get the best view with the minimal amount of lightning I had. I met these challenges by using another light source to make a backlight. I also edited with filters and retouched the brightness.
Teacher: Students researched a time period and then created a series of works that reflected that period. Students were encouraged to explore the social, economic, and entertainment happenings from the time in order to inspire them and to give their pieces greater honesty. The way Madison framed and positioned the figure, combined with the facial expression and body language, makes me wonder what is happening in the life of her subject. The unique perspective draws the viewer into the world Madison has created.
My Window Benetou Kebe
Grade: 11 School: University Neighborhood High School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Joseph Sossi Digital drawing
Student: Being an artist brings out the creative side of me. Recently, I’ve gotten into visual arts. It’s something that was difficult for me at first, but over time it got easier and was something that made me feel tranquil. I use painting as an escape from reality. Mr. Sossi has helped me develop as an artist. I am now capable of making a piece from start to finish. Sometimes it’s not the best, but I learned that being creative doesn’t have to do with being the best. Creativity revolves around one’s imagination, and I can do anything with that. The challenge that I faced was trying to get all the shadows in the right places. I met this challenge by using my actual window as a reference and used a darker color for the shadows.
Teacher: In September, students were asked to simply look out their window, photograph their view, and reflect on their personal thoughts and feelings moving forward. In December, they returned to their window to produce an image of their view using the humble Google Drawings platform and again, to reflect upon their experiences and how things may have changed. Beyond learning color and compositional theory and developing technical skills building basic vector drawings, these assignments were made to create a record for the students to have and share with one another. Knowing most of our students wouldn’t have art materials at home, we resorted to Google Drawings for the sake of access, simplicity, and most importantly, virtual collaboration. Benetou mastered the platform right away. This drawing is special to me because it showcases her technical skill and precision, but it also demonstrates her close attention and care for the nuance of color.
Matryoshka Anna Treyger
Grade: 10 School: Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Nicole Buccellato Acrylic paint on canvas
Student: Being an artist has made me a more open-minded person. When you spend time creating a piece, you examine every angle, every detail. You treat it like it’s a part of you. Now I also look at life from different angles. Two people looking at an artwork will interpret it differently, based on their life experiences and perspectives. Neither is wrong, and no perspective on life is wrong either. My art teacher has inspired me to create art in ways I would not have done before. I am open to new media and styles, and I improved a lot. This artwork was more difficult to create than I thought it would be, but I believe these challenges only furthered my development. One of the challenges was deciding on the colors of the background. I experimented with different colors, but some of them were too bright, while others dulled the piece. Eventually I picked a red gradient, and I think it was a good decision. It brings the bright blue, intricate pattern of the doll to life. At times I felt very discouraged, but I persevered, and it was worth it.
Teacher: For their project, students were asked to create a work of art that reflected their voice. They decided as a group which artwork they felt could represent them in P.S. Art. My class examined their artwork and then leveled them based on visual analysis. This idea is based on the workshop for visual arts teachers, The Qualities of Quality. My students proved to be quite astute at figuring out which works had the “wow” factor. This is one of two works they selected. They all admired Anna’s use of pattern and color to create unity in the composition.
Looking Up to Lola Margaux Simons
Grade: 11 School: New Explorations into Science, Technology and Math High School, Manhattan Art Teacher: Hilary Svihla Conté crayon and watercolor on paper
Student: I’ve drawn my whole life and have always felt comfortable drawing. Life changes quickly, especially in these past few years, but art has been a constant for me. It will always be there for me. It is the most influential thing in my life. My art teacher is constantly exposing me to new techniques, media, and artists. Learning about artists’ styles has been super interesting, greatly impacting my growth and the exploration of my own art style. The hardest part of creating a piece is deciding what to draw. The assignment was to create a self-portrait that captured an aspect of my identity. I didn’t know what aspect of myself I could show. It took me a while to choose, and in the end I decided to show my curiosity in my portrait.
Teacher: Students created Conté crayon self-portrait drawings with an emphasis on 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. They began the project with warm-up exercises in Conté crayon and developed thumbnail sketches to serve as a blueprint for their final compositions. After selecting the thumbnail to develop, they sketched the outlines for the self-portrait. A range of values was applied to create the illusion of form. Students kept a journal of their experience including self-reflections, thumbnail sketches, analysis of artworks, and peer critiques. Margaux created a work that truly captures her identity. The expression and gaze in Margaux’s identity self-portrait depict her sense of curiosity. Her attention to detail, excellent craftsmanship, and the emphasis on the subject’s face and facial expression help command the viewer’s attention.
Portrait of a Place Kunyu Liang
Grade: 11 School: New Utrecht High School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Taylor Harlin Pen
Student: In my mind, art is a special space, a world of my own. I can express all my ideas by recording them. I see my artwork as a symbol of my experiences. My art teacher encourages me a lot. She is like a companion who gives me different themes that I can explore. I take photos for inspiration. I like to add my own ideas to them and imagine different media I can use to interpret the photos. The challenge for me in creating this artwork was to analyze the place and then to use my style to express it. I thought to myself, what angle should I take?
Teacher: Kunyu studied Nighthawks by Edward Hopper, discovering how much decision-making there is in art. She took a reference photo of a place while learning remotely. Based on observation and her reference, Kunyu composed a drawing that conveys her unique viewpoint. Her work demonstrates her knowledge of perspective and her ability to create depth. Kunyu’s drawing style and attention to detail infuse the drawing with her experience of this place. The vantage point places the viewer in the shoes of the artist. We are on a familiar street, perhaps less busy than usual. We see socially distanced people wearing masks, cars passing, and birds watching the scene from above. Kunyu found a clever place to leave her name and the date of this drawing. There is an undeniable sense of personality and humor in this work.
Face Parts Patrick Chen
Grade: 12 School: Tottenville High School, Staten Island Art Teacher: Wynter Carnevale Colored pencil and Wite-Out
Student: As an artist, I use images to transfer my emotions to paper and canvas. I learn more about the world when I connect with artists from various backgrounds, and I experience new techniques and media, expanding my artistic abilities. As an artist, I am open to trying new things as I grow. My art teacher critiques my work and tells me what I am doing correctly and what I need to improve upon. She provides brilliant insights. Ms. Carnevale changed the way I execute my art and compose my subjects within the frame. My artistic ability has improved throughout my high school career because of the support and advice provided by my art teacher. Composing the work and drawing the plastic were challenging, and I had to find the best way to transfer my message and emotions into my work. I decided against making it perfectly symmetrical because that would make my piece look boring. I applied the principles of design in my own unique way. For the plastic effect, I was resourceful and used Wite-Out to create the highlights.
Teacher: Patrick concentrated on portraiture for his senior portfolio. Never one to go the traditional route, he decided on this composition. Patrick has always demonstrated his stellar grasp of technical skills, but it was his unique and creative approach to portraiture that intrigued me. He is a talented young man whom I am proud and honored to have as a student.
Grandma Briana Subasic
Grade: 12 School: Tottenville High School, Staten Island Art Teacher: Wynter Carnevale and Elle Von Roth Chalk pastel and charcoal
Student: When I have trouble expressing myself, art helps me convey exactly what I am feeling. I am able to share how I feel whenever I am down or feeling unmotivated. Art inspires me to search for and appreciate the beauty in everything, encourages me to be my best self every day, and ignites my creative passion. Being an artist has helped me to grow as a person and explore who I truly am. Ms. Carnevale has influenced me from the moment I entered her class. Her honest, constructive feedback and encouragement changed the way I view art and artmaking. I have experimented with media unfamiliar to me, found new ways to express myself, and have become fearless in my art making. Ms. Carnevale’s charismatic nature and love of art have motivated me. I worked with soft pastel just once before in my life, and I never had worked with charcoal. I felt intimidated by the size of the paper, but Ms. Carnevale and my photography teacher, Ms. Von Roth, encouraged me to try something new. Whenever I faced difficulties, I reminded myself that, when I was done, I would give this to my grandmother. I love her dearly, and she has always supported my passion. I worked on small sections each day until it was completed and I was happy with it.
Teacher: When school unexpectedly closed last year, Briana’s work was left in school unfinished. I retrieved her artwork from her former teacher, Ms. Von Roth. Portraiture was one of our first assignments, and Brianna decided to finish the piece in my class. The pandemic led to a truly collaborative teaching moment that resulted in this beautiful tribute to Briana’s grandmother. Briana’s artwork is an extension of her personality. Her grandmother’s joyful face and the vibrant colored background is a testament to her own bubbly character. Briana takes on any assignment with great enthusiasm and creativity.
Closetscape Vivienne Soares
Grade: 12 School: Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School, Queens Art Teacher: Jane Kahn Graphite on paper
Student: Being an artist has taught me to look outside the box in all aspects of my life and to be a more analytical and investigative person. Dr. Kahn’s ability to help me get through the difficult times of the pandemic and push myself to be a more thorough artist has taken my form and technique to the next level. The size of this piece and using a thin pencil made this work extremely time consuming and, often times, extremely frustrating. But keeping at it and thinking of the end result gave me the ability to push to the end.
Teacher: Vivienne’s work ethic is impressive. This highly detailed observational drawing in graphite is her response to an assignment to draw a landscape of the inside of your closet. The assignment is intended to lead students towards unique ways of satisfying the portfolio demand for observational drawings required by many art colleges. Vivienne has exhibited a mastery in her use of value, and she has created a work that feels monumental despite being a mere nine inches by twelve inches.
B-Loved Watcher Eli Civita
Grade: 12 School: Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School, Queens Art Teacher: Jane Kahn Acrylic paint and oil stick on canvas
Student: I could never see myself being anything other than an artist because as an artist, I have a sense of purpose and accomplishment. I am able to express myself through different media and subjects. My teacher has helped me grow throughout this year, helping me to expand my creativity and pushing me further. Dr. Kahn has helped me to be more open and self-expressive with my work, questioning my ideas so they can be the best they can be. When I began this work, it felt scattered and chaotic. But the more paint I layered onto B-Loved Watcher, the closer it seemed to completion. Working with a set palette, I didn’t feel that I was aimlessly painting on colors. The addition of the extra figures brought this painting together and connected it to my other work. I felt confident about the completed work.
Teacher: Art majors anticipate the assignment to create a large-scale, full-figure self-portrait having seen prior classes working on their interpretation for the three years leading up to senior year. Besides working very large, personal voice is one of the essential criteria for the assignment, both in terms of using the negative space to further the narrative about personal identity and in the use of media and technique to further personal expression. Eli’s self-portrait successfully meets the criteria, with an exceptionally personal and strong aesthetic. This work represents Eli’s unique style. He created a somewhat realistic depiction of himself, and then incorporated his characters. Eli has described the anxiety he has been feeling being cooped up in the house during the pandemic, with the noises of ongoing construction closing in on him as represented by the characters leaning in and over him. The work is imaginative, expressive, and well-executed.
La Reina de Las Chucherías (The Queen of Candies) Julissa Bruno
Grade: 12 School: Humanities and Arts Magnet High School, Queens Art Teacher: Jane Judson Oil painting on canvas paper
Student: Art has become a way that I can free my thoughts, feelings, and ideas. My work is part of my identity. It depicts emotional stages in my life and represents Dominican culture and Afro Latinas. Art has given me direction into my adulthood; I know I am going to pursue a BFA in college. Frida Kahlo was one of my inspirations for this painting. Her self-portraits are precise and expressive. I struggled to portray myself as accurately and honestly as possible. Through the process, to achieve my goal, I sought critique from my teacher, peers, and family. Ms. Judson has played a major role in my self-confidence as an artist. She reassures me that my ideas are valid and powerful. When I present an idea to her, we brainstorm how I can best depict my message.
Teacher: This painting is a part of Julissa’s portfolio for our AP 2D Design class, in which students choose a theme to explore for the year. She has worked to cultivate a body of work that expresses her experiences as a young Dominican woman. Julissa reflects on all aspects of her culture and the judging she has experienced throughout her life, some from other members of her community. Along with Frida Kahlo, Julissa was influenced by Johannes Vermeer, as you can tell by the stark similarities between her self-portrait and his Girl with a Pearl Earring. I am impressed with her mastery of oil paint and the beautiful use of light, while layering meaning as she depicted herself as a confident young woman embracing her roots.
Red Flowers Jeanette Lin
Grade: 12 School: High School of Art and Design, Manhattan Art Teacher: James Harrington Oil on canvas
Student: Art is my vocabulary. I am more eloquent with a paintbrush than with words. Art is a part of my identity. I feel joy in the hands-on act of a painting, but also impatience, waiting to see the finished work. Art has introduced me to so many hardworking and simply amazing artists in the community. Mr. Harrington is an inspiration both in character and artistic guidance. His jolly demeanor paired with his occasional lecturing motivated me to restructure my work ethic. My time at Art and Design was special because I was in Mr. Harrington’s class. The techniques of oil paint intimidated me. With his advice, and the passion of the Illustration Club members, I am enjoying my oil painting experiences. In the creation of Red Flowers, I struggled with convincingly placing the figures in their environment. This painting was one of my first pieces with a naturalistic environment. I am not experienced with painting flowers. I implied the vivid details of the red flowers using bright red impasto over a darker alizarin crimson wash to create depth. The alizarin accents concentrated in the cast shadows of the figures helped to ground them within the composition.
Teacher: This painting is part of the Advanced Placement Drawing portfolio, a format for students to explore their own visual style and artistic identity. Jeanette is a painterly realist who is a poet with a brush. Each stroke of paint is not simply descriptive, it’s also expressive. Her visual style is undergirded by strong intuitive concepts. This painting is very much about cultivating beauty and hard work. Jeanette is one of the most gifted artists I’ve ever had the pleasure of teaching. Yet this was a tough year for her. This painting represents her back in form, enjoying her work again. I think it is fitting that the painting represents women at work cultivating something beautiful. Jeanette is back at work again cultivating her own painted beauty.
Self-Portrait (You’re an “It”) Nova Stanely
Grade: 12 School: High School of Art and Design, Manhattan Art Teacher: James Harrington Mixed media
Student: Art is what has kept me rooted through my teenage years; it tethers me to the world, keeps me in touch with myself, and lets me explore the world around me through a familiar and reassuring lens. Mr. Harrington has been my teacher for two years, but his impact on me began before I was even fourteen. I have been hanging around his classroom every week since freshman year, until a few years later I was officially his pupil. Mr. Harrington has boosted my skills, technique, and confidence as an artist, and for that I am eternally grateful. This piece is about my journey as a transgender male. It depicts the unavoidable internal and external criticisms of my identity that I face and shows how damaging they can be to a teenager. Working with mixed media was a completely new experience for me.
Teacher: Nova developed this painting for an exhibition curated by one of his peers in a downtown gallery. He wasn’t just visiting galleries; he was putting his work on the walls! The substantial skills he has developed as a visual artist are already being applied to the professional world. This goes way beyond an awareness of careers in the visual arts; this is doing it! This is one of the bravest self-portraits I’ve ever seen. Nova is undeniably courageous to share his experience as a transgender male during the difficult years of simply being a teenager. I can feel his vulnerability on a very visceral level while simultaneously standing mouth agape at his phenomenal painting ability.
I Can’t Breathe Codi Cano-Pinos
Grade: 12 School: Queens Metropolitan High School, Queens Art Teacher: Jennifer Russell Graphite pencil
Student: Being an artist has become a method of activism for me. Drawing used to be just simple doodles I thought looked cool bunched together. Art didn’t have a true purpose for me until I saw how I could utilize it to speak out. Seeing the Black Lives Matter movement take off last year made me want to be proactive and do something with my talent. Ms. Russell has been my art teacher for over four years. Though I did not have her class officially until my junior year, I was constantly in her classroom, picking up paints or just hanging out with fellow artists. I was able to continue my love for art throughout my high school career because Ms. Russell made it so accessible. Had she not been at Queens Metro, I wouldn’t be where I am today. One day, scrolling through the news, I realized that 2020 was the year to express myself, but how could I take the news and boil it down to one issue? The pandemic we are living through is difficult. Still, I wanted to dive deeper and create something that we all should be paying attention to but many still are not. The Black Lives Matter movement isn’t just for those who got hurt; it’s about bringing awareness to others and working to create a better future.
Teacher: This unit was entitled Documenting Our History. I asked students to reflect upon the lives they were living. Codi, being such a thoughtful young artist, really looked beyond her own space and thought about how she could amplify the message of the BLM protests through her work. Clearly, she has conveyed a message that is beautiful, scary, powerful, and well crafted. This piece is skillfully and thoughtfully drawn and has a strong visual impact. It embodies a societal issue about which my young students feel strongly. Codi found a way to boldly share her voice even though she has been working remotely all year.
Quarantine 2020 Leanndra Hall
Grade: 12 School: Millennium Art Academy, Bronx Art Teacher: Laura Blau Watercolor and ink on paper
Student: Art has a lot to do with perspective and an awareness of details, beyond physical elements I can see and recreate. This can result in a weird phase of hyper-focusing on a particular subject for a while, leaving me with lots of new random information to think about. I used to be a lazy artist and wasn’t very fond of many teachers. Ms. Blau, however, gives great art advice, and she makes me laugh, so it’s hard not to take heed of the things she says. I’ve always struggled with rendering human extremities. I’ve gotten better at drawing hands, but I’m still working on making feet look more natural. In the original setting, my grandmother was barefooted, and I settled on giving her socks.
Teacher: In the remote learning setting, students are documenting this unique historic time through figure drawings or studies of interior and exterior spaces. They were encouraged to work with the materials available them. Leanndra became my student just a few months before lockdown. I introduced her to watercolor, markers, and ink. She appreciated that I showed her, as she said, “exciting new possibilities.” Her ability to capture home quarantine is impressive. This piece was especially meaningful for her because she has moved around a lot, and this represented a new home. I particularly liked Leanndra’s rendition of her grandmother’s stance and the vibrant color choices, visual paint textures, and overlaying pen marks. Stand-out elements include the print of the chair fabric, the plant, the subtle breeze indicated by the curtains, and other interior design details. This image is strikingly relatable to anyone who lived through this pandemic.
Self-Portrait Lulu Maiorescu
Grade: 12 School: Edward R. Murrow High School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Sarah Grace Holcomb Oil on wood
Student: To give my pieces a surrealist atmosphere, I emphasize color and light. Artists who have influenced my artwork include Hilma af Klint and Frida Kahlo. Each has shown me how to communicate my personal struggles through my artwork. I want my viewers to see my work but also to feel the emotion I’m trying to communicate in order to start a conversation about the vitality of mental health. In my self-portrait, I wanted to show my experiences dealing with mental health issues through my facial expressions: to show anxiety, depression, and disassociation. I wanted to make the viewer feel trapped and uncomfortable, similar to how I feel every day. I used vibrant colors and strong lighting to draw viewers in and trap them with the intensity of the face, making them feel they shouldn’t look away but instead be on high alert. Ms. Holcomb opened doors to help facilitate and fuel my creativity. Dealing with something so personal while working on this painting was a huge challenge, but art has the ability to mitigate stress and personal struggles by providing a healthy outlet to deal with trauma, depression, and other issues we all face. It was a challenge to confront these inner struggles but rewarding to see the progress and response to my work.
Teacher: This painting is part of a larger series of work for Lulu’s portfolio. Lulu created a series of works that address the issues surrounding mental health, something we all can relate to during this tumultuous time. In this self-portrait, Lulu exhibits mastery of oil painting techniques and pushes the boundaries of how to use color. Her bold use of color creates a strong impact on her theme. Lulu’s work can often be overlooked because of its ability to make the viewer look inward and confront issues they may see in themselves. Her gaze in this painting can be unnerving, creating a powerful response to the painting. Lulu’s ambition and her ability to overcome personal struggles are extremely admirable.
Polka Aleksandra Kwiecień
Grade: 12 School: Edward R. Murrow High School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Sarah Grace Holcomb Embroidery floss and beads on canvas
Student: I was born in Warsaw, Poland, and immigrated to the United States just four years ago. I continue to explore my heritage and culture through art. Because of this, symbolism is very important throughout my portfolio. I include symbols drawn from Poland’s historical, political, and cultural events. Ms. Holcomb and my other art teachers have played a huge role in my creative development through their support and encouragement. Because of them, I did not face any creative or artistic blocks during the pandemic. Their dedication to our artistic success has always been motivating and inspiring. While working on Polka, I developed a routine where I spent a dedicated amount of time each day to work. Once I started sewing, I could work for several hours. Although the process was time consuming, I had a clear image in my head of what I wanted my work to look like.
Teacher: This embroidery was created as part of a larger series of work for Aleks’s portfolio. Highlighting her Polish heritage, she referenced traditional Polish patterns and fabrics with a contemporary twist, placing herself on a Polish Vogue cover. Students were pushed to refine their skills using their chosen material. Aleks exhibits a mastery of material and pushes the boundaries of using craft as art. Aleks has an extremely mature and sophisticated approach to artmaking. She is having a conversation about several social issues at once, one of which stems from her choice of material. It is impossible to look at embroidery and not think about the historical narrative of the craft. Sewing often has been thought of as “women’s work.” Her choice to elevate this material and redefine how we perceive this technique, and the references Aleks makes to her heritage, resulted in an evocative work of art.
Grandmother Glory Flores
Grade: 12 School: Edward R. Murrow High School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Carlos Rosado Acrylic paint on canvas
Student: Growing up, while I had a passion for art, I had trouble expressing myself verbally. Creating simple doodles or paintings on canvas was my outlet. I made art based on what I was experiencing, and I found my voice in the pages of my sketchbooks. My goal is to get the viewer to empathize with my concept about living in the present and making the most it. Ms. Holcomb and Mr. Rosado have helped me to take everything I am excited about and make it materialize through my artwork. Although I chose to keep the color palette relatively limited, I wanted to add a little more range to my color choices. I found that color blocking has been extremely helpful in making these changes, as well as calculating where the light and shadows of the subject start and end.
Teacher: Beginning with Grandmother, Glory set out to create a series of paintings reflecting a personal theme and simultaneously inviting the viewer to examine the narrative of her body of work. Glory had already developed a clear understanding of the painting process by investing a great deal of time painting from life in the studio. At this point, she began the personal journey of deciding what the theme of her series would be. Allowed complete autonomy in the creative process, students must devise a plan that involves a visual and written proposal to be presented to the class for peer review. Glory chose to create a series of paintings that were deeply introspective and connected to her immediate world. I am especially proud of her for expressing her inner voice so beautifully while demonstrating her acquired skills and confidence.
Corona Extra Sofia Juan Ramirez
Grade: 12 School: Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School, Queens Art Teacher: Jane Kahn Acrylic paint on canvas
Student: Being an artist has influenced the way I view and process the world. Like many other artists before me, I use my art to record moments in my life and as a way to express and process my thoughts. Dr. Kahn has given me a space to sharpen my skills and abilities, allowing me to refine my work. She motivates me to strive to deliver the best that I can in every single artwork. Like many of my pieces, the beginning stages with the first underdrawing and first few layers of paint were frustrating, because it does not look perfect. Only after I let go and trusted the process was I able to put the final product that I had envisioned in my mind onto canvas.
Teacher: The prompt for this assignment originated with concerns about the environment. It was presented as an open-ended assignment. Students could either use detritus as found-objects in the creation of a work, or as Sofia has done, use it as a subject of a work executed using a traditional medium. Here, Sofia has brought together her appreciation for the chiaroscuro technique of the Baroque period with a still life of detritus that reflects the immediacy of this moment in time. Sofia’s knowledge of and enthusiasm for art history served to inform her in creating this painting. I selected this artwork because of the lusciousness of its execution. Sofia treats the discarded objects as important symbols particular to the historic and monumental period we have all lived through over the past year.
Dragonfly Daisy Woelfling
Grade: 12 School: Edward R. Murrow High School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Carlos Rosado Oil paint on unstretched canvas
Student: Being an artist has led me to a lot of self-discovery and understanding, which has made a major difference in my life. This path of self-discovery would never have begun without my painting teacher, Mr. Rosado. Before his class, I liked art but was never passionate about it. However, seeing his mastery and dedication to painting made me want to follow in his steps. His guidance is what ultimately pushed me to become the artist I am today, for which I am very grateful. In my painting, I wanted to create a whimsical, fairytale feeling loosely based on William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but I struggled with actually accomplishing this task. Consequently, I decided to return to the basic elements of color and light, having my model pose in a pale green gown and using soft lighting to recreate this feeling.
Teacher: Daisy was tasked with creating a painting that would reflect the aesthetic sensibilities she had accrued after completing several earlier pieces. In addition to demonstrating technical prowess and an understanding of visual language, the painting would be the first work in her developing portfolio. This process began with a written assignment requiring Daisy to reflect upon herself as an artist and then explain how that reflection would inform her choice of subject matter and theme moving forward. Dragonfly demonstrates Daisy’s independence and persistence gained through the practice of self-reflection, experimentation, and visual editing. It is an excellent example of her impressive growth as a young artist and thoughtful creator. What is most gratifying for me is to see how much of a successful problem solver Daisy has become.
Duplicity Lesly De Leon Mendez
Grade: 12 School: Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Manhattan Art Teacher: Jane Felber Digital photograph
Student: As an artist, I appreciate the world around me. I see a building, and I am reminded of the talent and intelligence it took to design it. I use my camera to draw with light. Despite COVID-19 restrictions, Ms. Felber finds ways to keep students active and constantly exploring new things. At first, I was apprehensive because I had to leave my house to take this photograph, but I was happy because it came out really well. Through editing, I discovered new possibilities. I took this photograph in Manhattan when people were out doing the last of their December holiday shopping. The weather conditions and proximity of people were challenging, but these adverse conditions eventually led to my personal artistic growth.
Teacher: Students explored Surrealism through the lens of their cameras. Our remote situation limited student learning, and members of my photography class had to depend on whatever cameras were available to them. Some had single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras, some had digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras, and many were using their smartphones. The holiday store windows were effervescent with theatrical designs, beautifully stage-lit. Students safely explored the windows for ideas, taking advantage of the multiplicity inherent in the reflective nature of glass. They transcended this world of uncertainty and fear, stepping into a world of creative possibilities. Lesly’s photograph shows a city from a unique perspective. Her image is both fractured and cohesive. It transcends our current pandemic and the psychological impact we all are feeling.
Wrong Number Emma Michaels-Giglio
Grade: 12 School: Fort Hamilton High School, Brooklyn Art Teacher: Emily Yoonsmith Colored pencil on black paper
Student: Art is a way for me to understand what I’m feeling, because I often don’t express or process emotion in a typical way. It’s hard for me to identify what is troubling me and how to release those worries in a healthy manner. Art is my way of communicating, and it has been a system of support and confidence through hardships. Despite the simple guidelines, Ms. Yoonsmith pushed me to be creative and express the emotions I was feeling throughout the process of creating the piece. I had just relocated living spaces for the third time in the span of a year. It was hard to communicate that I was having difficulty keeping up with my classwork, and communication had become a prominent theme in my portfolio investigation. I decided that my message should be about the guilt I felt, hence the use of demonic imagery. It is also about wanting to hide that guilt by hanging up the phone and not communicating. This explains the title, Wrong Number.
Teacher: Students were asked to create a series of artworks based on an idea of their choosing. Emma decided to create a series of works exploring a person’s struggle to interpret the incongruous events taking place in the world around her. Emma brought her own personal experience into the artwork. She is honest and poetic in her representation of ideas.
They Killed My Son Oriane Sow
Grade: 12 School: Fordham High School for the Arts, Bronx Art Teacher: Lisa Mota Acrylic paint
Student: Art was simply an outlet for my emotions, but now I see it as a way to trigger an audience’s feelings on topics such as segregation and injustice. My art teacher encourages my ideas to reach beyond boundaries. Ms. Mota’s consistent, constructive feedback has taught me to be bold in my artwork and bold in my artist statements. Capturing the pain of the subject was a challenge. My compositional challenge was keeping her face from becoming obscure while at the same time emphasizing the other important details.
Teacher: Oriane is enrolled in my AP Drawing Class. This work grew out her investigation into racial injustice. She designed a portfolio that demonstrates her personal style and voice. In this work, we can see her mastery of materials and her understanding of the elements of art and principles of design. Oriane is a powerhouse. Starting when I worked with her as a ninth grader, she always has blown me away. The artwork she is doing this year is well-rendered and has powerful messages. It’s important to acknowledge the point of view of our youth and bring awareness to how this younger generation is impacted by the injustices around them. Oriane is an amazing young woman and artist. She is dedicated and passionate about her artwork.
Senior Year Truths Paulina Martinez
Grade: 12 School: Fordham High School for the Arts, Bronx Art Teacher: Lisa Mota Colored pencil and watercolor
Student: Being an artist has given me a way of expressing myself and a chance at a social life. I come from a strict household. I am restricted in where I am allowed to go, but my mother lets me go to anything art related. I went to the Art Galas at my school, an art program in Manhattan, and The School Art League award ceremony at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. There, I interact with people, and because of these experiences, I now view art in an entirely different way. My art teacher, Ms. Mota, once told me the more personal the artwork is the stronger the piece will be. So I try to make artwork not only about my feelings but about other struggles that I witness. One challenge that I faced was deciding on a subject. Then I thought of Picture Day, when you put a big smile on your face for your yearbook photo. I decided to do the complete opposite and show a student’s true emotions. This became an image of a yearbook photo that exposes the truth, the insider life of a student. One of my friends was my model. For variety, I like to use reference photos of other people.
Teacher: Paulina is in my AP Drawing class. Her theme is the investigation of ways in which we hide our feelings. She is creating work depicting the subject’s inner feelings in contrast to what others see on the outside. There is a sense of vulnerability in Paulina’s work. Using the iconic yearbook photo of a graduating senior, the joy of all the people around her, and her true feelings invisible to those around her, she has created an image that will resonate with many others. Paulina has always been a strong artist and will continue to pursue art in college. The time and effort she has poured into her art for the past four years should be recognized. She is an outstanding young woman, always challenging herself with each project. Her artwork speaks to many, and it’s important for her artistic voice to be heard. I am very proud of her grit, dedication, and passion.
The Daily Life of an Asian American Christy Phuong
Grade: 12 School: Susan E. Wagner High School, Staten Island Art Teacher: Stephanie Helgeson Collage
Student: When I create a work of art, I am challenged not only as an artist but also as a person. No matter how many times art has tested my limits or how many times I wanted to give up, the only thing that stopped me is thinking of that moment of satisfaction and pride when I finish an artwork. At first, I was going to do just a portrait, but Ms. Helgeson made me challenge myself to do this project, and she believed I could do it. It was challenging to select the pictures and words to represent my personal life as an Asian American and the struggles I face daily. It also was hard trying to cater to other Asian Americans. I thought of all the things that represented my life and some that might relate to others as well, which are lucky cats that you see in Asian restaurants, Chinatown, my mom’s favorite flowers, and those dragon costumes that are very popular during Lunar New Year celebrations.
Teacher: Students analyzed their current portfolio, researched colleges and their expectations, and created a plan for the direction in which they wanted their portfolio to go. Christy was interested in portraits. In developing this work, Christy took a chance and explored a new medium, learning about collage and how it could be used to represent an idea in a complex way. Collage became a tool to enhance Christy’s personal vision relating to a societal issue. Christy used art as a platform to create awareness of an issue relevant in today’s society. In doing so, she created a strong portfolio piece.
I Am Not My Stereotype Ruby Apton
Grade: 12 School: High School of Fashion Industries, Manhattan Art Teacher: Elise Zubrovich Acrylic paint on cardboard
Student: Being an artist has given me the opportunity to attend an art-focused high school. Being surrounded by people who have the same passion as I do has opened my eyes to all the different styles and techniques. I took a liking to realism and portraits, which improved my skills as a cosmetologist. My teacher has helped me use my voice and create artwork that sends a message to the viewer. This piece was made during a difficult time for Black Americans. The deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and microaggressive comments used regarding Black men and women, motivated me to create this piece to help eliminate the stereotypes used against the Black community.
Teacher: During their senior year, art majors complete a series of works demonstrating personal style, vision, and social commentary. Their work is shown in our senior art show. For this lesson, students looked at art as activism and considered the use of text to add layers of meaning. Some students created their work solely with text. This was Ruby’s response to the racial incidents that affect our students on a deep social and emotional level. Ruby’s artwork demonstrates a skillful use of materials. It was an emotional day in class when Ruby shared this work, and everyone in the class was moved by it. The students engaged in a rich discussion about the art. It was a teaching moment I won’t soon forget.
Behind the Scenes in Chinatown Joy Chen
Grade: 12 School: The Community Health Academy of the Heights, Manhattan Art Teacher: Tiffany Macknight Digital photograph
Student: My artwork is me. It is another way for me to speak up, document, and voice my opinions. I’m not good at expressing myself through words, but I don’t need to speak because my art speaks for itself. I enjoy making connections through my artmaking and being able to express myself and showcase my voice. Art is mysterious, subjective, creative, and universal. My amazing art teacher, Ms. Macknight, inspires me every day. She constantly encourages us to look at works from artists of different races and backgrounds to expose ourselves to the many forms of art. She taught me that art allows me to share my viewpoint with the world. Because of the pandemic, I rarely took a step outside, but Ms. Macknight encouraged me to take photos whenever I did leave my home. In Chinatown, I captured the people around me. Behind the Scenes of Chinatown depicts the difficulties experienced by the community due to hate crimes against Asian people. As a community, it is our job to work together to help and educate others about events that affect us. Through my art, I try to inspire and educate people.
Teacher: Students focused on recognizing the connections they can make between their artmaking and the world around them as they created portfolios of twenty works, based on their sustained investigation of a topic of their choice. We are fully remote and have gone on virtual field trips to explore current art exhibitions to observe these connections, and they have emerged in students’ artwork. Joy’s personal vision was created through her exploration of a societal issue, and her synthesis of observation, imagination, and the creative use of the elements of art and the principles of design to organize her composition. This rich image expresses her viewpoint and offers us a personal perspective on an important subject that should be discussed.
Social Distancing Micheal Ewen
Grade: 12 School: Humanities and Arts Magnet High School, Queens Art Teacher: Jane Judson Digital photograph
Student: As an artist I have become more creative and innovative in my thought process, and I am now looking forward to pursuing a career related to filmmaking. At the beginning of high school, I chose to take music and theatre classes. In my junior year, I switched to visual arts with Ms. Judson. I hadn’t had formal art instruction in several years, and I enjoyed exploring digital art-making tools. Working with Ms. Judson these past two years has taught me how to incorporate messages into my work. The most challenging part of making this artwork was to accurately represent how I would appear to be drowning in my bedroom. To do so, I used various techniques like camera blur, added light from behind and color correction across the different parts of my image.
Teacher: Micheal’s photograph is part of his portfolio for our AP 2D Design class. For his theme he chose to explore his experience with COVID-19 and being a fully remote student for the entire 2020–2021 school year. Micheal and I looked at the work of some contemporary Surrealist artists and artists who work to manipulate photographs. I was truly impressed by Micheal’s drive to continue to make art as a way to work through his feelings of being alone, trapped inside, and overwhelmed by all that he needs to complete in his senior year of high school. He worked hard to teach himself a range of editing techniques in Adobe Photoshop. In this self-portrait, Micheal showed advanced skills in editing along with a profound ability to convey a very relatable feeling of discomfort during the pandemic.
After Brianne Brianne Ford
Grade: 12 School: University Prep Charter High School, Bronx Art Teacher: Brendan White Digital photograph
Student: Art is the opening of the mind and then taking a dive into a person’s thoughts. I like the place that my mind can drift off to when I create art pieces. Art has allowed me to explore my emotions in a creative way when I’m not sure how else to express them. Being an artist has given me the ability to dream, imagine, and envision what I believe to be beauty. With constant motivation from Mr. White, I have been pushed to “break the rules” and to see where my creativity leads me. I’m grateful for the push. It makes me learn and explore the creative side of myself. One of the biggest challenges was caused by the thrust into quarantine during the pandemic. With very little to work with, I made do with the supplies I had, a strong will, and my imagination. Allowing myself to think creatively was difficult. Once I worked through that, I was able to envision my art and get to work.
Teacher: For this lesson, students created photographs that combined elements of still life and portraiture to convey a sense of place and time. They were encouraged to refer to art historical resources for inspiration. The results were intimate depictions of the spaces that have become all too familiar to each of us this past year. Brianne produced several lovely photographs. Here, she constructed a sensitive moment that allows the viewer to feel present, but not intrusively so. Seeing this photograph reassured me that Brianne was well and still growing as an artist.
Ecuadorian Mask of the Devil Huma Nicole Angamarca
Grade: 12 School: Newtown High School, Queens Art Teacher: Kerry Pati Charcoal pencil
Student: Being an artist has always been my goal. Drawing my feelings provides me peace and helps when I’m not feeling much joy. I’m able to express and control my emotions with family and friends. Being an artist isn’t easy; you need to learn skills, and your imagination needs to be constantly moving. My teachers have helped me understand the meaning of art and how all artists’ work is unique. As mentors, they believed in my potential and never gave up on me. Art instruction has changed since the pandemic, but with my art teachers’ feedback I still can improve my skills. I found it challenging to use charcoal to get the correct contrast and to create depth. I started with the light areas and then built up the shadows. I wanted to depict how the sunlight was hitting the mask without losing the shadows.
Teacher: This unit included techniques for changing shapes into forms. Using basic geometric shapes, students drew objects found in their homes. They used shading and contrast to make objects appear three-dimensional. Students experimented with charcoal pencil to achieve the best results. Nicole transformed a class exercise into a stunning drawing by rendering the object as a carefully composed, completed work of art, taking it upon herself to add the background and details. The stream of light hitting the mask, playing against the shadows and gray tones, creates a wonderful contrast.
Kimberlina Kimberly Rios Bravo
Grade: 12 School: The High School of Fashion Industries, Manhattan Art Teacher: Elise Zubrovich Colored pencil, marker, and ink
Student: Art is something I’ve always been super passionate about. I’ve learned that when I am engaged in art making, everything else becomes irrelevant. It’s just me and my art. It’s an incredible moment that all people who are in love with their craft can relate to. I never would have created this piece if my teacher hadn’t given us so much creative freedom. Ms. Zubrovich encourages me, and all of her other students, to experiment and search for opportunities outside of the classroom environment in order to grow as both artists and people. The hardest part about creating this piece was beginning it. I finally took this idea from my head and put it onto paper. I pushed myself out of an artist’s block and began sketching, exploring with different media, and most importantly, allowing myself to be absorbed in the process.
Teacher: Students are working on their culminating project, a series of works that demonstrate their personal style and vision. Senior-level students are required to complete an exit portfolio. They are involved in researching artists who inspire them, experimenting with and mastering the medium they choose, and presenting their work to the class and school community. Kimberly’s work demonstrates beauty in execution and style. Her artwork has very deep personal meaning, drawing from her connection to her grandfather. The execution of her art shows mastery of materials. Her pieces work together to tell a beautiful story. Kimberly documented the process of her artmaking and reflected upon it as she was creating it. The beautiful, dreamlike illustrations are very moving.
Self-Portrait Katia Lopez
Grade: 12 School: West Bronx Academy for the Future, Bronx Art Teacher: Kathleen Kennedy Graphite, charcoal, and marker
Student: I have done portraits of others. I wanted to take myself out of my comfort zone and chose myself as the subject. This was a new experience. I wanted to make it realistic, so I took pictures using the pose from an Old Master’s painting. With the background and pose, I think the inspiration drawn from Kehinde Wiley’s work is evident. I searched for ornate patterns as inspiration for the background. I added a rubber duck earring and plain shirt to modernize the piece but feel that my hair helped bring the piece into the present without the accessories. The color in the piece juxtaposes the grayscale subject, allowing it to stand out more. My work is contemporary while maintaining a classical influence. By both bringing forward and pushing back the pattern along the border of the subject, I created an interaction between the background and foreground similar to Kehinde Wiley’s work.
Teacher: Students created a work of art based on a classical image of their choice. The subject had to be of themselves or someone in their home, in the pose of their chosen image. Students worked to have the pattern of the background intertwine with the figure, playing with the intersection of background and foreground. This particular piece was Katia’s self-portrait. In addition to following the outline for the assignment, her attention to detail and reflection make this piece truly inspiring. Katia is a senior who is applying to college. To me, this piece represents a young person looking back on their youth as they enter into adulthood.
I’m OK Kiara Headley
Grade: 12 School: Curtis High School, Staten Island Art Teacher: Samantha Zuaro Acrylic paint on canvas
Student: I have always seen art as a hobby, but it wasn’t until recently that I believed that being an artist could create a career path for me. Being an artist has become a huge part of my life, and I hope to create a future for myself with my art. If it weren’t for my teacher, Ms. Zuaro, I wouldn’t be painting the way I do now, and I would not be considering pursuing an art career. She is the biggest influence on my art productivity and is always there to help with painting techniques and ideas. The background was a challenge. Usually my paintings feature elaborate backgrounds, but for this painting, I wanted to make the portrait my focus. I opted to leave the background blank, but when I completed the figure, the piece was missing something. I enlisted the help of my art teacher, who came up with the idea of creating the sketch of a background. I was a bit hesitant on the idea at first but as I worked on the background sketches, I came to love the final piece.
Teacher: Students created symbolic self-portraits using acrylic paint. They looked at the work of portrait artists like Amy Sherald and discussed how art equals form plus theme plus context. Kiara is a student in my International Baccalaureate Visual Arts Course, a twoyear course preparing students for the IB Art Portfolio assessment. During this time, she created a process portfolio cataloging the creation of artwork done in a wide variety of media, which ultimately became a part of an exhibition of all students’ themed pieces that included written curatorial rationales. Kiara is a kind and outgoing student. In I’m OK, she is displaying a mask of positivity through this really hard time. Both Kiara and I are working fully remote, and the isolation has been hard. We look forward to seeing each other virtually in class each day and even spend extra time outside of class time to talk.
P.S. Art is an annual celebration of achievement in the arts in New York City public schools, featuring the work of more than 150 talented young student artists from all five boroughs.